{"id":1131775,"date":"2023-07-13T13:51:31","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T13:51:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.com\/?p=13123"},"modified":"2023-07-13T13:51:31","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T13:51:31","slug":"profit-driven-systems-are-driving-us-to-our-doom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2023\/07\/13\/profit-driven-systems-are-driving-us-to-our-doom\/","title":{"rendered":"Profit-Driven Systems Are Driving Us To Our Doom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p\nid=\"3f6f\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/going_rogue\/profit-driven-systems-are\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">Listen to a reading of this article (reading by Tim Foley)<\/em><\/a>:<\/p>\n<figure\nclass=\"ml mm mn mo mp le\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"mq mr l eb\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"acz mt l\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\"\nclass=\"ek n fc dx bg\" title=\"Profit-Driven Systems Are Driving Us To Our Doom by Caitlin Johnstone\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.embedly.com\/widgets\/media.html?src=https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.com\/2023\/07\/13\/profit-driven-systems-are-driving-us-to-our-doom\/https%3A%2F%2Fw.soundcloud.com%2Fplayer%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fapi.soundcloud.com%252Ftracks%252F1563917875%26show_artwork%3Dtrue&amp;display_name=SoundCloud&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fgoing_rogue%2Fprofit-driven-systems-are&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.sndcdn.com%2Fartworks-wdqMlf7Re8XIiYkV-oLRHyQ-t500x500.jpg&amp;key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=soundcloud%22 width=\"680\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p\nid=\"8b9b\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u2756<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"03e1\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">I just read a disturbing paragraph in\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/mEyjB\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">a New Yorker article<\/a>\u00a0about the Instant Pot, a popular electronic pressure cooker whose parent company recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy:<\/p>\n<blockquote \n<p> class=\"mu mv mw\"><\/p>\n<p\nid=\"c0a6\" class=\"ll lm mk ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv mx lx ly lz my mb mc md mz mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><em\nclass=\"fo\">\u201cSo what doomed the Instant Pot? How could something that was so beloved sputter? Is the arc of kitchen goods long but bends toward obsolescence? Business schools may someday make a case study of one of Instant Pot\u2019s vulnerabilities, namely, that it was simply too well made. Once you slapped down your ninety dollars for the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1, you were set for life: it didn\u2019t break, it didn\u2019t wear out, and the company hasn\u2019t introduced major innovations that make you want to level up. As a customer, you were one-and-done, which might make you a happy customer, but is hell on profit-and-growth performance metrics.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p\nid=\"4df2\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Just think about that for a second. Under our current systems for profit generation, which is the primary driver of human behavior on this planet, making a quality product that lasts a long time instead of quickly going obsolete or turning into landfill will actually drive you into bankruptcy.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"9828\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">An\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/Eu6hq\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">article in The Atlantic<\/a>\u00a0about the bankruptcy filing similarly illustrated this point last month:<\/p>\n<blockquote \n<p> class=\"mu mv mw\"><\/p>\n<p\nid=\"7481\" class=\"ll lm mk ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv mx lx ly lz my mb mc md mz mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><em\nclass=\"fo\">\u201cFrom the point of view of the consumer, this makes the Instant Pot a dream product: It does what it says, and it doesn\u2019t cost you much or any additional money after that first purchase. It doesn\u2019t appear to have any planned obsolescence built into it, which would prompt you to replace it at a regular clip. But from the point of view of owners and investors trying to maximize value, that makes the Instant Pot a problem. A company can\u2019t just tootle along in perpetuity, debuting new products according to the actual pace of its good ideas, and otherwise manufacturing and selling a few versions of a durable, beloved device and its accessories, updated every few years with new features. A company needs to\u00a0<\/em>grow<em\nclass=\"fo\">.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p\nid=\"1b79\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">This just says such dysmal things about why our planet is facing the existential crises it\u2019s now facing. Corporations will die if they don\u2019t continually grow, and they can\u2019t grow without things like inbuilt planned obsolescence or continued additional purchases, which in a sane society would just be regarded as shoddy craftsmanship. Our entire civilization is driven by the pursuit of profit, and to keep turning large profits your corporation needs to continually grow, and your corporation can\u2019t continually grow unless you\u2019re manufacturing a crappy product that needs to be continually replaced or supplemented, and you can\u2019t manufacture those replacements and supplementations without harvesting them from the flesh of a dying world.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"d8a9\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">As writer Robert Moor recently\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/robertmoor_\/status\/1679238393828610049\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">observed on Twitter<\/a>, \u201cThe fact that Instant Pot is already being framed as a corporate cautionary tale \u2014 the company that went bankrupt because they made a product so durable and versatile that its customers had little need to buy another one \u2014 instead of as a critique of capitalism is deeply, deeply depressing.