With respect to how greatly I admire the voice and reason of Jason Hickel and Yanis Varoufakis - we don't need totalitarian leaders, like politicians and CEOs, we need to build a NEW SYSTEM that meets all needs, in an ecologically sound way, and locally democratic in every possible way. I would say the sound, logical IDEAS of those like Hickel and Varoufakis should lead us to the next economic evolution. Not that it wouldn't be great to have someone like Varoufakis the elected leader of Greece, but that's unlikely, so instead, we should build the better system itself. One Small Town through Contributionism is one way, Library Socialism or bringing back The Commons, is another, and what we see in "A Viable Society" talk by Zeitgeist film creator, Peter Joseph.
@@coolioso808 Saying someone should be at the helm of something is not calling for a "totalitarian leader". Even the most decentralised anarchist structures accept management/leadership of individuals who are recognised for their proficiency and experience in a certain role.
@@SvalbardSleeperDistrict good. Just clarifying. I agree, managers and leaders (not bosses of ultimate authority) are still needed for a healthy society. I would welcome more science-based approaches to social management, from Hickel, Raworth, Parrique, Mark Z Jacobson, Bookchin, Srsly Wrong Boys (Library Socialism) and more like that!
Remember: humans are not evil. Our actions are the result of a multitude of factors beyond our conscious control. Empathy is a powerful instrument man. ❤
Seen Prof. Varoufakis with Prof. Hickel together, feels like two giants unite, forming a new bigger and better "Transformers" robot, fighting for Decolonization-Equality-Justice. So glad see you two "together"!
I recently read Jason’s book Less is More out loud to my dad and it lead to some fruitful conversation. I especially love the chapters focused on the origins of capitalism and the Golden Age of of European Proletariat.
There are so many comments that could be made about this mesmerising conversation. The new story that will replace this one is already created and we must elect those who understand this conversation, deeply. The future is bright but only if there is a collective awakening into this new story..
I hope we don't fall for this idea that 'we must vote better' and that's all we can really do. I"m sorry, but that's not enough. Yes, go vote better for parties with policies that are pro-worker, pro-environment, anti-war and perhaps even anti-capitalist, but that is a hard sell for the general public if our economic problems on the ground are in dismay! People are more motivated by fear and that doesn't lead to logical conclusions all the time. We need to do what Buckminster Fuller said long ago: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." We create change from the bottom-up, community level up, through a strategic organizational campaign that is built on cooperation, collaboration and co-ownership. Some organization that allows for local prosperity and abundance, within ecological limits, to be created, high levels of direct democracy and yet also collaborative across nations for ideas of best practice. Open source, in a way. For system change organizations, they are few and far between at this point. But it doesn't mean we can't develop them sooner than we think. One Small Town communities are popping up all over the world, cooperating and collaborating. Mutual Aid Networks are established in many cities and towns, and could advance more. Library Socialism is a very rational community building strategy that builds "ecological luxury", as Srsly Wrong Boys talked extensively about in their podcast, and it could be paired with an organization like Mutual Aid Networks to get off the ground even more!
Wow I’m blown away by this. It seems like we are in sleep mode on what’s happening around us. You just made sense to my mind on what is happening in South Africa now. I just learnt so much.
The idea that essentials should be a right for all and not subject to markets is a huge shift in thinking for so many people and showing a vision of how this could be is going to be essential to help them make this seismic shift. Yanis's book and discussions such as this are a great start but there is so much more to do. I feel personally buoyed by this kind of discussion, evolving the picture of how we could live. Also, while I am no fan of set piece confrontational setups I was glad to see some disagreement in this episode as it only through questioning and offering alternative viewpoints that we will evolve a more workable picture. Many thanks.
Oh wow. My heart literally skipped a beat when I saw this video. Can’t wait to dig in. I love Jason. You could also talk to Kate Raworth or Timothee Parrique too who are also geniuses when it comes to this topic.
A clear minded assessment of our dis-ease, a diagnosis, if you will. Soon it will be time to roll up our sleeves and heal humanity and the planet, so I lustily listen to great thinkers who will point towards the solutions and prescriptions we need to move forward.
great point here about the dystopia of wealth inequality in london 53:45 thank you for talking about this, please keep speaking for these people! we must oppose the capital owners, power to the people!
I'm American and you'll get no argument out of me, sadly. Being half British has given me a more world view of matters for which I am very grateful. There are so many terribly ignorant people in America, it's maddening.
Rich people worldwide despise the poor. The great unwashed. Just throw an eye to Europe's "tiger", Romania, on how the rich here talk and think about the poor. Anyhow. Great debate, cannot tell for the life of me which of you I love most.
@@veredit We could easily get rid of all poverty in the world, but that would not fit the evil debt based slavery system. In France they had very little debt in 1970, and France had also very little unemployment back then. Today France has plenty of debt, unemployment and poverty. This is all by design! Bankster cartels have run the world for centuries. They also create the Great Resets which are world wars for depopulation and profits in which they steal everything of value from those targeted for death!
Universal basic income would help people to work fewer jobs, encourage a start up locally providing jobs. Fewer journeys, less stress. Trial of this shows encouraging growth in the local economy. Imho. Thank you
UBI can get sucked up by price hikes and thus doesn't necessarily provide a real benefit, regardless of the sum. Now UBS (Universal Basic Services) on the other hand tends towards guaranteed survival as it gets expanded.
@@TheJayman213 universal basic services as I see it now are not even basic since thatcher and Reagan axis. Ubi gives an opportunity of a basic life, if mandated, for those denied choice or voice in their lives. Power to the people. Cap greedy price rises and rents.
