John Asimakopoulos - Böcker

The problems of capitalism have been studied from Karl Marx to Thomas Piketty. The latter has recently confirmed that the system of capital is deeply bound up in ever-growing inequality without challenging the continuance of that system. Against Capital in the Twenty-First Century presents a diversity of analyses and visions opposed to the idea that capital should have yet another century to govern human and non-human resources in the interest of profit and accumulation. The editors and contributors to this timely volume present alternatives to the whole liberal litany of administered economies, tax policy recommendations, and half-measures. They undermine and reject the logic of capital, and the foregone conclusion that the twenty-first century should be given over to capital just as the previous two centuries were.Providing a deep critique of capitalism, based on assessment from a wide range of cultural, social, political, and ecological thinking, Against Capital in the Twenty-First Century insists that transformative, revolutionary, and abolitionist responses to capital are even more necessary in the twenty-first century than they ever were.

Neoliberalism has pushed capitalism to its limits, while people have no voice. John Asimakopoulos addresses the problem with a theory to practice model that reconciles Marxism, with its diverse radical currents, and democratic theory. He develops a political economy of structural equality in large-scale society making strong empirical arguments for radical transformation. Asimakopoulos shows that an egalitarian society leads to greater innovation, sustainable economic growth and positive social benefits in contrast to economies based on individualism and competition.

In The Political Economy of the Spectacle and Postmodern Caste, John Asimakopoulos analyzes the political economy of the society of the spectacle, a philosophical concept developed by Guy Debord and Jean Baudrillard. Using the analytical tools of social science and historical research, Asimakopoulos reveals that all societies in every epoch have been and continue to be caste systems legitimized by various ideologies. He concludes that there is no such thing as capitalism (or socialism)—only a caste system hidden behind capitalist ideology. Asimakopoulos's approach is broad, interdisciplinary, and draws on both quantitative and qualitative data to weave a narrative that is clear, well written, and offers much to both specialists and general readers.