Week 2 // ' The Rational Case for Panic' // Post Capitalism - A Guide to our Future // Paul Mason

What is Post Capitalism? What even is Capitalism……
Before this book was brought to my attention, these were terms that I was not really accustomed to, generally there aren’t many books on capitalism that tended to captivate my interest although I do have an eagerness to learn new things (an ironic statement to make since a lot of learning comes from books, but I learn a lot from doing). 

 From further research Capitalism essentially is a system where trade and industry are owned or controlled by private owners rather than the state, who because of it’s set up are given almost free reign to manipulate the competitiveness of prices, in order to drive profits and keep making profit. Paul Mason writing in the book ‘Post Capitalism A guide to our Future’ highlights many issues with this system which currently runs in the United Kingdom along with many other Nations.


Paul Mason formerly worked for BBC as part of the BBC Two team on the Newsnight Programme as Business Editor, during this time he published a number of books which from observation where on the fine lines of staying impartial to certain political systems and structures. He would then join Channel 4 News as Culture and Digital Editor, then a year later become Economics Editor. However not long after Paul would announce that he was leaving his position, in order to pursue a freelancing career, allowing him to engage more in debates of the political left, no longer bound by the constraints of impartiality placed on broadcasters in the UK.

Paul Mason

This departure highlights how important a topic for Paul Mason it all is, so is there a Rational Case for Panic? Paul's main arguments in the aforementioned chapter ' A Rational case for Panic' alludes to many concerns with current state of our climate and how the systems current trajectory concerning economics is unsustainable.  Paul Mason makes a claim that "A market-led strategy on climate change is Utopian thinking" p249 , harsh words for the many apparent efforts being made by large corporations and government to battle climate change.

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