...Karl Marx said that either we choose to follow a new method of economic organisation or capitalism will drown us all with its own contradictions, aptly summed up as "socialism or Barbarism"
Capitalism thrives through overproduction, which has terrible consequences for ecology, climate and human well being, sustainable consumption may not follow in socialisms footsteps (although I would argue that it has to in order to successfully live on a planet with finite resources) but it'll definitely have to redress some of the capitalist methods of production.
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Love the title. It's certainly interesting to think about the extent we need collective and political action to respond to challenges like climate change, especially given that current policies seem to assume we can shop our way to sustainability. Would be interested to hear what methods you propose to get more people politically engaged with these issues.
ReplyDeleteHi Tom, welcome to the module, and great provocative first post! Jonathan Porritt recently argued that capitalism (ie economic growth) could be reformed, and made sustainable, and that was quite a shock coming from an original Green Party hero. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteWell, I waited for revolution to come, but it did not arrive. So I tried to start a revolution, but no-one was interested. I decided to start my own business and then I realised marxists make the best entrepreneurs. The trouble with Marx is that he is right about the causes of history: historical materialism, but wrong about the outcome. Capital will always be ahead of labour. Come and join the petty bourgoisie!
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