How is a monopoly organised? What does ‘the economy’ really mean? Is the conception of growth misleading?

To answer these big questions, Timothy Mitchell sits down with Alasdair to discuss his latest book, The Alibi of Capital: How We Broke the Earth to Steal the Future on the Promise of a Better Tomorrow.

The political theorist and historian, whose previous book analysed the political power of Big Oil, now seeks to re-examine modern understandings of the economy. He moves away from the idea of growth as owning or consuming more, and instead explains it as burdening future generations with the cost of resources consumed today.

Providing concrete examples, from Uber to billionaires, the housing market to AI, Timothy comments on the ‘Great Acceleration’ of human activity since 1950, and how all of this contributes to the current climate breakdown.

“We are continuously selling the future to those who can access the funds to purchase it, and the rest of us are living with the burden of having to pay it back at an increased price”.

This podcast episode isn't all about problems, it talks about solutions and ways of thinking differently in a way that in my opinion at least is very solarpunk.