114 lines
3.7 KiB
HTML
114 lines
3.7 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
|
|
<html lang="en">
|
|
<head>
|
|
<meta charset="utf-8">
|
|
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
|
|
|
|
<style>
|
|
* {
|
|
box-sizing: border-box;
|
|
overflow-wrap: break-word;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
main {
|
|
max-width: 36rem;
|
|
margin: 0 auto;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
h1 {
|
|
margin-bottom: 10px;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
code, kbd {
|
|
background-color: #ddd;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.asterism, footer {
|
|
margin: 2rem 0;
|
|
text-align: center;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
pre {
|
|
overflow-x: auto;
|
|
background-color: #eee;
|
|
border-radius: 5px;
|
|
padding: 10px;
|
|
}
|
|
</style>
|
|
|
|
<title>Reaching post-scarcity</title>
|
|
</head>
|
|
|
|
<body>
|
|
<main>
|
|
<p><a href="/">Index</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<article>
|
|
<header>
|
|
<h1>Reaching post-scarcity</h1>
|
|
<small><time>2025-08-15</time></small>
|
|
</header>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
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.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Capitalism does help advance technology and automation, no question.
|
|
Will it bring post-scarcity? I doubt it. Capitalism needs scarcity.
|
|
The beloved formula of <i>supply and demand</i> does not work if
|
|
supply is saturated.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
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.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
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.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
This growth has, thus far, been closely associated with greater
|
|
exploitation of resources. We
|
|
(primarily
|
|
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_North_and_Global_South">the global north</a>)
|
|
are
|
|
<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/consumption-based-co2#consumption-based-co2-emissions-per-capita">using more resources</a>
|
|
than
|
|
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Overshoot_Day">what is sustainable
|
|
for a single earth</a>. Seeing as the global north has not yet
|
|
reached post-scarcity, how would capitalism be able to bring humanity
|
|
to post-scarcity
|
|
<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/climate-change?Metric=Temperature+anomaly&Long-run+series=false&country=OWID_WRL~ATA~Gulkana+Glacier~Lemon+Creek+Glacier~OWID_NAM~South+Cascade+Glacier~Wolverine+Glacier~Hawaii~Arctic+Ocean">before the climate collapses</a>?
|
|
I see no other possible conclusions than:
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<ol>
|
|
<li>Post-scarcity is not possible, or</li>
|
|
<li>Post-scarcity is not possible under capitalism.</li>
|
|
</ol>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The latter seems more likely.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
</article>
|
|
</main>
|
|
<footer>❦</footer>
|
|
</body>
|
|
</html>
|