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure\nclass=\"ml mm mn mo mp le\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"mq mr l eb\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"ada mt l\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\"\nclass=\"ek n fc dx bg\" title=\" on Twitter: &quot;The fact that Instant Pot is already being framed as a corporate cautionary tale-the company that went bankrupt bc they made a product so durable &amp; versatile that its customers had little need to buy another one-instead of as a critique of capitalism is deeply, deeply depressing. pic.twitter.com\/GXwyVFauii \/ Twitter&quot;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.embedly.com\/widgets\/media.html?type=text%2Fhtml&amp;key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&amp;schema=twitter&amp;url=https%3A\/\/twitter.com\/robertmoor_\/status\/1679238393828610049&amp;image=https%3A\/\/i.embed.ly\/1\/image%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fabs.twimg.com%252Ferrors%252Flogo46x38.png%26key%3Da19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07\" width=\"680\" height=\"753\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p\nid=\"73de\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">It\u2019s really heartbreaking to think about all the ways human potential is being starved and constricted by these ridiculous limitations we\u2019ve placed on the way we operate as a collective. Resources being allocated based on how well they can turn a profit stymies technological innovation, because the most profitable model will always lose out to less profitable ones that are more beneficial to people and our environment. Someone could invent a free energy machine that lasts forever and costs next to nothing, and even though it would save the world you can be certain it would never see the light of day under our current systems, because it couldn\u2019t yield huge and continuous profits and it would destroy many current means of profit generation.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"f820\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Science should be the most collaborative endeavor in the world; every scientist on earth should be collaborating and communicating. Instead, because of our competition-based models, it\u2019s the exact opposite: scientific exploration is divided up into innovators competing against other innovators, corporations competing against other corporations, nations competing against other nations.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"0adf\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">If we could see how much we are losing to these competition-based models, how much innovation is going unrealized, how much human thriving is being sacrificed, how we\u2019re losing almost all of our brainpower potential to these models, we\u2019d fall to our knees and scream with rage. If science had been a fully collaborative worldwide hive mind endeavor instead of divided and turned against itself for profit and military power, our civilization would be unimaginably more advanced than it is.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"ec7b\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">This is doubtless. We gave up paradise to make a few bastards rich.<\/p>\n<figure\nclass=\"ml mm mn mo mp le\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"mq mr l eb\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"na mt l\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\"\nclass=\"ek n fc dx bg\" title=\"Hank Green on Twitter: &quot;Thinking that corporations are faceless and amoral seems like a mean thing to think about them, but it is actually great for their profits. It lets the people who work there put their morality aside and make decisions that no human would ever otherwise make. \/ Twitter&quot;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.embedly.com\/widgets\/media.html?type=text%2Fhtml&amp;key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&amp;schema=twitter&amp;url=https%3A\/\/twitter.com\/hankgreen\/status\/1678817541509242892&amp;image=https%3A\/\/i.embed.ly\/1\/image%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fabs.twimg.com%252Ferrors%252Flogo46x38.png%26key%3Da19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p\nid=\"80b7\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Our competition-based, profit-motivated systems limit scientific innovation, and they also greatly limit the scope of solutions we can avail ourselves of. There\u2019s a whole vast spectrum of potential solutions to the troubles we face as a species, and we\u2019re limiting ourselves to a very small, very inferior fraction of it. By limiting solutions to ones that are profitable, we\u2019re omitting any which involve using less, consuming less, leaving resources in the ground, and leaving nature the hell alone. We\u2019re also shrinking the incentive to cure sicknesses and eliminate problems rather than offer expensive, ongoing treatments and services for them.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"f927\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Or even a project as fundamental to our survival as getting all the pollution out of our oceans. The profit motive offers no solution to this problem because there\u2019s no way to make a surplus of money from doing so, and in fact it would be very costly. So the pollution stays in our seas, year after year. People have come up with plenty of solutions for removing pollution from the sea, but they never get rolled out at the necessary scale because there\u2019s no way to make it profitable. And people would come up with far more solutions if they knew those solutions could be implemented.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"3c58\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">How many times have you had an awesome idea and gotten all excited about it, only to do the math and figure out that it\u2019s unfeasible because wouldn\u2019t be profitable? This is a very common experience, and it\u2019s happening to ideas for potential solutions to our problems every day.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"5016\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">The profit motive system assumes the ecocidal premise of infinite growth on a finite world. Without that, the entire system collapses. So there are no solutions which involve not growing, manufacturing less, consuming less, not artificially driving up demand with advertising, etc.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"3bd8\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">It\u2019s hard to appreciate the significance of this artificial limitation when you\u2019re inside it and lived your whole life under its rules. It\u2019s like if we were only allowed to make things out of wood; if our whole civilization banned the entire spectrum of non-woodcraft innovation. Sure such a civilization would get very good at making wooden things, and would probably have some woodcrafting innovations that our civilization doesn\u2019t have. But it would also be greatly developmentally stunted. That\u2019s how badly we\u2019re handicapping ourselves with the profit motive model from the pursuit of viable solutions.