Thank you all for your intelligent and inclusive understanding of what we are seeing and experiencing across the world. This kind of thinking and constructive researched ideas gives me hope all is not lost.
Wonderful podcast. That Trump quote was fascinating. Perhaps this is also the reason why Jordan Peterson reacts so hysterically to any ecological argument. He seems to equate capitalism and growing economies with humanity itself. In this perspective ecological activism is a war against humanity.
With deep respect to all of you. Tackling huge problems of history, the world's economies, what happened, and where we are now. How may it be improved ? Thoughtful and educated insights here. One should read the short story by Tolstoy," How Much Land Does One Man Need." We need some humor with the dire situation our world faces today.
The first guy says universal health care is an achievable goal. The existing models would have to be completely dismantled first. The same goes for all of Western civilization. In the east, there are too many people. First comes the fall...
For humour about transition beyond a capitalist-based society, look to Lee Camp. Richard Wolff is also pretty good even though he's a professor not a comedian, but his critiques of ridiculous capitalism are so biting that they generate a laugh or two, as well as learning. For how we may improve? Take some cues from the late great, R. Buckminster Fuller: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." Let's build a new model, start at the community level. What ideas and tools do we have? Library Socialism is intriguing! Mutual Aid Networks is too. One Small Town based on Contributionism is very exciting in its development. More to come soon from TZM with the release of Zeitgeist: Requiem by Peter Joseph (trailer online now to see).
Well done everyone, so wonderful to hear accurate, balanced accounts of our situation & genuine discussions on what we urgently need to be doing to peacefully advance.
Would be amazing to have these conversations broadcast on mainstream media to enlighten the more traditional audiences OR do we need to wait for legacy media to dissolve with time ?
I’m very relieved/comforted/humbled by Yanis taking ecology into his insights of economy at large. This has probably been the one criticism I’ve had, but this is the mechanism of deliberative debate and democracy we ARE, and wish everyone to be part of forming! Our challenge (seen here in Norway) are how we narrate history itself towards a typical voter. E.g. I use the term “commodification of labour”, people under 45 have naturalised waged work - there’s no other possible sustenance. Those older get furious, because they _own_ capital - however indebted they are. I’d say “class consciousness”, and they run off and vote “far right” from pure fear… Mention Hegel or Marx just as “tools” for understanding (general dialectics), well… Education shut this out four decades ago, creating the above implications. What a power move back then. Well, point taken, I guess… Our organisation (the left in general) will need to “re-invent” not long standing facts/emiricism, but indeed how they can be _communicated_ today. I know this is ongoing, though. DiEM’er since 2020, Oslo Collective. Carpe Diem! 🔥
Professor Hickel nails the issue in the first 3 minutes. The reason that corporations have not moved towards renewables, is that they are far less profitable. This is surely justification for state ownership of energy production.
Jason makes an excellent point. In states of emergency like a World War Capitalism does not work. Everyone has to sacrifice profits for safeguarding resources and we work harder, longer and more economically efficiently. Would a man sacrifice his son in order to achieve a collective objective? I do not suggest that warfare is beneficial to social cohesion but it does instill discipline with a sacrifice. I personally would die for my cause which is collective sacrifice to maintain a balance in ecology and social cohesion my faith is my bond. God bless these speakers they are our future and my vision for civilization.
The aggregate value measure vs the quality of life resources and services measure (25:00) is a great point, made by Jason, and would make a great short.
Thanks for a wonderful discussion. Jason is sublime! One concern is hearing Yanis naively suggest exploitation is not pre-meditated by ruling classes............. Wish Yanis would change his thinking here to allign authentically with the working classes.
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These quote from Trump resonates with my work as an animal rights activist. Last summer a fellow activist and myself were speaking to people at a ribfest about how bad animal agriculture is for the planet. One of the people who were part of the set up of the event said to me point blank that his grandchildren would have to clean up the mess that his generation was leaving behind like his generation had to do from his parents' generation. I was shocked and appalled. How could you be so hateful and willfully blind to the impact of your actions on your own offspring?? 💔💔😣😣
AND the People and their LIFE should only have basic rights/rules/lows… however, Bussinesses should be highly regulated… Your talkes gives so MUCH hope for “we the People”… Thank you❤️❤️❤️
We are living through a crisis of humanity and not addressing this as equally important in any plan is a lethal mistake. All our problems interweave with this.
we have always lived through a crisis of humanity, but most of us have never heard of one due to state or corpo run broadcasts only. Today anyone can express their view and publish findings, so the truth can't be swept under the carpet any more.
Great discussion. There is a fundamental competition between the modernized capitalist consumer-driven economy and the native subsistence eco-socialist economy wherever it has continued to exist. The modern capitalist resource intensive consumer lifestyle requires the privatization of resources from the commons, like water, arable land, timber, minerals, etc in order to provision the insanely high per capita needs of its ever-growing population. When modern developed countries outstrip their provisioning needs, they find "modern" ways to extract those resources from lesser developed countries that can easily be dominated by a mixture of finance & politics. When that fails, then they revert to the use of military force to achieve their provisioning objectives. When subsistence eco-socialist economies outstrip the productive capacity of their natural environments, they try to migrate to an undeveloped natural environment that can resume the provisioning of their modest subsistence needs. When that fails, they revert to the use of military force against their neighbors to take what they need. In both cases, the behavior of us apex predator primates is fairly predictable, and no matter what socio-economic system you create if you add people at a greater rate than they die off then your ever-expanding population will require ever-increasing provisioning of all essential resources. The more materialistic the lifestyle, the more resources will need to be provisioned and the greater the destructive side effects of production on the natural environment. Eventually, the destructive side effects will result in potable water depletion, deforestation, topsoil erosion, biodiversity loss, toxic pollution, and climate change over a greater & greater geographical area. Eventually, conquest, domination, exploitation, extraction and privatization are met with the ever-growing counter provisioning needs & actions of competing societies that can only be resolved by military conflict over control of the contested resources. Rinse & repeat. This is the history of our species. The transition from a temperate interglacial climate to a hot/humid greenhouse climate will be as existentially challenging as the Ice Age was for our ancient ancestors. They had to innovate, adapt, cooperate and compete in order to survive the increasingly hostile climate conditions. We will have to do the same. Both capitalism & eco-socialism will play their roles in the human future. We will need the best of both in order to have any future at all. Innovate, adapt, cooperate and compete. The more things change, the more they stay the same...
