Why the world should ditch its obsession with GDP
Trump’s ideology needs to be opposed in favour of integration and cooperation and a new economic system that favours social well-being rather than growth, writes Lorenzo Fioramonti
The election of Donald Trump may have come as a cold shower, but it was to be expected in a world that’s increasingly frustrated with a profit obsessed globalised economy. Not only have jobs been lost and inequalities increased, but the exploitation of natural resources and the conflicts it fuels, have triggered a huge exodus of refugees and economic migrants. These developments are threatening to tear entire societies apart. Wealth has amassed at the top, in ever fewer hands, with a bottom of the pyramid fighting for the crumbs. Against this backdrop, Trump’s promise of protectionism has found appeal among many people marginalised by neoliberal globalisation. The paradox is that Trump himself is a staunch capitalist, who has massively benefited from the globalised economy he claims to oppose. While the popular sentiments that gave rise to Trump are understandable, the solutions offered are damaging to the very people whose interests they claim to promote. Yes, we need to challenge ...
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