@jasonhickel.bsky.social calls what’s happening in Gaza not a blip in history, but a longstanding pattern of imperialist violence. Western intervention keeps happening because capitalism requires it. Breaking this cycle means transitioning to a post-capitalist economy.

we're told Israel is "the only democracy in the Middle East" – but they govern a population under military occupation without the right to vote. that’s apartheid. Western governments know this, and choose to support them anyway. why? @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod:

the West keeps going to war with countries that pose no real threat. @jasonhickel.bsky.social calls it the symptoms of capitalist imperialism. We dive into the economics of imperialism, China's rise, and ecosocialism in the latest episode of the Better Future Podcast:

Capitalism requires violence. Here’s how we overcome it.

Jason Hickel on the economics of imperialism, the rise of China, and the path toward a post-capitalist future.

betterfuturemedia.substack.com

capitalism has always required cheap labor and resources from a periphery, and the West has maintained that imperial arrangement through violence. it’s imperative that we transition to a post-capitalist economic system. @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod:

I love when people reply to my posts saying I “must have flunked out of economics” When in fact, I graduated with distinction from Stanford Econ (with a 4.0 GPA) lol The reason I’m a socialist is I studied this topic deeply & realized socialism is needed to build a better world

Revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara once said “We are the heirs of the world’s revolutions.” Every democratic right we have today was won through struggle. His memory should inspire the actions we take today. @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future podcast:

The reason we produce so many private jets and not enough healthcare is that ultra-wealthy people have taken over our economy and democracy. @jasonhickel.bsky.social says taxing the rich is about taking that power back, so we can make more democratic decisions about the future we want to build.

Around the world, more and more communities are giving nature rights – which makes it illegal to harm the Earth. The Rights of Nature movement is building momentum in 700 communities across 66 countries, reminding us that systemic change starts locally. betterfuturemedia.substack.com/p/rights-of-...

Trump’s Spain meltdown backfired immediately. Spain is showing other countries that you can stand up to Trump and still win — sometimes right in front of him.

Normalize giving nature rights. Then it’ll be illegal to harm the Earth.

This global movement is winning legal rights for nature.

A Canadian town just became the latest community to grant legal rights to nature, joining a fast-growing movement aiming to reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

open.substack.com

wildfires ripping across Ontario, Canada. hundreds of thousands of acres have burned in the last 48 hours. history will judge those who profited from this.

A Canadian town just became the latest community to grant legal rights to trees, joining a fast-growing movement reshaping humanity’s relationship with nature. Here’s why the movement matters, and how to get involved:

This global movement is winning legal rights for nature.

A Canadian town just became the latest community to grant legal rights to nature, joining a fast-growing movement aiming to reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

open.substack.com

Elon Musk says we should to go to Mars to avoid extinction. He’d just like us to ignore the fact that wildlife populations are down 73%, our planet is warming to unlivable levels and billions of humans still live in poverty. If we go extinct, it’ll be because we wasted time listening to his lies.

AI companies are pouring trillions into a dystopian future: a few companies running the global economy, where humans are no longer needed. that's what grassroots organizers across the country are up against. their wins prove a better future is possible when we fight for it:

A nationwide movement against AI data centers is starting to win.

People across the US political spectrum are increasingly united in opposing data centers in their communities. Here's how the movement is building power – and how to get involved.

betterfuturemedia.substack.com

communities are sending politicians a loud message: your elections now depend on your stance on data centers. DSA candidates like @melatkirosco.bsky.social and @claireforny.bsky.social ran on banning them and won their primaries. Utah incumbents who backed Kevin O'Leary's project just lost theirs.

A nationwide movement against AI data centers is starting to win.

People across the US political spectrum are increasingly united in opposing data centers in their communities. Here's how the movement is building power – and how to get involved.

betterfuturemedia.substack.com

Nobody wants an AI data center in their neighborhood that will increase their electricity bills, pollute the air, and harm local ecosystems. That’s why communities across the US are fighting back – and recently, they’ve racked up some massive wins:

your utility, grocery, and insurance bills are all going up – and climate change is a big part of the reason why. extreme weather is destabilizing our supply chains, and that volatility gets priced into everything – including the essentials we need to survive.

mass social movements have always been led by a large enough minority that gained support, until the passive majority couldn’t ignore them. @pik-potsdam.bsky.social director Johan Rockström explains how we’re seeing the same dynamic unfold with global fossil fuel phaseouts around the world:

Amsterdam’s ban on fossil fuel and meat ads is part of a broader movement to weaken the social license of unsustainable industries that spend billions annually on advertising. This is key to shifting culture away from overconsumption and towards human and planetary health.

over centuries of industrialization, Earth has been providing us free services: cleaning our air, purifying our water… but we’re close to crossing planetary “tipping points” that would turn Earth from friend to foe. @pik-potsdam.bsky.social director Johan Rockström on the Better Future podcast:

"We've reached a saturation point & start hitting the ceiling of the processes that regulate Earth system stability" states PIK Director Rockström. "The old economic paradigm doesn't work anymore: Exploiting the Earth for free without repercussions."👇 betterfuturemedia.substack.com/p/johan-rock...

there is a popular bit of climate misinformation that says a warmer planet is a good thing. world-renowned earth system scientist @pik-potsdam.bsky.social director Johan Rockstrom eviscerates that claim:

we've breached 7 of the 9 planetary boundaries that keep the Earth stable enough for humanity to exist. the good news? the science says it's not too late to turn things around. Johan Rockström on the Better Future Pod:

Democratic socialist candidates just swept major races across NYC, defeating centrist incumbents up & down the ballot. We’re told these ideas are “too radical” for US voters. Yet when given a choice, voters keep choosing candidates who promise real change. NYC won’t be the last place this happens.

it should surprise absolutely no one that the first trillionaire is a white supremacist. capitalism and white supremacy are inextricably linked, and we cannot dismantle one without dismantling the other.

no one wants trillionaires. no one wants to go to Mars. we want clean water. we want free healthcare. we want Earth to be safe for future generations.

Many people who yearn for a better world are scared to have kids because they fear the future. Economist and mother @kateraworth.bsky.social shares her wisdom on what it means to raise humans who understand their role on this planet:

The myth that “humans are inherently greedy” has shaped mainstream economic models – and remade us in its image. The more economics students learn about a selfish and individualistic caricature of human nature, the more self-serving and competitive they become. @kateraworth.bsky.social

we've lost the ability to do basic things – cooking, planning gatherings with our community – because our lives have been commodified. capitalism is bleeding us dry.

if CEOs face personal criminal liability for crimes their companies commit, their risk calculus could change completely. that's what makes this Lafarge verdict different – and why it matters far beyond France:

This landmark ruling says corporations can no longer use “profit” to justify their crimes

The former CEO of Lafarge is going to prison. Here’s why this precedent-setting verdict is an important step toward a better future.

substack.com