Excellent analysis on the state of the world wide economy, current politics and the ideology that's corrupting our global world. A voice of clarity beyond populist politics and empty political platitudes.
Bravo George! You're hitting your stride on this path ... please stay on it. We need you, and in my admittedly provincial opinion you waste too much of your focus on various and sundries. These goals are worthy of your attention. I can't wait to buy your book, this is the first I've heard of it.
What’s happening to our nhs is a perfect example of how capitalism works…for the rich of course not us, who are dispensable. Thank you George, you’ll get lots of hate for this, but we admire you for your tenacity and knowledge. Take care. Barb
Great interview. I’m familiar with George’s thesis but he explains it very clearly here. His solution is ‘Radical Incrementalism’ I believe, a term coined by my husband Michael Robinson
Such a joy to listen to some interesting and intelligent discussion with actual educated individuals instead of the insipid screaming matches (interrupted every 5 minutes by vapid relentless commercials) on right wing media. If i ever have to listen to tucker ranting about white replacement theory again I’ll saw my ears off with a rusty hacksaw
Fascinating as always from George Monbiot. One small peeve though, I get that the interviewer was keen to be involved in George's monologue, and especially to let him and us know that she has read books that he has also read, but when he is helpfully telling us the title of a particular work and she speaks at the same time the title was on a couple of occasions lost in her speaking over him. One of these books was the autobiography of Madsen Pirie, but as the title was rendered totally unclear in this video, I haven't yet located it. I will re-double my efforts, but please interviewer, understand that your enthusiasm to show how well read you are can make the audio unclear for listeners.
Great talk! George Monbiot is always super informative and interesting. But what about the fact our global society is well in to the middle of collapse?
This isn't Monbiot's opinion, it is merely an explanation of the facts. It is depressing that the majority of people who participate in our democracy are so ruddy ignorant about the world in which they live that they don't even know what they're voting for. It's a bit like eating a lump of soil because you think it's fish and chips, then being surprised by the outcome. Do Reform UK voters actually understand that it's an extreme pro-market party and that this, not anti-immigration, is actually their defining policy position, and that the market wouldn't allow restricted immigration ? I've long since thought that we should have some form of voter's licence in place which people should have to sit tests to acquire. Ignorant voting is far too ruddy dangerous.
@@abody499 Who said anything about removing it ? That would be the equivalent of saying that you're removing someone's right to drive because you require them to learn the Highway Code (so they don't kill anyone)
"Who said anything about removing it ?" - You did. You advocate removing everyone's right to vote in order for them to then win the right back by passing some "test".
You were doing so well, and then you typed the last two sentences. Shame on you. You are the one displaying base ignorance and should be tested, for moral fitness.
@@abody499 Nope. Again, I go back to the analogy of driving. Have we removed everyone's right to drive because we require them to learn how to do it? And if we have done that using your terms, isn't that necessary and proportionate to the risk of harm of them not knowing how to drive before they step into a car? Is ignorant voting less dangerous than ignorant driving in terms of it's societal impact ? Would you be happy for an untrained surgeon to remove your liver or have we removed his right to practice surgery which he has to 'win back' through, y'know, an education ? Yours is a specious argument. Political ignorance undermines democracy, which is why elites like it. Sorry, them's the facts :-)
'Optimism is an alienated form of faith, pessimism an alienated form of despair. If one truly responds to man and his future, i.e., concernedly and “responsibly,” one can respond only by faith or by despair. Rational faith as well as rational despair are based on the most thorough, critical knowledge of all the factors that are relevant for the survival of man. The basis of rational faith in man is the presence of a real possibility for his salvation: the basis for rational despair would be the knowledge that no such possibility can be seen.' Erich From in 'The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness'
@@tonyduncan9852 'The basis of rational faith in man is the presence of a real possibility for his salvation: the basis for rational despair would be the knowledge that no such possibility can be seen.'
There's at least two other times she stepped on his line: When he recommended a book by Barbara someone-or-the-other as a better read than Hillbilly Elegy; and the second on an perhaps unintentionally revealing autobiography by the founder of the Adam Smith Institute.