Imagine watching an hour-long discussion on why capitalism isn't sustainable, then typing a wall of text with loads of points showing how capitalism isn't sustainable, and then ending it with "capitalism will play its role in the human future". Some people's self-induced confusion is breaking all scales of incomprehension.
Totally agree with all this. Just one question : In a democratized workplace, say of 435 staff, wouldn't it take forever to make decisions on anything. Like the House of Representatives. The bickering, back deals, bribery...tee hee hee. Isn't that the function of a Boss? And wouldn't the workers constantly vote themselves perks until the business was unprofitable. The whole idea of the Boss or owner is to take responsibility and the risks in making the business a success.
23:00 GDP discussion (Gross Domestic Product). I have an objection to the description of GDP by Hickel. GDP is not aggregate output (total production in a year), but it is only monetary output; it measures only the monetary value of goods & services that are sold on the market for money. That is, it ignores the nonmonetary production of nature and human communities (e.g. sustenance economy of a traditional village). I am quite surprised that an ecological economist like Hickel didn’t emphasize this; words are important. This means, the aggregate output can increase, even when monetary aggregate output (GDP) decreases, as the nonmonetary production grows faster than the decrease in GDP (e.g. growth of commons in local communities).
I am reading The Nutmeg’s Curse by Amitav Ghosh and what struck me is that the MEANING got lost. There is no connection whatsoever to the earth. Then i knew enough. To help restore meaning is not only vital, but the only thing and this takes years to come.
Having decent and affordable healthcare and education and strong worker protections helps people feel better than the dog-eat-dog jungle of hyperindividualist neoliberalism in places like the US corporatocracy? It's not so complex to need any "breaking down" by anyone.
We need an open, good faith informal debate/discussion between Jason + Yanis and someone who disagrees with them. It’s the only way to find the faults with these theories we find so appealing as those of a leftist inclination. It’s the only way we can actually be convinced of them enough to take action as a society. Capitalism has the first-mover advantage when it comes to creature comforts atleast in recent memory.
Great conversation and a lot of interesting ideas however im interested to know what role the State plays in this transition and its role after the transition if any. Hickel seems to allude to some anarchist model of organisation but it isnt clear.
This is a fascinating subject, but unfortunately audio levels for Jason Hickel were so poorly adjusted that it was very hard to understand him when he spoke.
I love it when a guy with round glasses tells me how great the world could be if it would conform to his wishes, if he had control of productivity capacity and capital. This illiberalism will never be tolerated and must be rejected without equivocation.
What an uninformed and nonsense thing to say. I could save 'I love it when petty ideologies tell me who I should and shouldn't listen to, and seeks to tell me what is and isn't 'liberal', on the basis of, well, absolutely nothing.'
I wouldn't choose the word "degrouth". I prefer "balance", "fairness". I really like the Heidi&Alvin Toffler perspective of Wealth Creation. How they view economy as not only monetary. And how people contribute to wealth creation in a non monetary economy. So, in a very intelligent society non monetary economy is aknowledged and valued. The economy is always flowing and balanced. This intelligent economy is like phisics and could even be translated in formula. Society is considered as a all, not as classes. It's the difference between an alive system and a stagnant system. This corporate capitalism is a stagnant system, rigid, greedy, and built on slavery. That's what they want. That's why Gaza genocidec is waking up people to this slavery. These corporations have such a power that only boycottsvon them really work. They don't care about people' suffering. They can even live with genocide.
Good point. It is impossible to have a sustainable economy without integrating a symbiotic awareness of our relationship with community and environment. Not sure I would define capitalism as rigid. It is inherently dynamic, which is its success. Its ability to absorb what opposes it. Eg the image of the star on Che Guevara's hat and his face used to advertise Mercedes Benz.
@@scathatch Dynamism or creativity (in in marketing is not enough to describe this corporate capitalismo as not rigid 🙋 When these corporations monopolize resources and this tendency is spreading, people have no access to them: house ownership is a luxury now. Finance took over the real economy. It looks like dynamism but it's just the variations of shares' values, many of these operations are bubbles (example: Tesla shares).
You need to be careful with words that can be coopted and have meanings changed and distorted by propaganda. Degrowth cannot be coopted, it goes against the core. Balance and fairness can be twisted by the media, to the point people will not know what it is supposed to mean in practical terms.
If you are in the EU i encourage you to look up the political party Yanis founded, MERA25. We are running in the EU elections and we need all the votes we can get.
People outside of Europe can help too by donating. I donate to MeRA25 and DiEM25 monthly as an American because I don't have a political party that adequately represents me. As a result, I'm way more interested in European politics. I believe Europe is the future, and I'm relying on my comrades in Germany to pull through.
