In 'Less is More', Jason Hickel argues that the primary cause of climate breakdown and ecological collapse is the perpetual expansion demanded by capitalism. He advocates for degrowth as the solution, emphasizing the need to shift from a philosophy of domination and extraction to one rooted in reciprocity and regeneration. The book critiques the notion of 'green growth' and 'decoupling' and outlines specific policies such as cutting advertising, scaling back ecologically destructive industries, ending economic inequality, and expanding common goods. Hickel also explores the philosophical and ideological underpinnings of degrowth, drawing on insights from economics, anthropology, philosophy, and science to envision a more just, caring, and sustainable society.
Jason Hickel's "The Divide" offers a comprehensive analysis of global inequality, exploring its historical roots and contemporary manifestations. The book dissects the mechanisms of exploitation that perpetuate this inequality, examining the role of colonialism, capitalism, and global trade. Hickel proposes solutions that challenge conventional economic models, advocating for policies that promote economic justice and sustainability. He argues for a more equitable distribution of wealth and resources, emphasizing the need for systemic change to address the deep-seated inequalities that shape our world. The book's insightful analysis and practical recommendations make it a valuable resource for understanding and tackling global inequality.
This is a free preview of the episode "China Pt. 1: A Socialist Introduction w/ Jason Hickel." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast
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The world that we all grew up in is no longer a reality—although, in many ways, those in power are grasping onto it with the desperation of drowning men flailing, lashing out—furious, terrified, and in denial of what is staring them in their faces: imminent death. The rest of us are watching this process unfold before our very eyes—also terrified, but seemingly powerless. It’s a weird time to be alive. But when has it ever not been?
As we watch, experience, and feel the collapse of the state that we live within—or for those of us not currently living in the belly of the beast, the imperial world that this state rules over—it feels like an important time to explore this collapse. Specifically, it’s an important time to understand what’s happening in the imperial world order, and in order to do that, we must understand China.
In this conversation, we’ve brought on a regular guest—a guest who you all know and love—Jason Hickel, to talk about China.
Jason Hickel is a professor at the The Institute for Environmental Science and Technology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the author of the books The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions and Less is More: How Degrowth will Save the World.
In this conversion we first take a brief dive into modern Chinese history, looking at the pre-revolution period, the 1949 communist revolution itself, the Mao period, the Deng period, and the Xi period. We analyze what the rise of China means in terms of the current world order and the implications for the United States. We tackle some common questions and dispel some common myths about China—like, is China capitalist? Is it imperialist? We analyze some current events like trade wars and Tiktok bans, and finally, we explain why it’s crucial not to fall into the trap of U.S. propaganda when it comes to how we on the Western left analyze China.
Artwork: Berwyn Mure
Further resources:
- The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and Its Solutions, Jason Hickel
- Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save The World, Jason Hickel
- "Unequal exchange of labour in the world economy," (Nature Communications) Hickel, Lamos, Barbour
- "Imperialist appropriation in the world economy: Drain from the global South through unequal exchange, 1990–2015," (Global Environmental Change) Hickel, Dorninger, Wieland, Suwandi
- "Plunder in the Post-Colonial Era: Quantifying Drain from the Global South Through Unequal Exchange, 1960–2018," (New Political Economy) Hickel, Sullivan, Zoomkawala
- "Quantifying national responsibility for climate breakdown: an equality-based attribution approach for carbon dioxide emissions in excess of the planetary boundary," Jason Hickel (The Lancet)
- Capital and Imperialism: Theory, History, and the Present, Utsa Patnaik and Prabhat Patnaik
- Imperialism in the Twenty-First Century: Globalization, Super-Exploitation, and Capitalism’s Final Crisis Paperback, John Smith
- "Capitalist reforms and extreme poverty in China: unprecedented progress or income deflation?" Dylan Sullivan, Michail Moatsos & Jason Hickel
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