Leave the Billionaires in Space
The space race playing out among billionaires like Branson, Bezos and Musk has little to do with science – it’s a PR-driven spectacle designed to distract us from the disasters capitalism is causing here on Earth.
14 Articles by:
Paris Marx
Paris Marx is a socialist writer and host of the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast.
Amazon Is a Symbol of Capitalism’s Wastefulness
A new report has revealed that just one Amazon warehouse in Scotland destroys 130,000 unsold goods per week – a reminder of the waste involved in production for profit rather than public need.
How the Big Tech Monopoly Is Killing Cinema
Amazon’s buyout of MGM is the latest example of the culture industry’s transformation into a big tech monopoly game – while artists, workers, and the film-watching public suffer the consequences.
Apple Won’t Save the World
Apple is just the latest Big Tech company to receive praise for its environmental policies – but despite the media narrative, no amount of greenwashing can repair the damage corporations are doing to the planet.
Adios, Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is stepping aside as Amazon’s CEO having made a fortune of almost $200 billion. It’s an attempt at reputation rehabilitation – but he can’t escape the legacy of exploitation he leaves behind.
Billionaire Space Colonialism Is a Dead End
Billionaires like Elon Musk want to project the same capitalist logic that is destroying Earth into outer space – they won’t succeed, but their ego trips might prevent us from using technology to improve human life.
We Can’t Stop Climate Change Without Class War
A new report shows that the world’s top 1% is responsible for double the emissions of the entire bottom half of the planet. The conclusion is clear – to fight climate change, we have to fight the ruling class.
The Social Delusion
A new Netflix movie, ‘The Social Dilemma,’ seeks to pin the world’s political problems on social media – but growing polarisation is a product of capitalism’s deep inequalities, not Facebook and Twitter.
Don’t Put Big Tech in Control of the News
The latest plan to save journalism would see Google and Facebook taxed to fund media outlets. But instead of reliance on Big Tech monopolies, journalism would benefit most from breaking them up.
Fighting Climate Change Requires a Transit Revolution
There is no path to meeting climate targets and avoiding devastation that doesn’t run through a dramatic reduction in the use of cars. Now is the time to seize on this reality and invest in the alternatives.
The Pandemic Profiteers
Billionaires have seen their fortunes skyrocket during Covid-19 while workers face wage cuts and layoffs – if we want to build a more equal society, we have to take them on.
One Solution to the Housing Crisis? Turn Airbnb into Public Housing
Airbnb bookings have collapsed by as much as 96% during coronavirus – which means huge numbers of liveable properties are available in the very cities that are suffering the worst housing crises.
The Limits of Basic Income
A basic income would be useful during a pandemic, but in the long term it would deepen the power of the market – instead, it’s time to fight to limit the influence of the market over the services we all rely on.
Nationalise the Airlines
The airline industry will not survive the coronavirus, with grounded flights bankrupting most companies by the summer. Now is the time to nationalise – and use this moment to chart a course to a low-carbon future.