Postcapitalist Computing & Currency with Zachary Marlow from the Moneyless Society Podcast
Oct 25, 2023
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Zachary Marlow, host of the Moneyless Society Podcast, joins the discussion to explore post-capitalism, crypto, and money. They delve into the relationship between blockchain and socialism, the potential for self-organizing systems and distributed governance in crypto, and the need for an alternative monetary system. They also discuss the concept of post-capitalism, the journey of living without money, and the need to challenge the social relationships shaped by capital, money, and commodities. Lastly, they express their desire to build a global village of communities and cooperatives and provide support for post-capitalist movements.
Blockchain can be a tool for creating a more egalitarian and democratic economic system.
Collaboration and collective action are essential for transitioning to post-capitalist systems.
Democratizing the economy and involving more people in decision-making processes is crucial for a more equitable society.
Deep dives
The Intersection of Blockchain and Socialism
The podcast episode delves into the relationship between blockchain and socialism. Blockchain, being a technology based on cryptography, allows for the embedding of political values within software. It presents an interesting opportunity to reimagine how our economy is designed from a socialist perspective. By utilizing blockchain technology, it becomes possible to facilitate democratic ownership of resources and workplaces, aligning with the principles of socialism. The episode suggests that blockchain can be a tool for creating a more egalitarian and democratic economic system, breaking away from the capitalist structures in place.
The Crypto Commons Gathering
The podcast episode discusses the Crypto Commons Gathering, an event focused on rethinking money, governance, and technology systems. The gathering aimed to bring together individuals interested in transcending the nation-state and exploring alternative forms of currency, as well as discussing the potential for bioregional governance. The episode highlights the importance of this community in challenging the existing monetary and governance systems, as well as the need to redefine the concept of currency beyond traditional money. It emphasizes the significance of collective collaboration and finding like-minded individuals to work together towards post-capitalist visions of society.
Transitioning to Post-Capitalism and Cooperative Solutions
The podcast episode emphasizes the need to transition towards post-capitalist systems to address the systemic problems in our world. It explores the idea of creating a society that moves away from the current capitalistic structures and towards a more egalitarian and cooperative model. The episode highlights the importance of collaboration, breaking down isolation, and working collectively to find solutions to global problems. It acknowledges the necessity of engaging with individuals from different backgrounds, including those who hold capitalist beliefs, in order to generate meaningful change. The episode encourages the audience to be open-minded, cooperative, and to find others who share their vision for creating a more sustainable and equitable future.
Need to democratize the economy
The podcast episode emphasizes the need to involve more people in the decision-making process of the economy. It argues for the importance of democratizing the economy, allowing more individuals to have a voice in determining how resources are used. The episode highlights that the economy encompasses more than just money and business, emphasizing the codified relationships between people, power dynamics, decision-making, resource flows, and our relationship to nature and each other. It asserts that the current capitalist system and its reliance on money shape our consciousness, behavior, and material conditions, creating a need for alternative tools and systems that give more people's voices a platform.
Transitioning to a gift economy
The podcast explores the idea of transitioning away from a money-based exchange system and towards a gift economy. It argues that throughout history, humans have met their basic needs collectively and shared resources without engaging in traditional trade. It emphasizes the benefits of living in a gift economy, where access and sharing replace ownership and transactionalism. The episode suggests that transitioning to a gift economy would foster a sense of community, trust, and equality, allowing individuals to care for one another and their environment. It mentions examples like communal water parks and sharing transportation as ways to reduce consumption, create abundance, and increase overall well-being.
During this last Crypto Commons Gathering I had the pleasure to meet Zachary Marlow from the Moneyless Society Podcast. We had the idea of recording a joint podcast with Zachary leading to talk about post-capitalism, crypto, and money. The discussion was also recorded in video format which you can find here on the Moneyless Society Podcast YouTube channel which I can recommend checking out!
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"WTF do BLOCKCHAIN and SOCIALISM have to do with each other? More than you might think! Filmed live at a radical gathering of extremist nerds at the Commons Hub in the Austrian Alps, Marlow and Joshua Davila of the Blockchain Socialist podcast and writer of "Blockchain Radicals: How Capitalism Ruined Crypto and How to Fix It" explore the postcapitalist side of crypto, web3, decentralized computing, the future of currency, and life without money.
Stumbling onto this community was radical, eye opening and an exciting dive into one of the most achievable frontiers of design science revolution: the web. Leave your preconceived notions of all these concepts at the door and let's reprogram a better world!"
If you liked the podcast be sure to give it a review on your preferred podcast platform. If you find content like this important consider donating to my Patreon starting at just $3 per month. It takes quite a lot of my time and resources so any amount helps. Follow me on Twitter (@TBSocialist) or Mastodon (@theblockchainsocialist@social.coop) and join the r/CryptoLeftists subreddit and Discord to join the discussion.
ICYMI I've written a book about, no surprise, blockchains through a left political framework! The title is Blockchain Radicals: How Capitalism Ruined Crypto and How to Fix Itand is being published through Repeater Books, the publishing house started by Mark Fisher who’s work influenced me a lot in my thinking.
The book is officially published and you use this linktree to find where you can purchase the book based on your region / country.
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