Why the Future is Post-Growth | Donnie Maclurcan on Life Beyond Capitalism (Better Future 006)
My guest today is Donnie Maclurcan, founder of the Post Growth Institute and a thinker who played a major role in my own journey. In this episode, Donnie breaks down why money accumulation under capitalism necessarily produces rising debt and inequality, leading to human suffering and ecological breakdown. We also go deep into possibilities for a better future – including the ways not-for-profit business models are quietly succeeding inside capitalism, what a post-capitalist economy could feel like, and what we can do now to participate in a post-growth future. Thanks to Vista House Marin for providing us with such a lovely space for this shoot. Follow Donnie on LinkedIn: / donniemaclurcan Dive into the work of the Post Growth Institute: https://postgrowth.org/ Read their writing on Medium: / postgrowth Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing: YouTube: / @michaelmezz Substack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatesta Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkb... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Follow the PGI on social media: Instagram: / postgrowth X: https://x.com/postgrowth Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/postgrowth.org Michael Mezz on Instagram: / michael__mezz The Better Future Podcast on Instagram: / betterfuturepod I originally discovered Donnie and his work thanks to the Denizen community and podcast. Learn more about Denizen here: https://www.becomingdenizen.com/ 00:00 Intro: Planting seeds for the future 01:04 Introducing Donnie Maclurcan 02:38 What is post-growth? 06:37 Capitalism's inherent inequality and debt 10:06 The monetary system and debt creation 18:49 The human and ecological impacts of debt 28:08 Why efficiency can’t solve the climate crisis 30:21 Why inequality is inherent to capitalism 33:39 Imagining a post-capitalist future 37:25 Existing examples of post-capitalist businesses 47:37 Why money circulation is key 51:58 How to participate in post-capitalism now 57:18 The importance of indigenous wisdom 1:06:00 The wisdom of marginalized communities 1:08:32 Collapse and post-capitalism 1:18:28 Conclusion Host/Creator: Michael Mezzatesta Guest: Donnie Maclurcan Editor: Nuria Salgado Designer: Amea Wadsworth Sorry I forgot to put on socks before starting the shoot 😅 Thanks for watching episode 006. Lots more on the way.