Yanis is too kind for this world. I as a host believe that there are certain shadowy people like, for example. Kissingers or Rockefellers of the world who intentionally create the state of the world. I mean Henry Ford even said in letters to Morgan himself criticizing Tesla(his idea of giving free electricity).
I like Yanis's explanation: the roof was leaking, the rich needed access to $, so they decided to grow sheep; that is a much better explanation than that they took any kind of sadistic pleasure by causing misery and want for lower classes
37:05 *decommodify social services sector* “I think there should be universal public services for everything that is necessary for survival. So we should prioritize public production of the things we know to be most important: healthcare, education, affordable housing, nutritious food, clean energy/water, childcare/eldercare, recreational facilities, parks-this is the core of it. The core economy should be decommodified, access should not be mediated by prices and income. But the rest of the economy where we’re producing coffee makers and watches and beer or whatever. There’s no reason that this cannot be mediated by markets-but they should be post-capitalist markets right.”
My understanding of Marx was abolition of commodity production was the goal along with the wage labour - capital relationship, not Partial de- commodification. Will " post capitalism" have wage labour etc ?
39:12 shares are better over, whats better is crowd funded loans through digital transaction platforms owned by local businesses and supported by their best customers
Thanks to you all. Greetings from Canada. Yes the roof is still leaking and recently badly. Is someone going to repair it somehow, or do we need a new architecture?
1:02:04 *cynical leaders?* “There’s an awareness among some of these individuals that cutting access to collective goods is necessary to maintain the kind of inducements to labor and competitive productivity that capitalism requires for expansion. [Captain Cook vs. Aboriginals] But I do think the majority of people who are functionaries of this economy are not so enlightened as to their true objectives.” Some have committed brutal violence, inflicted terrible deprivation. Still it seems Yanis is cautioning us against the immediate desire to fetishize _a purely malevolent ideology which pulls all of the strings._ Certain individuals are consciously depriving access to the commons in order to “induce/manipulate production”-but like Nick Land they are religiously entangled as functionaries serving a belief in the good of a larger acephalous _force._ Someone’s drive to grow like crazy (be fruitful and multiply) may not really be as sinister as Coca-Cola or Big Pharma killers but actually hooked on the simple hegemonic prosperity gospel of growth and self-interest in a “free market”, effectively foreclosing the vision of the mega damage being done on a deeper systemic level (displacing the costs, etc.) warping the violence of the “enclosure of the commons” into a positive narrative of “creative destruction for expansion/acceleration of prosperity (growth).” Feels like Yanis believes that some perpetrators could even be redeemed from the headlessness of the capitalist process which captured their spirit. Much love to Zizek for evangelizing that *the truth* is not something internal, not a golden kernel inside of us-but rather as the X-files put, “the truth is out there.” Out there in the world and in my acts, not in the bullshit story I prefer to tell myself about myself.
How is this not watched by millions?!
These are the sort of people who should be at the helm of our economic systems
With respect to how greatly I admire the voice and reason of Jason Hickel and Yanis Varoufakis - we don't need totalitarian leaders, like politicians and CEOs, we need to build a NEW SYSTEM that meets all needs, in an ecologically sound way, and locally democratic in every possible way.
I would say the sound, logical IDEAS of those like Hickel and Varoufakis should lead us to the next economic evolution. Not that it wouldn't be great to have someone like Varoufakis the elected leader of Greece, but that's unlikely, so instead, we should build the better system itself.
One Small Town through Contributionism is one way, Library Socialism or bringing back The Commons, is another, and what we see in "A Viable Society" talk by Zeitgeist film creator, Peter Joseph.
@@coolioso808 Saying someone should be at the helm of something is not calling for a "totalitarian leader". Even the most decentralised anarchist structures accept management/leadership of individuals who are recognised for their proficiency and experience in a certain role.
@@SvalbardSleeperDistrict good. Just clarifying. I agree, managers and leaders (not bosses of ultimate authority) are still needed for a healthy society. I would welcome more science-based approaches to social management, from Hickel, Raworth, Parrique, Mark Z Jacobson, Bookchin, Srsly Wrong Boys (Library Socialism) and more like that!
@@coolioso808 Thanks for mentioning that talk, I hadn't come across this
@@coolioso808No system better than capitalism. It's the most democratic.
I'm a simple man - I see an interview/video with Jason Hickel and I immediately like and share it.
Ditto
Just discovered him, and he's rad!
It's not nearly as simple as he thinks
@@gmw3083 it's not simple to get the power to do that, but if we had a true democracy, then it's perfectly doable
@@eymerich9237 The zyomuricanwest must completely fail before the new Phoenix rises from the ashes.
The human mind is amazing at convincing itself that it deserves its privileges. - Yanis Varoufakis.
ABSOLUTE BURST of intelligence and I'm enjoying it. In these moment my hate of humanity suspends for a while.
Remember: humans are not evil. Our actions are the result of a multitude of factors beyond our conscious control. Empathy is a powerful instrument man. ❤
Seen Prof. Varoufakis with Prof. Hickel together, feels like two giants unite, forming a new bigger and better "Transformers" robot, fighting for Decolonization-Equality-Justice.
So glad see you two "together"!
a great addition would be Robert Breedlove
What Jason Hickel says makes total sense.
I recently read Jason’s book Less is More out loud to my dad and it lead to some fruitful conversation. I especially love the chapters focused on the origins of capitalism and the Golden Age of of European Proletariat.
