Inventing the Future Summary

“How do we reshape a world that’s been molded and dominated by neoliberalism, using strategies deeper than fleeting protests and consumer choices?”

1. The Limitations of Folk Politics

Modern left-wing activism often revolves around small-scale, participatory actions like protests or ethical consumerism. While these tactics feel empowering, they struggle to address systemic challenges.

Such actions focus on symbolic victories rather than pushing for substantive structural change. For example, organizing a protest might raise awareness but rarely dismantles the overarching system causing the issue. Folk politics relies heavily on emotions, favoring angry reactions over cohesive long-term plans.

Without strategies to translate outrage into sustained action, folk politics loses momentum quickly. Campaigns like the Occupy Wall Street movement garnered attention but didn’t result in legislative or structural reforms. Instead, folk politics reacts to events, failing to proactively design meaningful alternatives to existing systems.

Examples

• Occupy Wall Street gained temporary media coverage but didn’t secure policy changes.
• Ethical consumption (e.g., fair-trade products) provides feel-good moments but doesn’t dismantle exploitative trade systems.
• Live Aid raised money to fight Ethiopian famine but inadvertently funded militias, worsening the issue.

2. Immediate Goals Overshadow Lasting Change

A central flaw of folk politics is its fixation on short-term, visible outcomes rather than pursuing enduring, transformative goals. Activists often celebrate small wins that don’t tackle systemic challenges.

For instance, delaying an oil pipeline project can feel like progress. Yet companies often treat such setbacks as temporary, calmly waiting for the public to lose interest. Folk politics mistakes these small disruptions for the solution itself, rather than addressing broader, interconnected issues.

This limited perspective may be comforting due to its simplicity. The complexity of systems like global economics can alienate people, making direct action seem more appealing. But without integration in a greater strategy, these actions amount to little more than wheel-spinning.

Examples

• Boycotting single-use plastics targets symptoms of waste but doesn’t solve systemic overproduction.
• Temporary bans on logging operations get undone when protests fade from public view.
• Local protests fail to confront global forces driving climate change.

3. Simplifying Complex Global Systems

The modern world operates through complicated systems, like global trade or digital networks, which folk politics struggles to address. It reduces these vast challenges into bite-sized, emotional campaigns that resonate on a personal level.

This simplification often sidelines the complexity of how these systems function. For example, understanding “the economy” requires grasping a web of elements – property laws, supply chains, and technology – that no single action can change. Folk politics narrows its scope to visible problems, making it easier for individuals to feel engaged but harder to foster systemic shifts.

This phenomenon mirrors the rise of conspiracy theories. These theories simplify complicated realities by placing blame on a single entity, providing an illusion of control. Similarly, folk politics avoids difficult questions about globalization or governance in favor of easy wins.

Examples

• Climate advocates often target one corporation while ignoring systemic infrastructure.
• Simplistic narratives about hacking capitalism overlook its deep entrenchment in global minds.
• Anti-globalization movements simplify diverse economic systems into single villains.

4. Neoliberalism’s Long-Term Strategy

Contrasting with the left’s reactive approach, neoliberalism succeeded by adopting a deliberate and strategic global expansion plan. Once a fringe theory, neoliberalism developed a cohesive vision and methodically spread its ideas.

Starting with a small organization, the Mont Pelerin Society, key thinkers like Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman laid the groundwork for neoliberalism. They focused on influencing media, universities, and policymakers, preparing a generation of leaders to adopt the ideology. Their persistence culminated in the 1980s dominance of leaders like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.

This intentional effort resulted in neoliberalism embedding itself deeply in both policy and culture. The left struggles to compete because it lacks the same long-term vision, organizational effort, and intellectual infrastructure to shape public discourse.

Examples

• Neoliberal think tanks, like the Heritage Foundation, systematically promoted ideas globally.
• Milton Friedman adapted his theories to TV appearances, simplifying them for public consumption.
• Newspapers like the Wall Street Journal reinforced free-market ideologies.

