From 8e2e2545ccdbd9040ad9dba8254943a3e34a7ccb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Rupus Reinefjord Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2025 16:10:20 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] thoughts on post-scarcity --- public/blog/2025-08-15_post-scarcity.html | 114 ++++++++++++++++++++++ public/index.html | 1 + 2 files changed, 115 insertions(+) create mode 100644 public/blog/2025-08-15_post-scarcity.html diff --git a/public/blog/2025-08-15_post-scarcity.html b/public/blog/2025-08-15_post-scarcity.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5a293e9 --- /dev/null +++ b/public/blog/2025-08-15_post-scarcity.html @@ -0,0 +1,114 @@ + + + + + + + + + Reaching post-scarcity + + + +
+

Index

+ +
+
+

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: +

+ +
    +
  1. Post-scarcity is not possible, or
    2. +
  2. Post-scarcity is not possible under capitalism.
    3. +
+ +

+ The latter seems more likely. +

+ +
+
+ + + diff --git a/public/index.html b/public/index.html index 01acd00..e0cfaab 100644 --- a/public/index.html +++ b/public/index.html @@ -64,6 +64,7 @@

Thoughts

From 2536db5e31f1963237270f6433ab02c1d4857e3a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Rupus Reinefjord Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2025 16:14:40 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] link to post-scarcity on wikipedia --- public/blog/2025-08-15_post-scarcity.html | 9 +++++---- 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-) diff --git a/public/blog/2025-08-15_post-scarcity.html b/public/blog/2025-08-15_post-scarcity.html index 5a293e9..24335b3 100644 --- a/public/blog/2025-08-15_post-scarcity.html +++ b/public/blog/2025-08-15_post-scarcity.html @@ -51,13 +51,14 @@

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 + any such society would only work once we've reached + post-scarcity. + The mechanism that would 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. + produce everything everyone needs, and that will bring about a + better, maybe post-capitalist (?) society.