It is increasingly apparent that capitalism cannot stave off the truly frightening ecological disasters that threaten the future of life on earth. Is it an accident that the strongest and most capitalist economic force in the world, the US, is also that force that is most prone to the denial of the enormous dangers of global warming? While capitalism is a global force, it is not supported by the majority of the world, and much more thought and action is needed to integrate and globalize movements against oppression, injustice and ecological destruction. While changes at a local level are important and more feasible in our current world, ultimately changes at a global level may have greater long-term importance, and we need to greatly expand theorizations and mobilizations in this direction now. Robert Albritton proposes 'practical utopias' as a process of thinking by which short-term changes tend in the direction of desirable changes in the longterm.

Auteur
Robert Albritton is Professor Emeritus at York University, Toronto, Canada. His research focuses on capitalist theory and political economy.

Contenu
Chapter One: Some Thoughts About Overcoming the Still Living Heaviness of the Past: Hobbes, Locke, and Possessive Individualism. A. Persons, States, Nations, and Corporations as forms of possessive individualism. B. Competition versus Cooperation C. Size and power D.. War of All Against All E. Caring versus Possession: A New International Ethic
Chapter Two: A New Rationality A. Space B. Time C. Education/Research D. Caring/Ethics E. Religion F. Science G. Don't blame the other
Chapter Three: We Are Letting Capitalist Violence Escalate A. The Nation-State B. Imperialist Contestations C. The Military Industrial Complex D. The Prison Industrial Complex E. Nuclear Weapons
Chapter Four: Any Significant Degree of Inequality is Unacceptable A. Profits/Income B. Taxation C. Planning/Global Redistribution D. Property/Corporations/Use versus Ownership
Chapter Five: Towards A Global Basic Income and Other Economic Changes A. Income differentials. B. Debt and Interest C. Rent D. Global Expertise E. Banks/jobs F. Pricing
Chapter Six: Ways of Combating Global Warming A. Stop the land grabbing and the deforestation B. Either replace cars with means of transportation that give off less CO2 or introduce electric cars where the source of electricity does not advance global warming. C. Invest in research that will, for example, lessen CO2.
Chapter Seven: Coping with Shortages of Resources A. Intensive research to achieve desired results using less or none of a particular resource. B. Discover substitutes C. Recycle D. Decide globally which uses are most important
Chapter Eight: Pollution and Waste A. Research on recycling and ways to reduce pollution B. Stop pollution of air, land, and water.
Chapter Nine: Towards World Government A. As resources are reduced, decisions need to be made globally on fairest and most important usages to advance the quality of life for all. B. Massive immigration will become necessary. C. Reduce the level of all kinds of violence. D. New thinking about an egalitarian and just world.