Is it time to rethink growth?
Kohei Saito's new book "Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto" offers a radical solution to today's challenges
I have a special affinity for Japan, having traveled there multiple times during the past two decades to examine disruptive demographic change in action, namely the decreasing birth rate, growing older population, and depopulating regions, which pose significant challenges to its economic growth and sustainability.
Economically, Japan is striving to rejuvenate its once-dominant position in global markets, contending with slow growth, deflationary pressures, and the need for structural reforms in labor and corporate sectors. However, Japan also confronts environmental challenges, notably its vulnerability to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis and the ongoing issue of nuclear safety post-Fukushima. Politically and internationally, Japan is navigating a complex regional landscape, balancing its close alliance with the United States with the need to manage tensions with neighbors like China and North Korea, all while playing an increasingly proactive and pivotal role in global issues ranging from climate change to security.
So it’s no surprise that I was drawn to Kohei Saito's latest book, “Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto” (Astra House), which offers a radical intervention to a world teetering on environmental catastrophe. It’s not just another academic treatise on environmentalism but a reimagining of how we perceive growth and progress. Kohei, a Japanese scholar renowned for his interpretations of Marx, turns his gaze to the concept of degrowth, challenging the very bedrock of our capitalist beliefs.
At the heart of Kohei’s narrative is a simple yet subversive question: What if the relentless pursuit of economic growth is the root of our environmental crises rather than their solution? With a blend of Marxian analysis and contemporary environmental thought, Kohei’s book is as much a critique of modern capitalism as it is an exploration of alternative paths forward.
But this is no easy read. Kohei’s reliance on dense theoretical frameworks can be daunting, and his focus on critique over practical solutions might leave some readers yearning for more concrete guidance. Yet, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise compelling work.
Kohei’s exploration of degrowth is not just an academic exercise; it's a call to action. In a world facing unprecedented environmental crises, his book offers a radical alternative vision. It's a vision that challenges us to rethink our relationship with the planet and with each other.
As Kohei himself puts it, "The pursuit of growth has led us to the precipice. It is time to consider the path of degrowth, not as a step backward, but as a way forward towards a more sustainable and equitable world."
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Haven't read the book but I don't think the idea that governments will have success asking people / companies to slow down economic growth will work. I would like to see some investigation and predictions closer to the reality of how natural disasters related to climate change will affect economics - cost of insurance, government bailouts, local tax increases to prevent such disasters, increase cost of construction due to new regulations. And how that will affect the geography of demographic changes - e.g. less people moving to the coasts? near western forests? etc.