The Dig Actual Abundance w/ Isabella Weber, Malcolm Harris, Paul Williams
Jul 22, 2025
Isabella Weber, a professor of economics, dives into political debates surrounding affordable housing and green energy, emphasizing urgent public welfare needs. Author Malcolm Harris critiques the tension between progressive populism and neoliberalism, while Paul Williams discusses the role of housing finance agencies in addressing affordability. Together, they explore how the concept of abundance can reshape political strategy and community engagement, pushing for critical dialogue over mere adjustments in policy.
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Core Sectors of Abundance
- "Abundance" highlights four essential sectors: housing, transportation, energy, and health as key building blocks for future prosperity.
- It correctly identifies scarcity issues but tends to lean towards deregulation and underplays power and distribution conflicts.
Bay Area Renters Federation Story
- The Bay Area Renters Federation (BARF) started in 2014 to combat zoning restrictions blocking apartment construction.
- They advocate for upzoning to increase affordable housing and oppose homeowner resistance to density.
Liberal Politics of Abundance
- "Abundance" represents a liberal worldview avoiding socialism and class conflict, seeing politics as balancing various interest groups.
- This frame dismisses populist scarcity mindsets and assumes neutral policy adjustments can solve social problems.
