For the next time some dipshit lib tries to argue with you about owning a fucking microwave. Jason Hickel is a beast.
The common notion that extreme poverty is the “natural” condition of humanity and only declined with the rise of capitalism rests on income data that do not adequately capture access to essential goods.
Data on real wages suggests that, historically, extreme poverty was uncommon and arose primarily during periods of severe social and economic dislocation, particularly under colonialism.
The rise of capitalism from the long 16th century onward is associated with a decline in wages to below subsistence, a deterioration in human stature, and an upturn in premature mortality.
In parts of South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, wages and/or height have still not recovered.
Where progress has occurred, significant improvements in human welfare began only around the 20th century. These gains coincide with the rise of anti-colonial and socialist political movements.
Abstract
The evidence we review here points to three conclusions.
(1) It is unlikely that 90% of the human population lived in extreme poverty prior to the 19th century. Historically, unskilled urban labourers in all regions tended to have wages high enough to support a family of four above the poverty line by working 250 days or 12 months a year, except during periods of severe social dislocation, such as famines, wars, and institutionalized dispossession – particularly under colonialism.
(2) The rise of capitalism caused a dramatic deterioration of human welfare. In all regions studied here, incorporation into the capitalist world-system was associated with a decline in wages to below subsistence, a deterioration in human stature, and an upturn in premature mortality. In parts of South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, key welfare metrics have still not recovered.
(3) Where progress has occurred, significant improvements in human welfare began several centuries after the rise of capitalism. In the core regions of Northwest Europe, progress began in the 1880s, while in the periphery and semi-periphery it began in the mid-20th century, a period characterized by the rise of anti-colonial and socialist political movements that redistributed incomes and established public provisioning systems.
Overall this is an amazing paper, I recommend reading in full to debunk so much common shit about colonial capitalism.
Also there is an excess death chart for Africa, overall 1880-1920 saw a total 20% population decline.
Also
Indian life expectancy did not reach the level of early modern England (35.8 years) until 1950, after decolonization.
so if this was the black book of capitalism itd be like 400 million right
Jason Hickel is a beast.
Indeed he is, banger papers at an impressive pace. I remember his (et al) inequal exchange paper was also endlessly quotable
Where progress has occurred, significant improvements in human welfare began several centuries after the rise of capitalism. In the core regions of Northwest Europe, progress began in the 1880s, while in the periphery and semi-periphery it began in the mid-20th century, a period characterized by the rise of anti-colonial and socialist political movements that redistributed incomes and established public provisioning systems.
Progress driven directly by communists or by the threat of communists.
Degrowth is a pretty chill read. Says a lot of the stuff we might already know because well... We're on this site, but overall pretty good.
How does he imagine to transition to a post-capitalist society? I'm interested because he isn't an ML, but does explicitly advocate for post capitalism. Curious if he has a viable alternative to Marxism-Leninism (esp. since degrowth is usually lib stuff, but he obviously isn't)
In a similar vein, I would also recommend Mike Davis' Late Victorian Holocausts.
Hakim just released a video a couple days ago summarizing some of the paper's main points. It's really good.
I honestly wasn't aware of it, and in any case he focus on other points, what caught my attention was a random telegram post that highlighted exactly the absurd excess deaths in India statistic.
Its like burning down someones house, giving them a tent to live in a decade later after they win the civil suit and patting yourself on the back for helping the homeless.
In parts of South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, wages and/or height have still not recovered.
This is because those areas are still poor, not because there was a famine in 1920 (just in case someone is suggesting epigenetics last for 100 years)