There are so many comments that could be made about this mesmerising conversation. The new story that will replace this one is already created and we must elect those who understand this conversation, deeply. The future is bright but only if there is a collective awakening into this new story..
I hope we don't fall for this idea that 'we must vote better' and that's all we can really do. I"m sorry, but that's not enough. Yes, go vote better for parties with policies that are pro-worker, pro-environment, anti-war and perhaps even anti-capitalist, but that is a hard sell for the general public if our economic problems on the ground are in dismay! People are more motivated by fear and that doesn't lead to logical conclusions all the time.
We need to do what Buckminster Fuller said long ago: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
We create change from the bottom-up, community level up, through a strategic organizational campaign that is built on cooperation, collaboration and co-ownership. Some organization that allows for local prosperity and abundance, within ecological limits, to be created, high levels of direct democracy and yet also collaborative across nations for ideas of best practice. Open source, in a way.
For system change organizations, they are few and far between at this point. But it doesn't mean we can't develop them sooner than we think. One Small Town communities are popping up all over the world, cooperating and collaborating. Mutual Aid Networks are established in many cities and towns, and could advance more. Library Socialism is a very rational community building strategy that builds "ecological luxury", as Srsly Wrong Boys talked extensively about in their podcast, and it could be paired with an organization like Mutual Aid Networks to get off the ground even more!
May the collective awakening elect correctly.
Wow I’m blown away by this. It seems like we are in sleep mode on what’s happening around us. You just made sense to my mind on what is happening in South Africa now. I just learnt so much.
Thank you to all 3 for a fascinating conversation.
Thank you, Yanis, for speaking to US working class. It's true. I'm awake to it. It's a lot.
Probably the only 2 guys I want to hear speak about the economy
😂😂 same
And ha joon chang
The idea that essentials should be a right for all and not subject to markets is a huge shift in thinking for so many people and showing a vision of how this could be is going to be essential to help them make this seismic shift. Yanis's book and discussions such as this are a great start but there is so much more to do. I feel personally buoyed by this kind of discussion, evolving the picture of how we could live.
Also, while I am no fan of set piece confrontational setups I was glad to see some disagreement in this episode as it only through questioning and offering alternative viewpoints that we will evolve a more workable picture. Many thanks.
Oh wow. My heart literally skipped a beat when I saw this video. Can’t wait to dig in. I love Jason. You could also talk to Kate Raworth or Timothee Parrique too who are also geniuses when it comes to this topic.
Great discussion. Thank you for making it. Thank you all 3 of you for encouraging critical thinking and debate.
Love you Yani.
Never stop.
A clear minded assessment of our dis-ease, a diagnosis, if you will. Soon it will be time to roll up our sleeves and heal humanity and the planet, so I lustily listen to great thinkers who will point towards the solutions and prescriptions we need to move forward.
“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”
― Edward Abbey, The Journey Home: Some Words in Defense of the American West
Jason Hickel is brilliant to listen to Thanks.
My 2 favourite thinkers in a conversation! Thank you
Fantastic overview...keep this going somehow. We need this depth. When Jason says....this needs theorizing...Im on the edge of my seat....yes please.
great point here about the dystopia of wealth inequality in london 53:45 thank you for talking about this, please keep speaking for these people! we must oppose the capital owners, power to the people!
They know, Yanis, they know what they're doing.
In the US they call poor or homeless "losers". They despise poor people.
I'm American and you'll get no argument out of me, sadly. Being half British has given me a more world view of matters for which I am very grateful. There are so many terribly ignorant people in America, it's maddening.
Rich people worldwide despise the poor. The great unwashed. Just throw an eye to Europe's "tiger", Romania, on how the rich here talk and think about the poor. Anyhow. Great debate, cannot tell for the life of me which of you I love most.
@@veredit They all must be careful how they treat people. Also the very rich can be become poor in some ways...
@@veredit We could easily get rid of all poverty in the world, but that would not fit the evil debt based slavery system. In France they had very little debt in 1970, and France had also very little unemployment back then. Today France has plenty of debt, unemployment and poverty. This is all by design!
Bankster cartels have run the world for centuries. They also create the Great Resets which are world wars for depopulation and profits in which they steal everything of value from those targeted for death!
🔥🔥Truth to power! Well said guys. Bravo. 👏🏾👏🏾🙌🏿
Universal basic income would help people to work fewer jobs, encourage a start up locally providing jobs. Fewer journeys, less stress. Trial of this shows encouraging growth in the local economy. Imho. Thank you
UBI can get sucked up by price hikes and thus doesn't necessarily provide a real benefit, regardless of the sum. Now UBS (Universal Basic Services) on the other hand tends towards guaranteed survival as it gets expanded.
@@TheJayman213 universal basic services as I see it now are not even basic since thatcher and Reagan axis. Ubi gives an opportunity of a basic life, if mandated, for those denied choice or voice in their lives. Power to the people. Cap greedy price rises and rents.
Thank you all for your intelligent and inclusive understanding of what we are seeing and experiencing across the world. This kind of thinking and constructive researched ideas gives me hope all is not lost.
EXCELLENT!!! THANK YOU ALL!
Absolutely brilliant conversation. And so necessary. Thank you.
Fantastic conversation. Great to hear Yanis over-ruled for once ;)
Wonderful podcast. That Trump quote was fascinating.
Perhaps this is also the reason why Jordan Peterson reacts so hysterically to any ecological argument. He seems to equate capitalism and growing economies with humanity itself.
In this perspective ecological activism is a war against humanity.
With deep respect to all of you.
