It's Stupid, the Economy! The Rise and Fall of Economic Growth

We have outgrown capitalism. What comes next? Capitalism's reliance on constant growth has brought our world to the brink of collapse. From the breakdown in complex supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic and ecological devastation to hollowed-out democracies and a truncated idea of human potential, we now find ourselves in a world based on overstretched resources, unsustainable economies, and increasing inequality. It is clear, in other words, that we've outgrown growth. What other future is there? To stop growing, of course. Weaving together economic strategies for degrowth and the urgent insights of ecosocialist theory, acclaimed writer and critic Benjamin Kunkel argues that we can--and must--manage the finite resources of our world. This will take institutional restructuring and a new economic language that elevates humans and the environment over profits, as well as a robust socialist politics that can ensure the success of both. If we want to survive, Kunkel argues, we need to insist on the kind of growth that can end all growth. Written with the dynamic wit of his best-selling novel Indecision, Kunkel proves again that he is one of our generation's most perceptive and lucid political thinkers.