<\/p>\n<figure\nclass=\"ml mm mn mo mp le\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"mq mr l eb\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"na mt l\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\"\nclass=\"ek n fc dx bg\" title=\"Edgar McGregor on Twitter: &quot;Since it is becoming hard to track, here is a thread of the simply astounding weather records planet Earth has started shattering in recent weeks:1. Dramatic flood events have begun striking various countries around the world simultaneously this week. https:\/\/t.co\/BLiyOyxHHp \/ Twitter&quot;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.embedly.com\/widgets\/media.html?type=text%2Fhtml&amp;key=d04bfffea46d4aeda930ec88cc64b87c&amp;schema=twitter&amp;url=https%3A\/\/twitter.com\/edgarrmcgregor\/status\/1678877083093848064&amp;image=https%3A\/\/i.embed.ly\/1\/image%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fabs.twimg.com%252Ferrors%252Flogo46x38.png%26key%3D4fce0568f2ce49e8b54624ef71a8a5bd\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p\nid=\"b758\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">And some solutions would be really great right now. This planet just had its\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.weatherzone.com.au\/news\/uncharted-climate-territory-as-earth-posts-hottest-week-on-record\/1382889\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">warmest week in recorded history<\/a>, and Antarctic sea ice is now\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/edgarrmcgregor\/status\/1678877090345795584?s=20\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">failing to form<\/a>\u00a0in what for the southern hemisphere is the dead of winter. Even if you still want to pretend global warming isn\u2019t real, this planet\u2019s biosphere is giving us\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.substack.com\/p\/its-really-weird-how-little-we-talk\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">plenty of other signs<\/a>\u00a0of looming collapse, including\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.counterpunch.org\/2019\/11\/01\/our-vanishing-world-insects\/\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">plummeting insect populations<\/a>, a loss of\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/09\/10\/911500907\/the-world-lost-two-thirds-of-its-wildlife-in-50-years-we-are-to-blame\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">two-thirds of Earth\u2019s wildlife<\/a>\u00a0over the last 50 years,\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClimateBen\/status\/1338160972712775684?s=20\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">ecosystems dying off<\/a>,\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClimateBen\/status\/1105018529240281088?s=20\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">forests disappearing<\/a>, soil becoming\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2018\/mar\/26\/land-degradation-is-undermining-human-wellbeing-un-report-warns\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">rapidly less fertile<\/a>,\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/truthout.org\/articles\/sixth-mass-extinction-ushers-in-record-breaking-wildfires-and-heat\/\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">mass extinctions<\/a>, and oceans\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/the-ocean-is-running-out-of-breath-scientists-warn\/\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">gasping for oxygen<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecowatch.com\/one-third-of-commercial-fish-stocks-fished-at-unsustainable-levels-1910593830.html\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">becoming lifeless deserts<\/a>\u00a0while\u00a0<a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.org\/encyclopedia\/great-pacific-garbage-patch\/\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">continents of plastic form<\/a>\u00a0in their waters. So our need for immediate solutions to our environmental crisis is not seriously debatable.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"48bc\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">But we\u2019re not getting solutions, we\u2019re getting a world ruled by corporations whose leaders are required to place growth above all other other concerns, even concerns about whether the future will contain an ecosystem which corporations can exist in or a human species for them to sell goods and services to. Corporations function as giant, world-eating sociopaths, because our current models let their leaders and lawyers wash their hands of all the consequences of the damage their monsters inflict in the name of growth and the duty to maximize shareholder profits.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"8f79\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">People worry about the world getting destroyed by machines driven by a heartless artificial intelligence, but we might end up destroying it with a kind of artificial mind we invented long before microchips: the corporation.\u00a0<strong\nclass=\"ln fp\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">So<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0much of humanity\u2019s dysfunction can be explained by the fact that corporations (A) pretty much run the world and (B) are required to act like sociopaths by placing profit above all other concerns.<\/p>\n<figure\nclass=\"ml mm mn mo mp le\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"mq mr l eb\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"adb mt l\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\"\nclass=\"ek n fc dx bg\" title=\"jordan on Twitter: &quot;A $150 million fine for a company with over $3 trillion in assets is ultimately just a fee to do whatever they want. pic.twitter.com\/2Tf8JWfmZc \/ Twitter&quot;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.embedly.com\/widgets\/media.html?type=text%2Fhtml&amp;key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&amp;schema=twitter&amp;url=https%3A\/\/twitter.com\/JordanUhl\/status\/1678809542400802818&amp;image=https%3A\/\/i.embed.ly\/1\/image%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fabs.twimg.com%252Ferrors%252Flogo46x38.png%26key%3Da19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07\" width=\"680\" height=\"564\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p\nid=\"45ff\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">As long as human behavior remains driven by profit, ecocide will continue, because ecocide is profitable.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"7f99\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">As long as human behavior remains driven by profit, wars will continue, because war is profitable.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"eaf8\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">As long as human behavior remains driven by profit, exploitation will continue, because exploitation is profitable.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"1b78\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">As long as human behavior remains driven by profit, corruption will continue, because corruption is profitable.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"0527\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">There is no \u201cgood\u201d model in which human behavior can remain driven by profit without these destructive behaviors continuing, because so many kinds of destructive behavior will always necessarily be profitable. No proponents of any iteration of capitalism have ever been able to provide any satisfactory answers to this.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"eb8a\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">The call then is to move from competition-based, profit-driven systems to systems which are based on collaboration toward the common good of all. We\u2019re a long way off from that, but a long way can be cleared in a short time under the right conditions. Our species is at adapt-or-die time, and the adaptation that must be made is clear.