I recall when "individual" secret negotiation of pay/salary killed the unions in Sweden. The people who buy our skills, did it by telling people that, You are entitled to more pay than your colleague, who is doing the exact same thing as you. Strong unions died away. It was horrible to watch. Metal workers union try to fight Musk today in Sweden. The last stand. The teacher's union is infiltrated by the Buyers of skills. Not fighting at all!
Great, but a narrow definition of Capitalism. It is also exploitative relationships of production, the reduction of human activity to a dangerous abstraction and a ruling mechanism. A complex multi faceted monstrosity. TBF to many others, neoliberalusm has been understood, exposed and defined for ages, Harvey wrote A Brief History if Neoliberalism decades back now. But very good.
We’ve had Thatcherism since 1979 which serves the interests of the wealthy. The problem with Thatcherism is that you eventually run out of assets like Thames Water to sell to investors so that they can rip off British consumers. 1. Reduce inequality by taxing the asset wealth of the rich. 2. Stop selling British assets and British companies to foreign control.
Thames water aren't done yet, they are still trying to build a new huge reservoir in Oxfordshire. It's not the right way to deal with our water needs, but it probably means that loads of money is made by all the contractors building it, who are cosying up to those who give out the contracts at Thames water.
two thirds of the conversation was very pleasant to listen to, but on the last third I would still think a bit more. Before we start thinking about the rights of marriage (and changing them), we should really do more research on the impacts that nuclear family has on growing children. E.g. on a larger scale, what impact does it have on children when they dont get the growth environment that the current nuclear family provides. In these matters its very dangerous to lean just on emotivism and not logic and science.
Your sugar capitalism story reminds me of Ai and the energy their data centers need! I can see the spin now "We can't stop fossil fuel if we want to keep the lights on" and "We must endure blackouts 'together' because of renewables" meanwhile they are using enough energy to equal a country..."the grace of money" says it very nicely..."Money is king" and the queen and the everything inbetween! If you are deemed "not financially viable" you are discarded like rubbish in the street and then we wonder why the homeless loose their dignity.
In moving past over-exalted individualism, I'm curious about the writings on mutuality in response to patriarchal power structures. Also, buddhist philosophy is interesting with its concepts of interdependence, or TNH's interbeing, to say nothing of anatta, roughly non-self. Thank you both so much for this interview. I'm ordering the book today.
Excellent interview. One complaint however. The interviewer keeps interrupting the interviewee when the latter is referencing an important book &/or author with the words, "I know it." Completely drowning out in the process the name & title of book & author. We don't know the book. The subject matter is, clearly, engaging & moving for the interviewer - thus, perhaps, this "knee jerk" tendency. But kindly hold your horses, if you can, so that we who are listening and don't know of these books can note them down & look them up later. Thanks, this small snafu aside, for hosting this informative interview.
Hear, hear! The takeaway comment is "...tragedy of humankind is that we are a society of altruists governed by psychopaths...". Seems that psychopaths (sociopaths) would try to undermine tipping points - increases awareness they are....
Altruists, governed by sociopaths _until a psychopath takes over._ Reminds me of the fall of the water civilisations. Or any so-called 'human civilisation', for that matter.
People are capitalists by nature. People are acquisitive and competitive by nature. If you stymie that impulse, e.g. by high taxation, they will stop being productive for themselves and everyone else. Surely you have learned that by now.
People often just do what they are conditioned to do. It is not complicated. Anyone not seeing the high degree to which we are all just rats in a maze is delusional.
@@kazparzyxzpenualt8111 I find it strange that migrants are the darlings of the left when they are the ultimate capitalists. They will endure any hardship to get to a country where they can work and make money and then live a very frugal existence, eg overcrowded accommodation, and work all hours to get ahead.
How do you know that? Its just a right wing mantra. SOME people are acquisitive and competitive, others aren't. Different kinds of societies bring out different aspects of our nature. Your comment is like if you put a bunch of people in the hunger games and then concluded "people are violent by nature"
Not exactly difficult these days if you own a home and are well employed and educated. Do you have to be a pauper and renounce all your worldly goods to criticise rampant capitalism. Billionaires are the new millionaires.
This analysis is so sophomoric and anachronistic it’s actually adorable. I suspect George is still fighting to get George W Bush out of the White House.