Tackling huge problems of history, the world's economies, what happened, and where we are now. How may it be improved ? Thoughtful and educated insights here.
One should read the short story by Tolstoy," How Much Land Does One Man Need."
We need some humor with the dire situation our world faces today.
The first guy says universal health care is an achievable goal. The existing models would have to be completely dismantled first.
The same goes for all of Western civilization. In the east, there are too many people. First comes the fall...
For humour about transition beyond a capitalist-based society, look to Lee Camp. Richard Wolff is also pretty good even though he's a professor not a comedian, but his critiques of ridiculous capitalism are so biting that they generate a laugh or two, as well as learning.
For how we may improve? Take some cues from the late great, R. Buckminster Fuller: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
Let's build a new model, start at the community level. What ideas and tools do we have? Library Socialism is intriguing! Mutual Aid Networks is too. One Small Town based on Contributionism is very exciting in its development. More to come soon from TZM with the release of Zeitgeist: Requiem by Peter Joseph (trailer online now to see).
Mind blowing ❤
What a conversation. Please have a follow up guys. Thank you
The whole criticism of capitalism is that not that it is unjust but efficient, but it is inefficient and therefore it is unjust. - Yanis Varoufakis.
Thank you all three, a most interesting discussion and question time. Two excellent guests and intelligent questions and prompts from Raoul Martinez.
This whole series of discussions is incredible. Thank you.
Well done everyone, so wonderful to hear accurate, balanced accounts of our situation & genuine discussions on what we urgently need to be doing to peacefully advance.
Fantastic insights from both Jason and Yanis.
So glad y'all are sharing these interviews!!
Thanks for such a rivetting and thought-provoking conversation on a topic that has been very much at the fore of my thinking over the last few years.
🔥 been waiting for Yanis and Jason to talk-now get Kohei Saito on here with them and complete the troika
I see what you did there
Would be amazing to have these conversations broadcast on mainstream media to enlighten the more traditional audiences OR do we need to wait for legacy media to dissolve with time ?
Great discussion 👍
About time, wondering when this conversation was going to happen. Nice one!
I’m very relieved/comforted/humbled by Yanis taking ecology into his insights of economy at large. This has probably been the one criticism I’ve had, but this is the mechanism of deliberative debate and democracy we ARE, and wish everyone to be part of forming!
Our challenge (seen here in Norway) are how we narrate history itself towards a typical voter. E.g. I use the term “commodification of labour”, people under 45 have naturalised waged work - there’s no other possible sustenance. Those older get furious, because they _own_ capital - however indebted they are. I’d say “class consciousness”, and they run off and vote “far right” from pure fear…
Mention Hegel or Marx just as “tools” for understanding (general dialectics), well… Education shut this out four decades ago, creating the above implications. What a power move back then.
Well, point taken, I guess… Our organisation (the left in general) will need to “re-invent” not long standing facts/emiricism, but indeed how they can be _communicated_ today. I know this is ongoing, though.
DiEM’er since 2020, Oslo Collective. Carpe Diem! 🔥
Professor Hickel nails the issue in the first 3 minutes. The reason that corporations have not moved towards renewables, is that they are far less profitable. This is surely justification for state ownership of energy production.
Amazon/Talen Energy.. then look up Big Tech and Government contracts
Awesome talk guys. Exactly the issues that need talking about. Been preaching it myself for years, we need a fair energy exchange system...
Jason makes an excellent point. In states of emergency like a World War Capitalism does not work. Everyone has to sacrifice profits for safeguarding resources and we work harder, longer and more economically efficiently. Would a man sacrifice his son in order to achieve a collective objective? I do not suggest that warfare is beneficial to social cohesion but it does instill discipline with a sacrifice. I personally would die for my cause which is collective sacrifice to maintain a balance in ecology and social cohesion my faith is my bond. God bless these speakers they are our future and my vision for civilization.
Fantastic discussion. I learnt a lot
The aggregate value measure vs the quality of life resources and services measure (25:00) is a great point, made by Jason, and would make a great short.
Thanks for a wonderful discussion. Jason is sublime! One concern is hearing Yanis naively suggest exploitation is not pre-meditated by ruling classes............. Wish Yanis would change his thinking here to allign authentically with the working classes.
Great interview!!
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These quote from Trump resonates with my work as an animal rights activist. Last summer a fellow activist and myself were speaking to people at a ribfest about how bad animal agriculture is for the planet. One of the people who were part of the set up of the event said to me point blank that his grandchildren would have to clean up the mess that his generation was leaving behind like his generation had to do from his parents' generation. I was shocked and appalled. How could you be so hateful and willfully blind to the impact of your actions on your own offspring?? 💔💔😣😣
🧡Love🧡this🧡video🧡
AND the People and their LIFE should only have basic rights/rules/lows… however, Bussinesses should be highly regulated… Your talkes gives so MUCH hope for “we the People”… Thank you❤️❤️❤️
Adam Smith wrote to some degree about these issues in ‘The Theory of Moral Sentiments’, which almost no one has heard of and is certainly never cited
Inspiring coversation.
Constant growth on a finite planet is impossible.
Thank you.!
So glad you had the destroyer of Steven Pinker on!!
We are living through a crisis of humanity and not addressing this as equally important in any plan is a lethal mistake. All our problems interweave with this.
we have always lived through a crisis of humanity, but most of us have never heard of one due to state or corpo run broadcasts only. Today anyone can express their view and publish findings, so the truth can't be swept under the carpet any more.
Great discussion.
There is a fundamental competition between the modernized capitalist consumer-driven economy and the native subsistence eco-socialist economy wherever it has continued to exist.