<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"70e6\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">_________________<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"2a81\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">All my work is free to bootleg and use in any way, shape or form; republish it, translate it, use it on merchandise; whatever you want. My work is\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.com\/2021\/05\/24\/my-experiments-with-hacking-capitalism\/\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">entirely reader-supported<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, throwing some money into my tip jar on\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/user?u=4445783\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">Patreon<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">,\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/paypal.me\/caitlinjohnstone\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">Paypal<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">, or\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.substack.com\/subscribe?utm_source=menu&amp;simple=true&amp;next=https%3A%2F%2Fcaitlinjohnstone.substack.com%2F\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">Substack<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">, buying an issue of my\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/caitoz.gumroad.com\/\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">monthly zine<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">, and following me on\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CaitlinAJohnstone\/\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">Facebook<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">,\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/caitoz\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">Twitter<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">,\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/going_rogue\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">Soundcloud<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">\u00a0or\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/CaitlinJohnstone\/videos\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">YouTube<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">. If you want to read more you can\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/caityjohnstone.medium.com\/books-by-caitlin-johnstone-a5a5e6f71772\" rel=\"noopener\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">buy my books<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">. The best way to make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.substack.com\/\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">on Substack<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what I\u2019m trying to do with this platform,\u00a0<\/em><a\nclass=\"af mj\" href=\"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.com\/about\/\"  rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"><em\nclass=\"mk\">click here<\/em><\/a><em\nclass=\"mk\">. All works co-authored with my husband Tim Foley.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure\nclass=\"ml mm mn mo mp le kw kx paragraph-image\"><\/p>\n<div\nclass=\"kw kx nb\"><picture><source \nsrcset=\"https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:640\/format:webp\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:720\/format:webp\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:750\/format:webp\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 750w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:786\/format:webp\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 786w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:828\/format:webp\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 828w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:1100\/format:webp\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 1100w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:834\/format:webp\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 834w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"(min-resolution: 4dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 4) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (min-resolution: 3dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 67vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 3) and (max-width: 700px) 65vw, (min-resolution: 2.5dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2.5) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (min-resolution: 2dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 417px\" \/><source \nsrcset=\"https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:640\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:720\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:750\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 750w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:786\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 786w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:828\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 828w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:1100\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 1100w, https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:834\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg 834w\" sizes=\"(min-resolution: 4dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 4) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (min-resolution: 3dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 67vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 3) and (max-width: 700px) 65vw, (min-resolution: 2.5dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2.5) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (min-resolution: 2dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 417px\" data-testid=\"og\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\nclass=\"bg lj lk c\" role=\"presentation\" src=\"https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/v2\/resize:fit:417\/0*C1W4I8G0flEdfSgP.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"417\" height=\"194\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p\nid=\"3622\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Bitcoin donations:1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2<\/p>\n<p\nid=\"433a\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ll lm fo ln b lo lp lq lr ls lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma mb mc md me mf mg mh mi fh bj\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Featured image via Adobe Stock, formatted for size.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to a reading of this article (reading by Tim Foley): \u2756 I just read a disturbing paragraph in\u00a0a New Yorker article\u00a0about the Instant Pot, a popular electronic pressure cooker whose parent company recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy: \u201cSo what doomed the Instant Pot? [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":557,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1775,30,8285,3060,393,4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1131775"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/557"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1131775"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1131775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1180760,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1131775\/revisions\/1180760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1131775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1131775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1131775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}