Capitalism doesn't alway boom, bust, then quit. Selling aspirin has been going on for years. It's just a steady business. George is very often correct and I'm with him on many issues, but he's a bit too Left-wing for my liking. I still think he's a good person with a heart in the right place.
Excellent analysis on the state of the world wide economy, current politics and the ideology that's corrupting our global world. A voice of clarity beyond populist politics and empty political platitudes.
Bravo George! You're hitting your stride on this path ... please stay on it. We need you, and in my admittedly provincial opinion you waste too much of your focus on various and sundries. These goals are worthy of your attention. I can't wait to buy your book, this is the first I've heard of it.
Excellent explanation of our predicament a great book I hope it will open people's minds to reality.
That was inspiring! Thank you, both. 🙏
What’s happening to our nhs is a perfect example of how capitalism works…for the rich of course not us, who are dispensable. Thank you George, you’ll get lots of hate for this, but we admire you for your tenacity and knowledge. Take care. Barb
Wow, a great interviewer, super important topic and a very knowledgeableand interesting interviewee!!!!!!!
Brilliant 👏
Eloquence and erudition. Inspirational.
Great interview. I’m familiar with George’s thesis but he explains it very clearly here. His solution is ‘Radical Incrementalism’ I believe, a term coined by my husband Michael Robinson
This is a brilliant discussion, ive learnt a lot from this, thank you. I've just bought the book The Invisible Doctrine
Yep sheep have to sheep
George is a decent guy,a light in the darkness
He's a millionaire
@@sophiafakevirus-ro8cc he sells books what’s the problem?
@@robertjsmith he's as rich as Croesus
@@sophiafakevirus-ro8cc myth
@@robertjsmith Mythter & Mythith Monbiot are millionaires
bloody great
That's brilliant - *"the ultimate crime novel; one in which we all play a part"*
What a perfect way to describe our reality.
Such a joy to listen to some interesting and intelligent discussion with actual educated individuals instead of the insipid screaming matches (interrupted every 5 minutes by vapid relentless commercials) on right wing media. If i ever have to listen to tucker ranting about white replacement theory again I’ll saw my ears off with a rusty hacksaw
Fascinating as always from George Monbiot. One small peeve though, I get that the interviewer was keen to be involved in George's monologue, and especially to let him and us know that she has read books that he has also read, but when he is helpfully telling us the title of a particular work and she speaks at the same time the title was on a couple of occasions lost in her speaking over him. One of these books was the autobiography of Madsen Pirie, but as the title was rendered totally unclear in this video, I haven't yet located it. I will re-double my efforts, but please interviewer, understand that your enthusiasm to show how well read you are can make the audio unclear for listeners.
There is nothing fascinating about this guy other than a wonder how he makes so much money spouting shit all the time
Thank You - to hear the hunger and thirst for community "belonging" is the Hope within us all.
The phrase "We're all Keynesians now" is attributed to Milton Friedman, not Nixon.
Great talk! George Monbiot is always super informative and interesting. But what about the fact our global society is well in to the middle of collapse?
This isn't Monbiot's opinion, it is merely an explanation of the facts. It is depressing that the majority of people who participate in our democracy are so ruddy ignorant about the world in which they live that they don't even know what they're voting for. It's a bit like eating a lump of soil because you think it's fish and chips, then being surprised by the outcome. Do Reform UK voters actually understand that it's an extreme pro-market party and that this, not anti-immigration, is actually their defining policy position, and that the market wouldn't allow restricted immigration ? I've long since thought that we should have some form of voter's licence in place which people should have to sit tests to acquire. Ignorant voting is far too ruddy dangerous.
voter's license? proper education is the key, not removing the vote.
@@abody499 Who said anything about removing it ? That would be the equivalent of saying that you're removing someone's right to drive because you require them to learn the Highway Code (so they don't kill anyone)
"Who said anything about removing it ?" - You did.
You advocate removing everyone's right to vote in order for them to then win the right back by passing some "test".
You were doing so well, and then you typed the last two sentences. Shame on you. You are the one displaying base ignorance and should be tested, for moral fitness.