The modern capitalist resource intensive consumer lifestyle requires the privatization of resources from the commons, like water, arable land, timber, minerals, etc in order to provision the insanely high per capita needs of its ever-growing population. When modern developed countries outstrip their provisioning needs, they find "modern" ways to extract those resources from lesser developed countries that can easily be dominated by a mixture of finance & politics. When that fails, then they revert to the use of military force to achieve their provisioning objectives.
When subsistence eco-socialist economies outstrip the productive capacity of their natural environments, they try to migrate to an undeveloped natural environment that can resume the provisioning of their modest subsistence needs. When that fails, they revert to the use of military force against their neighbors to take what they need.
In both cases, the behavior of us apex predator primates is fairly predictable, and no matter what socio-economic system you create if you add people at a greater rate than they die off then your ever-expanding population will require ever-increasing provisioning of all essential resources. The more materialistic the lifestyle, the more resources will need to be provisioned and the greater the destructive side effects of production on the natural environment.
Eventually, the destructive side effects will result in potable water depletion, deforestation, topsoil erosion, biodiversity loss, toxic pollution, and climate change over a greater & greater geographical area. Eventually, conquest, domination, exploitation, extraction and privatization are met with the ever-growing counter provisioning needs & actions of competing societies that can only be resolved by military conflict over control of the contested resources.
Rinse & repeat. This is the history of our species.
The transition from a temperate interglacial climate to a hot/humid greenhouse climate will be as existentially challenging as the Ice Age was for our ancient ancestors. They had to innovate, adapt, cooperate and compete in order to survive the increasingly hostile climate conditions. We will have to do the same.
Both capitalism & eco-socialism will play their roles in the human future. We will need the best of both in order to have any future at all. Innovate, adapt, cooperate and compete. The more things change, the more they stay the same...
Imagine watching an hour-long discussion on why capitalism isn't sustainable, then typing a wall of text with loads of points showing how capitalism isn't sustainable, and then ending it with "capitalism will play its role in the human future". Some people's self-induced confusion is breaking all scales of incomprehension.
thank you❤
I like the idea of free market cooperatism. Sounds like it could help bring some wealth back to the people
Thank you
that was cool af. This project is really kicking arse.
Totally agree with all this. Just one question : In a democratized workplace, say of 435 staff, wouldn't it take forever to make decisions on anything. Like the House of Representatives. The bickering, back deals, bribery...tee hee hee. Isn't that the function of a Boss? And wouldn't the workers constantly vote themselves perks until the business was unprofitable. The whole idea of the Boss or owner is to take responsibility and the risks in making the business a success.
All is well ❤ Let love lead😊
Thanks a lot!!!
"There's class warfare, all right, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning." - Warren Buffett
23:00 GDP discussion (Gross Domestic Product). I have an objection to the description of GDP by Hickel. GDP is not aggregate output (total production in a year), but it is only monetary output; it measures only the monetary value of goods & services that are sold on the market for money. That is, it ignores the nonmonetary production of nature and human communities (e.g. sustenance economy of a traditional village). I am quite surprised that an ecological economist like Hickel didn’t emphasize this; words are important. This means, the aggregate output can increase, even when monetary aggregate output (GDP) decreases, as the nonmonetary production grows faster than the decrease in GDP (e.g. growth of commons in local communities).
Fabulous
I am reading The Nutmeg’s Curse by Amitav Ghosh and what struck me is that the MEANING got lost. There is no connection whatsoever to the earth. Then i knew enough. To help restore meaning is not only vital, but the only thing and this takes years to come.
I wish these wonderful minds could breakdown how Finland is purported to be the happiest country
Having decent and affordable healthcare and education and strong worker protections helps people feel better than the dog-eat-dog jungle of hyperindividualist neoliberalism in places like the US corporatocracy? It's not so complex to need any "breaking down" by anyone.
We need an open, good faith informal debate/discussion between Jason + Yanis and someone who disagrees with them. It’s the only way to find the faults with these theories we find so appealing as those of a leftist inclination. It’s the only way we can actually be convinced of them enough to take action as a society.
Capitalism has the first-mover advantage when it comes to creature comforts atleast in recent memory.
Great conversation and a lot of interesting ideas however im interested to know what role the State plays in this transition and its role after the transition if any. Hickel seems to allude to some anarchist model of organisation but it isnt clear.
This is a fascinating subject, but unfortunately audio levels for Jason Hickel were so poorly adjusted that it was very hard to understand him when he spoke.
I love it when a guy with round glasses tells me how great the world could be if it would conform to his wishes, if he had control of productivity capacity and capital. This illiberalism will never be tolerated and must be rejected without equivocation.
What an uninformed and nonsense thing to say. I could save 'I love it when petty ideologies tell me who I should and shouldn't listen to, and seeks to tell me what is and isn't 'liberal', on the basis of, well, absolutely nothing.'
@@jonathanbailey1597 Degrowth is evil. It's anti-human. Pure and simple.
@@jonathanbailey1597 Maybe you should look up what "liberal" means
@@Jean-Luc-sh2pg Oh, my grasp of liberalism is far and away better than yours
@@jonathanbailey1597 then you understand de-growth is illiberal
I wouldn't choose the word "degrouth". I prefer "balance", "fairness". I really like the Heidi&Alvin Toffler perspective of Wealth Creation.
How they view economy as not only monetary.
And how people contribute to wealth creation in a non monetary economy.
So, in a very intelligent society non monetary economy is aknowledged and valued.
The economy is always flowing and balanced.
