Reaching post-scarcity
+ ++ An argument I've heard against socialism/communism/anarchism is that + any such society would only work once we've reached post-scarcity. + The mechanism to make post-scarcity happen, they argue, is + advancements in technology and automation of work. Tech and + automation is advancing under the current dominating economic system + and we only need to keep it functioning well enough until we can + produce everything everyone needs, and that will bring about a better, + maybe post-capitalist (?) society. +
+ ++ Capitalism does help advance technology and automation, no question. + Will it bring post-scarcity? I doubt it. Capitalism needs scarcity. + The beloved formula of supply and demand does not work if + supply is saturated. +
+ ++ There are many examples of artificial scarcity today: planned + obsolescence, throwing away unsold goods, patents, copyright, (lack + of) right to repair... Even unemployment is artificial scarcity of + work, a concept essential for capitalism to function. Abandoning + scarcity for the good of mankind seems an unlikely goal of capitalism. +
+ ++ Assuming that capitalism would somehow, when production is efficient + enough, cease to be or take on some other form where every person's + needs are met, there's another issue: Capitalism requires economic + growth. +
+ ++ This growth has, thus far, been closely associated with greater + exploitation of resources. We + (primarily + the global north) + are + using more resources + than + what is sustainable + for a single earth. Seeing as the global north has not yet + reached post-scarcity, how would capitalism be able to bring humanity + to post-scarcity + before the climate collapses? + I see no other possible conclusions than: +
+ +-
+
- Post-scarcity is not possible, or +
- Post-scarcity is not possible under capitalism. +
+ The latter seems more likely. +
+ +