@@abody499 Nope. Again, I go back to the analogy of driving. Have we removed everyone's right to drive because we require them to learn how to do it? And if we have done that using your terms, isn't that necessary and proportionate to the risk of harm of them not knowing how to drive before they step into a car? Is ignorant voting less dangerous than ignorant driving in terms of it's societal impact ? Would you be happy for an untrained surgeon to remove your liver or have we removed his right to practice surgery which he has to 'win back' through, y'know, an education ? Yours is a specious argument. Political ignorance undermines democracy, which is why elites like it. Sorry, them's the facts :-)
Bang on, I'd like to see someone put the counter argument to this
The counter argument is trickle down works 🤷🏽♂️
@@odinallfarther6038 The Invisible Hand knows best. Trust us, children. Our money proves our superiority.
Trickle down 🤦🏽
'Optimism is an alienated form of faith, pessimism an alienated form of despair. If one truly responds to man and his future, i.e., concernedly and “responsibly,” one can respond only by faith or by despair. Rational faith as well as rational despair are based on the most thorough, critical knowledge of all the factors that are relevant for the survival of man. The basis of rational faith in man is the presence of a real possibility for his salvation: the basis for rational despair would be the knowledge that no such possibility can be seen.' Erich From in 'The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness'
Neither faith nor despair can be rational by definition. Hopes, fears?
@@tonyduncan9852 'The basis of rational faith in man is the presence of a real possibility for his salvation: the basis for rational despair would be the knowledge that no such possibility can be seen.'
George. We're past a few tipping points Maybe Madeira was the only one that was required. Nevertheless you are awe-inspiring. 😎
32:17
What’s the name of this book? She stepped on his line
it's the title of this video and the picture on the screen. The Invisible Doctrine
There's at least two other times she stepped on his line:
When he recommended a book by Barbara someone-or-the-other as a better read than Hillbilly Elegy; and the second on an perhaps unintentionally revealing autobiography by the founder of the Adam Smith Institute.
What is this poll that says most people didn't want to return to business as usual? I googled and can't find anything on that, of course 🙁
I recall when "individual" secret negotiation of pay/salary killed the unions in Sweden. The people who buy our skills, did it by telling people that, You are entitled to more pay than your colleague, who is doing the exact same thing as you. Strong unions died away. It was horrible to watch. Metal workers union try to fight Musk today in Sweden. The last stand. The teacher's union is infiltrated by the Buyers of skills. Not fighting at all!
The worst thing about that story is how workers were willing to sell eachother out
Great, but a narrow definition of Capitalism. It is also exploitative relationships of production, the reduction of human activity to a dangerous abstraction and a ruling mechanism. A complex multi faceted monstrosity. TBF to many others, neoliberalusm has been understood, exposed and defined for ages, Harvey wrote A Brief History if Neoliberalism decades back now. But very good.
Capitalism is a narrow definition. For too long, capitalism has taken markets that have existed for eons as capitalism.. it aint
We’ve had Thatcherism since 1979 which serves the interests of the wealthy. The problem with Thatcherism is that you eventually run out of assets like Thames Water to sell to investors so that they can rip off British consumers. 1. Reduce inequality by taxing the asset wealth of the rich. 2. Stop selling British assets and British companies to foreign control.
Thames water aren't done yet, they are still trying to build a new huge reservoir in Oxfordshire. It's not the right way to deal with our water needs, but it probably means that loads of money is made by all the contractors building it, who are cosying up to those who give out the contracts at Thames water.
TTIP was defeated in the end despite looking inevitable. It can be done.
two thirds of the conversation was very pleasant to listen to, but on the last third I would still think a bit more.
Before we start thinking about the rights of marriage (and changing them), we should really do more research on the impacts that nuclear family has on growing children.
E.g. on a larger scale, what impact does it have on children when they dont get the growth environment that the current nuclear family provides.
In these matters its very dangerous to lean just on emotivism and not logic and science.
Excellent book!
Page turner/can’t put it down and all the rest of the clichés
👍👍👍👍👍
🎉🎉🎉
Your sugar capitalism story reminds me of Ai and the energy their data centers need!
