we really need to lower the standard of living of the most wealthy people (including the majority of middle-class and higher people in developed/industrialized countries)
Exactly right. If we are to have a future at all, it's decentralized permaculture with much less commodities - and more local production and consumption. The only likelyhood of a future (and that's a weak chance at that, given how we've fucked the planet) is degrowth, which capitalism cannot provide.
I mean, degrowth will definitely happen, either by choice or as a result of just a lack of resources leading to population die-off (from disease, hunger, political instability).
The problem is that if it doesn't happen through an anti-capitalist revolution (of whichever flavor you prefer 😉), degrowth and scarcity will happen in a bottom up direction, killing the poor etc, until only the wealthy are left clutching their few remaining non-irradiated water tanks and iPhone XXs. (I guess this is why so many tech capitalists are gunning for automation, but even that takes unrenewable energy sources to manufacture/maintain) even solar panels and wind turbines have an operational lifespan of maybe 10ish years
States are going to contract as a natural consequence of this, maybe artificial borders will exist, but actual state control/functions will continue to focus mainly in the few remaining habitable urban centers, with rural areas becoming increasingly inarable.
The pink text is the inline code markdown formatting (enclose your text in back ticks `), (you can see the full list of formatting options by clicking on the (?) button after the spoiler tag on the format options below a comment/post box)
I like it since it lets me do another form of alt-text, since I talk in parentheticals a lot
Exactly right. If we are to have a future at all, it's decentralized permaculture with much less commodities - and more local production and consumption. The only likelyhood of a future (and that's a weak chance at that, given how we've fucked the planet) is degrowth, which capitalism cannot provide.
I mean, degrowth will definitely happen, either by choice or as a result of just a lack of resources leading to population die-off (from disease, hunger, political instability).
The problem is that if it doesn't happen through an anti-capitalist revolution (of whichever flavor you prefer 😉), degrowth and scarcity will happen in a bottom up direction, killing the poor etc, until only the wealthy are left clutching their few remaining non-irradiated water tanks and iPhone XXs. (I guess this is why so many tech capitalists are gunning for automation, but even that takes unrenewable energy sources to manufacture/maintain)
even solar panels and wind turbines have an operational lifespan of maybe 10ish years
States are going to contract as a natural consequence of this, maybe artificial borders will exist, but actual state control/functions will continue to focus mainly in the few remaining habitable urban centers, with rural areas becoming increasingly inarable.
I don't have much to add except I mostly agree but also: how did you make pink text ? that's cool as fuck.
Oh sure thing!
The pink text is the
inline code
markdown formatting (enclose your text in back ticks `), (you can see the full list of formatting options by clicking on the (?) button after the spoiler tag on the format options below a comment/post box)I like it since it lets me do another form of alt-text, since I talk in parentheticals a lot
Thanks a bunch :-) thinking of using that instead of bold when I quote stuff.