I like that conclusion, nice and simple. If the current regime/system collapses (I’m not 100% sure it will, but I think it’s likely enough it’s worth thinking about seriously), the solarpunk post-capitalist dreams a lot of people have can only come either as a niche within a neo-feudalist system, or after thoroughly and decisively replacing capitalist social relations with something more advanced and better that works so well there’s no room/support to bring back older, more oppressive social relations. Or rather, any pleasant, independent subsistence-level enclaves that develop will later be subjugated and integrated into whatever regime develops in the aftermath. If people don’t get together and figure out a new system of production that can replace capitalism, we will have neofeudalism. Do you want redneck warlords? Because that’s how you get redneck warlords.
Call those new relations whatever you like, but without something to fill in the gap and keep us moving forward, we will fall back into older, worse social patterns after everything collapses.
I like that conclusion, nice and simple. If the current regime/system collapses (I’m not 100% sure it will, but I think it’s likely enough it’s worth thinking about seriously), the solarpunk post-capitalist dreams a lot of people have can only come either as a niche within a neo-feudalist system, or after thoroughly and decisively replacing capitalist social relations with something more advanced and better that works so well there’s no room/support to bring back older, more oppressive social relations. Or rather, any pleasant, independent subsistence-level enclaves that develop will later be subjugated and integrated into whatever regime develops in the aftermath. If people don’t get together and figure out a new system of production that can replace capitalism, we will have neofeudalism. Do you want redneck warlords? Because that’s how you get redneck warlords.
Call those new relations whatever you like, but without something to fill in the gap and keep us moving forward, we will fall back into older, worse social patterns after everything collapses.