5. Learning from Neoliberal Success

The left must build a proactive, long-term vision to counter neoliberalism’s dominance. Neoliberalism succeeded because its promoters worked strategically to influence public opinion and policymaking for decades.

To replicate this success, leftist movements must embrace organized hierarchies and meticulous planning. Suspicion of top-down structures and secrecy within the left prevents the development of a cohesive counter-ideology.

Instead of merely reacting to neoliberal policies, the left should develop its own frameworks and solutions. A systematic approach can help construct alternative systems that people can rally behind and gradually implement globally.

Examples

• Neoliberalism advanced through universities, shaping the education of influential policymakers.
• Strategic funding and media campaigns highlighted neoliberal principles during the 20th century.
• Cultural shifts, like self-branding, normalized neoliberal values.

6. The Rise of Automation

Automation is altering the labor landscape, replacing jobs across industries while amplifying economic disparity. The rise of machines in manufacturing and services threatens traditional job markets.

This mechanization affects all sectors. Robots now perform surgeries once carried out by human experts, while improved algorithms can analyze stock markets faster than any analyst. The result? Unemployment grows as companies replace workers with machines to cut costs.

Work hours, ironically, are increasing as workers compete for scarce roles. Technology has blurred the line between job and life, with people always expected to be "on call." Past thinkers misjudged these changes, believing technology would free humanity from work by now.

Examples

• Industry robot use grew from 1,000 in 1970 to 1.6 million today.
• Driverless cars could replace millions of delivery and transportation workers.
• Economists predict 47% to 80% of jobs could be automated.

7. A New Vision with Universal Basic Income

Universal basic income (UBI) offers a solution to automation’s impact by guaranteeing everyone a livable income, allowing society to depend less on traditional employment.

Rather than being radical, UBI has deep roots, explored during the 1960s and supported by presidents like Richard Nixon. Modern advocates argue that UBI would free people from the necessity of degrading, stressful jobs. Instead, it offers the chance to contribute meaningfully to society through passions and interests.

UBI could redefine the role of work in our lives, challenging the belief that jobs define worth. By unshackling workers from capitalism, people could reclaim their time and explore diverse ways of living.

Examples

• Jimmy Carter supported UBI proposals in the 1970s.
• Economists like Paul Krugman advocate UBI as a response to job loss.
• Modern trials in Finland tested basic income with positive results.

8. The Psychological Shift for UBI

Implementing UBI requires changing how people think about work. Many define identity and purpose through their job, making it difficult to imagine life without traditional employment.

This cultural attachment presents hurdles. While UBI offers freedom, it requires society to think beyond wage labor as a measure of a person’s value. Redirecting this belief opens a path for creating lives centered on passion and purpose.

UBI could remedy widespread dissatisfaction with work, given studies show most employees dislike their jobs. Moving beyond this system would provide a chance to explore more meaningful pursuits in daily life.

Examples

• Just 13% of workers globally describe their jobs as engaging.
• American workers average 47-hour weeks, eroding personal time.
• UBI promises alternatives to this draining cycle.

9. Building a Post-Capitalist Future

UBI represents just one step toward dismantling capitalism. The broader goal involves remaking societal values to prioritize cooperation, creativity, and shared resources.

The imagination required for a post-capitalist world will challenge deeply entrenched systems. Movements must not only develop policies like UBI but frame them within a compelling vision for collective well-being.

To achieve meaningful change, leftist thinking must embrace audacity, drawing lessons from historical movements that found success through perseverance and innovation. A post-capitalist future depends on this shift.

Examples

• Developing shared economies that reduce reliance on private wealth.
• Educational campaigns to normalize alternative income systems.
• Previous successes in policy shifts demonstrate potential change.

Takeaways

1. Shift focus from protests and short-term goals to overarching, long-term strategies that build alternatives to current systems.
2. Advocate for and educate others about universal basic income as a practical solution to automation and labor issues.
3. Challenge cultural beliefs about work by highlighting its limitations and promoting new forms of identity beyond employment.