This intelligent economy is like phisics and could even be translated in formula.
Society is considered as a all, not as classes.
It's the difference between an alive system and a stagnant system.
This corporate capitalism is a stagnant system, rigid, greedy, and built on slavery. That's what they want.
That's why Gaza genocidec is waking up people to this slavery.
These corporations have such a power that only boycottsvon them really work.
They don't care about people' suffering. They can even live with genocide.
Good point. It is impossible to have a sustainable economy without integrating a symbiotic awareness of our relationship with community and environment. Not sure I would define capitalism as rigid. It is inherently dynamic, which is its success. Its ability to absorb what opposes it. Eg the image of the star on Che Guevara's hat and his face used to advertise Mercedes Benz.
@@scathatch Dynamism or creativity (in in marketing is not enough to describe this corporate capitalismo as not rigid 🙋
When these corporations monopolize resources and this tendency is spreading, people have no access to them: house ownership is a luxury now.
Finance took over the real economy. It looks like dynamism but it's just the variations of shares' values, many of these operations are bubbles (example: Tesla shares).
You need to be careful with words that can be coopted and have meanings changed and distorted by propaganda. Degrowth cannot be coopted, it goes against the core. Balance and fairness can be twisted by the media, to the point people will not know what it is supposed to mean in practical terms.
It can be overcome, but it will never be because we aren't making any decisions. We are just pones in game.
Rationality for a change
Great!
So Raoul has concluded that the rich are greedy , Yanis thinks they'te stupid, but I agree with Jason; they are both greedy AND stupid
We as a species may be evolving, if ever so slowly but our systems are buckling under the weight of their own antiquity and inadequacy.
If you are in the EU i encourage you to look up the political party Yanis founded, MERA25. We are running in the EU elections and we need all the votes we can get.
People outside of Europe can help too by donating. I donate to MeRA25 and DiEM25 monthly as an American because I don't have a political party that adequately represents me. As a result, I'm way more interested in European politics. I believe Europe is the future, and I'm relying on my comrades in Germany to pull through.
@@McDonaldsRich honestly I didn't even think of that. That's awesome 😎 thank you for your support
Yanis is too kind for this world. I as a host believe that there are certain shadowy people like, for example. Kissingers or Rockefellers of the world who intentionally create the state of the world. I mean Henry Ford even said in letters to Morgan himself criticizing Tesla(his idea of giving free electricity).
Good video
HealingTruthALL
I like Yanis's explanation: the roof was leaking, the rich needed access to $, so they decided to grow sheep; that is a much better explanation than that they took any kind of sadistic pleasure by causing misery and want for lower classes
Holy shit holt shit most GOATed crossover ever I',m so fucken excited to watch this shit!
26:29 Jason, i like you Jason first westerner to say something useful in years, my models say you are heading in the right direction
37:05 *decommodify social services sector*
“I think there should be universal public services for everything that is necessary for survival. So we should prioritize public production of the things we know to be most important: healthcare, education, affordable housing, nutritious food, clean energy/water, childcare/eldercare, recreational facilities, parks-this is the core of it. The core economy should be decommodified, access should not be mediated by prices and income. But the rest of the economy where we’re producing coffee makers and watches and beer or whatever. There’s no reason that this cannot be mediated by markets-but they should be post-capitalist markets right.”
My understanding of Marx was abolition of commodity production was the goal along with the wage labour - capital relationship, not Partial de- commodification. Will " post capitalism" have wage labour etc ?
39:12 shares are better over, whats better is crowd funded loans through digital transaction platforms owned by local businesses and supported by their best customers
Thanks to you all. Greetings from Canada. Yes the roof is still leaking and recently badly.
Is someone going to repair it somehow, or do we need a new architecture?
Gratitute 💐🧚♂️🥁🧚♂️🎏🌍🧚♂️🕊🇵🇸🕊🇮🇷🇾🇪🇷🇺🇱🇧🇧🇷🧡
1:02:04 *cynical leaders?* “There’s an awareness among some of these individuals that cutting access to collective goods is necessary to maintain the kind of inducements to labor and competitive productivity that capitalism requires for expansion. [Captain Cook vs. Aboriginals] But I do think the majority of people who are functionaries of this economy are not so enlightened as to their true objectives.”
Some have committed brutal violence, inflicted terrible deprivation. Still it seems Yanis is cautioning us against the immediate desire to fetishize _a purely malevolent ideology which pulls all of the strings._
Certain individuals are consciously depriving access to the commons in order to “induce/manipulate production”-but like Nick Land they are religiously entangled as functionaries serving a belief in the good of a larger acephalous _force._
Someone’s drive to grow like crazy (be fruitful and multiply) may not really be as sinister as Coca-Cola or Big Pharma killers but actually hooked on the simple hegemonic prosperity gospel of growth and self-interest in a “free market”, effectively foreclosing the vision of the mega damage being done on a deeper systemic level (displacing the costs, etc.) warping the violence of the “enclosure of the commons” into a positive narrative of “creative destruction for expansion/acceleration of prosperity (growth).”
Feels like Yanis believes that some perpetrators could even be redeemed from the headlessness of the capitalist process which captured their spirit.
Much love to Zizek for evangelizing that *the truth* is not something internal, not a golden kernel inside of us-but rather as the X-files put, “the truth is out there.” Out there in the world and in my acts, not in the bullshit story I prefer to tell myself about myself.
How i wish a 100th of this wisom could gain track in the US
45:50 *capitalist externalities* “Violence in the periphery is necessary for the continuation of capital accumulation in the core.”