I can see the spin now "We can't stop fossil fuel if we want to keep the lights on" and "We must endure blackouts 'together' because of renewables" meanwhile they are using enough energy to equal a country..."the grace of money" says it very nicely..."Money is king" and the queen and the everything inbetween! If you are deemed "not financially viable" you are discarded like rubbish in the street and then we wonder why the homeless loose their dignity.
Thank you, It's interesting also to trace what wars the powers behind AI are currently supporting in the interest of land and water.
"kamala harris" ???
It's like you have no sense of irony.
Great discussion till that bit at the end.
L. Ron Hubbard must be livid.
In moving past over-exalted individualism, I'm curious about the writings on mutuality in response to patriarchal power structures. Also, buddhist philosophy is interesting with its concepts of interdependence, or TNH's interbeing, to say nothing of anatta, roughly non-self. Thank you both so much for this interview. I'm ordering the book today.
Capitalism brings out the worst in human beings
yes
"Warlord capitalism sponsoring killer clowns" made me do a double take
Excellent interview.
One complaint however.
The interviewer keeps interrupting the interviewee when the latter is referencing an important book &/or author with the words, "I know it." Completely drowning out in the process the name & title of book & author.
We don't know the book.
The subject matter is, clearly, engaging & moving for the interviewer - thus, perhaps, this "knee jerk" tendency. But kindly hold your horses, if you can, so that we who are listening and don't know of these books can note them down & look them up later.
Thanks, this small snafu aside, for hosting this informative interview.
Hear, hear! The takeaway comment is "...tragedy of humankind is that we are a society of altruists governed by psychopaths...". Seems that psychopaths (sociopaths) would try to undermine tipping points - increases awareness they are....
Altruists, governed by sociopaths _until a psychopath takes over._ Reminds me of the fall of the water civilisations. Or any so-called 'human civilisation', for that matter.
The spoilt child is still reaching out, just a little blindly...while Panetto remains in her slum.
I assume then AI, though described as a breakthrough for humanity, but in the hands of capitalism, will burn through people.
Odd definition of capitalism. Surely it relates to the use of private capital.
People are capitalists by nature. People are acquisitive and competitive by nature. If you stymie that impulse, e.g. by high taxation, they will stop being productive for themselves and everyone else. Surely you have learned that by now.
People often just do what they are conditioned to do. It is not complicated. Anyone not seeing the high degree to which we are all just rats in a maze is delusional.
@@kazparzyxzpenualt8111 I find it strange that migrants are the darlings of the left when they are the ultimate capitalists. They will endure any hardship to get to a country where they can work and make money and then live a very frugal existence, eg overcrowded accommodation, and work all hours to get ahead.
Surely you know what a double-edged sword is, and does? Substitute "high cost of living" for "high taxation" and see what I mean.
@@tonyduncan9852 High cost of living will be caused by supply bottlenecks as a result of e.g. over regulation.
How do you know that? Its just a right wing mantra. SOME people are acquisitive and competitive, others aren't. Different kinds of societies bring out different aspects of our nature. Your comment is like if you put a bunch of people in the hunger games and then concluded "people are violent by nature"
Monbiot is a millionaire
Not exactly difficult these days if you own a home and are well employed and educated. Do you have to be a pauper and renounce all your worldly goods to criticise rampant capitalism. Billionaires are the new millionaires.
This analysis is so sophomoric and anachronistic it’s actually adorable. I suspect George is still fighting to get George W Bush out of the White House.
Wrong, was it?
You just used big words without saying anything helpful
Capitalism doesn't alway boom, bust, then quit. Selling aspirin has been going on for years. It's just a steady business.
George is very often correct and I'm with him on many issues, but he's a bit too Left-wing for my liking.
I still think he's a good person with a heart in the right place.
As he said, you're confusing Capitalism with Commerce.
@@alanstewart7802 so selling aspirin is commerce or capitalism? It seems to be both.
@@danielc6106 Bayer Pharmaceuticals' largest shareholder is BlackRock, Inc.. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the second largest shareholder.
Aspirin doesn't exist in a vacuum. Pharma has a modified version of the cycle he describes and plenty of destroyed aspects to point to.
@@danielc6106 Commerce is a component of capitalism. I think George is using quite a specific definition of capitalism that fits with his narrative.