Slow Down

The Degrowth Manifesto

De: Kohei Saito, Brian Bergstrom - translator

Narrado por: Troy Glasgow, Kohei Saito

Why, in our affluent society, do so many people live in poverty, without access to health care, working multiple jobs, and are nevertheless unable to make ends meet, with no future prospects, while the planet is burning?

In his international bestseller, Kohei Saito argues that while unfettered capitalism is often blamed for inequality and climate change, subsequent calls for “sustainable growth” and a “Green New Deal” are a dangerous compromise. Capitalism creates artificial scarcity by pursuing profit based on the value of products rather than their usefulness and by putting perpetual growth above all else. It is therefore impossible to reverse climate change in a capitalist society; in fact, the system that caused the problem in the first place cannot be an integral part of the solution.

Instead, Saito advocates for degrowth and deceleration, which he conceives as the slowing of economic activity through the democratic reform of labor and production. In practical terms, he argues for the following:

the end of mass production and mass consumption.

decarbonization through shorter working hours.

the prioritization of essential labor over corporate profits.

By returning to a system of social ownership, he argues, we can restore abundance and focus on those activities that are essential for human life, effectively reversing climate change and saving the planet.

©2024 Kohei Saito and Brian Bergstrom (P)2024 Dreamscape Media

A well-intentioned, blurry socialist call to action

Slow Down is a book like most others on the topic. A brief slog through anti-capitalist jargon.

Manifesto indeed.

Highly recommend this book. It conveys a solid analysis of current circumstances, yet embraces our passion and conviction to bring about much needed reform.

lots to think about

I enjoyed this book, but I wish he would have put forth more solutions and focused on projects that have had success. Overall, it was an interesting perspective on Eco-socialism

Must read

Kohei Saito is brilliant. Thoroughly researched, well written, and full of truly new insights.

A commercial for communism

Although stating it’s not a book about communism, it’s very much about communism. It has a few interesting points, but is more or less a glorified sales speech for communism. Every alarm clock rings in my head when people are this black and white about an ideology and I miss nuances. No, communism is not a glorified hammer that will solve all problems and end all misery. It sure as s… has its own problems.