Capitalism

Inventing the Commons: On Alternative Technologies

We need to uncouple the concept of technology from the ideas of progress and development. It often happens that, when I talk about the relationship between technology and capitalism, someone pops up to present me with an argument I call the iPhone fallacy. “Without capitalism, we wouldn’t have the technology you use to write from

Capitalism

Economic Democracy Is the Only Practical Cure for Our…

The capitalist financial system blocks democratic control over investment by its very nature. We need a new model of democratic finance that can address our urgent social and environmental needs. Capitalist property relations, whose basic feature is the private control of the investment function in the hands of the few, generate systemic barriers to human

Capitalism

In a Society Defined by Consumption

In a global society defined by consumption rather than production, voters loathe price increases and are ready to punish rulers who preside over them.  Perhaps America elected a dictator because Frosted Flakes hit $7.99 at the grocery store. How do we move to a different model? A world defined by consumption is not sustainable. And

Capitalism

Wealtherty

Wealtherty is the state or condition of prosperity in abundance of possessions or riches, plus concomitant political power and influence, and resultant risks to the democratic process. This articulation assumes that the social (of social policy) is made up of richer and poorer people. It assumes that there is such a thing as morally and

Corporate Greed

Technofeudalism

The revolution has already occurred—and while capitalism lost, communal ownership certainly did not win. Capitalism died when the physical means of production—machines, factories, and services—were superseded by virtual platforms that, in feudal style, seek “rent” rather than surplus profit derived from labor. Technofeudalism, a system dominated by enormous companies existing largely online that transform users

Capitalism

A Bit About Neoliberalism

The term neoliberalism is often criticized because it is used in various ways and understood differently by different people. It’s a slippery concept, but one could also say that about liberalism or democracy or conservatism. Each of these words is tricky and takes on different shapes in different times and places, and that’s true of