cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27088982
This book is creating quite a buzz. See the basics and one review among many.
People being what they are, there’s no doubt that this is an election-winning agenda for the Democrats. And the authors are both very serious people. I’m reluctant to write off Ezra Klein, who IMO is not just very smart but also circumspect and fair-minded.
But all this also looks to me like an advanced case of deluded wishful thinking. Or of “cornucopian economics”, as EO Wilson called it.
What to conclude?
I’ve only half listened to interviews about the book, but yeah, most of it seems stuff rehashed from what most of the left has been saying for decades and was always dismissed by people like him as ‘unserious’ and whatever.
I guess it’s good they’re starting to finally get there, but it’s just so late.
The left has been talking “for decades” about degrowth? Or about accelerationist growthism? I’d say it’s neither, they’ve mainly just talked about redistribution, with an occasional vague nod to “growing the pie” via “structural reforms”, i.e. what The Economist wants (because then redistribution is not even necessary). Surely we can all agree here that nobody much in the mainstream public discourse is a fan of degrowth. Putting aside whether it’s necessary or not.
I think you’re confusing liberals with the left.
If true then that would just make me American. But either way I still don’t get your point, for the reasons explained.