A different kind of politics for a new kind of society—beyond work, scarcity, and capitalism
In the twenty-first century, new technologies should liberate us from work. Automation, rather than undermining an economy built on full employment, is instead the path to a world of liberty, luxury, and happiness—for everyone. Technological advance will reduce the value of commodities—food, healthcare, and housing—towards zero.
Improvements in renewable energies will make fossil fuels a thing of the past. Asteroids will be mined for essential minerals. Genetic editing and synthetic biology will prolong life, virtually eliminate disease, and provide meat without animals. New horizons beckon.
In Fully Automated Luxury Communism, Aaron Bastani conjures a vision of extraordinary hope, showing how we move to energy abundance, feed a world of 9 billion, overcome work, transcend the limits of biology, and establish meaningful freedom for everyone. Rather than a final destination, such a society merely heralds the real beginning of history.
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"Everyone should read, or listen to, this book. The social, economic and political status quo has brought the world to the edge of disaster with five, interrelated existential crises simultaneously facing humanity. But in doing so, technologies have been developed that open the possibility of both solving those crises and moving us to a world in which every human has a surplus of the necessities, and the luxuries, that they need, or want, to live a fruitful and satisfying life. That world is the world of Fully Automated Luxury Communism. Bastani’s communism is not the communism of Mao or Lenin or Pol Pot, but the communism originally predicted by Karl Marx to emerge once the dynamo that is capitalism began producing more than humanity needs at little or no cost. Technological progress has finally made this possible, but only if we break free from the grips of the capitalists and their political tools who believe that these revolutionary new technologies and opportunities should serve only them and be managed and developed with the single goal of making them as much profit as possible, rather than with Bastani’s goal of primarily serving the needs of humanity. We are, according to him, at an inflection point in history, and how the future unfolds is therefore up for grabs. Readers will learn why Fully Automated Luxury Capital is finally possible, what those currently in power have been doing and will continue to do to prevent it from emerging, and policies the rest of us can promote and support to make sure we all benefit from the opportunities technology now makes possible."
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Scott from Syracuse (5 out of 5 stars)