@michaelmezz.bsky.social
economics, climate, finance & culture ✨ ☿ host of the better future podcast
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialwatch the full episode of the Better Future Podcast:
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialThey want you thinking about AGI to distract you from the CURRENT harms of AI – and the violent ideology behind their vision for the future.
@mauricewfp.bsky.social of @workingfamilies.org on the Better Future Pod:
@michaelmezz.bsky.social"We have to build AGI before China does.” Sound familiar?
It's the same logic that justified colonialism – and now it’s being used to justify the “AI race.”
@mauricewfp.bsky.social of @workingfamilies.org on the Better Future Pod:
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialwatch the full episode of the Better Future Podcast:
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialthe real question isn’t if you’re left or right. it’s if you're pro-humanity, or you believe humanity is something we should leave behind. if you're on Team Human, it’s time to bring a mass insurgent political movement into being.
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialRight now is an unprecedented moment for populist political transformation. But if we’re going to win the politics we want, we have to fight like hell to bring an insurgent movement into being.
I sat down with the @workingfamilies.org National Director, Maurice Mitchell, to discuss exactly that.
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialMy friends at the Economic Security Project put together a dashboard that outlines where to start:
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialSince 2020, the cost of everyday essentials have skyrocketed while wages have stagnated. Things will only get worse until we make real changes to the system.
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialWorrying about AGI is a luxury for privileged elites. It’s also a convenient distraction from the real harm AI is *already inflicting* on ecosystems and working people.
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialThe era of 90% top marginal tax rates helped build the strongest economy in US history.
History is clear: taxing the rich is a requirement for an economic prosperity.
@gabrielzucman.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod:
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialWatch the full episode of the Better Future Podcast:
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialJeff Bezos once claimed a tax credit meant for families earning less than $100,000. He received the money.
He has a net worth of $18 billion.
This is crazy. We need a wealth tax for billionaires.
@gabrielzucman.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod:
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialFriendly reminder that US leaders chose to put Labor Day in September to avoid international working class solidarity. Most of the world celebrates May Day on May 1st.
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialWatch the full episode:
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialIn Vienna, large portions of the housing stock are owned by the city and by limited-profit cooperatives. The result: lower rent for higher quality housing. With enough political will, any city could achieve this. Timothée Parrique on the Better Future podcast:
@amandaianthe.bsky.socialReposted by @michaelmezz.bsky.socialIt could go on a t-shirt at least. For a hat we'd have to use the abbreviation: MAAEOOGFWNCBA @michaelmezz.bsky.social
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialcheck out our latest Substack article for a deep dive into the ban, the global effort to reduce textile waste, and how you can get involved:
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialIt’s one of the most shameful open secrets in fashion: Whatever clothing companies don’t sell, they’ll destroy – or send to the Global South. The EU’s new ban against the practice of destroying unsold clothes is an important step toward a more circular economy.
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialUnder capitalism, no investor will voluntarily walk away from a highly profitable industry like fossil fuels – even if it’s causing ecological breakdown. This is why solving the climate crisis requires overcoming capitalism. @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod:
@michaelmezz.bsky.socialElon Musk says we should to go to Mars to avoid extinction. He’d just like us to ignore the fact that wildlife populations are down 73%, our planet is warming to unlivable levels and billions of humans still live in poverty. If we go extinct, it’ll be because we wasted time listening to his lies.
