A Market Abolitionist Argues for Cap-&-Trade

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Produced by: 
KBOO
Air date: 
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 12:00am
A Market Abolitionist Makes a Case for Cap And Trade

Bill and Robin Hahnel start by talking about why he opposes markets when central to economic systems, advocating participatory economic planning, even in the case of so-called market-socialism, which Bill succinctly c competetively extracting profits to work. Robin points out that markets reward people for working against one another (he calls it anti-solidaristic behavior). However, Robin thinks there's a case to be made for the market approach to addressing global warming known as "cap-and-trade" - capping carbon emissions and then trading the derivatives. One key element is revising the Kyoto protocols to put carbon-emission caps on ALL countries. Ultimately the process is about moving money from countries more responsible for climate change to those who are not but are still disproportionately affected by it. Robin does not think it's the only or theoretically best solution, but he argues by the end that if the over-throw of global capitalism in the next few years is not in the cards this is how we can start addressing this urgent problem now.

 

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