this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2023
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Myth number one is that degrowth is the same as recession, but the speaker argues that while both are symptoms of a growth-based economy, recession is actually a harmful decline in economic output.
Myth number two is that degrowth means a reduction in all economic sectors, but the speaker explains that while certain sectors need to be curtailed, others need to be expanded to meet fundamental human needs.
Myth number three is that degrowthers want everyone to be poorer, but the speaker argues that degrowth aims for rethinking wealth towards collective wellbeing and commonwealth, rather than personal income and inter-personal competition.
Myth number four is that degrowthers hate modernity/progress/development and want to "go back," but the speaker explains that degrowth thinkers question this and seek viable and equitable ways of moving forward to more sustainable futures.
Finally, myth number five is that the degrowth movement is just a small group of out-of-touch Western academics, but the speaker argues that degrowth draws on a pluriverse of perspectives and includes voices from different geographical areas and social classes.
Why call it degrowth? That name is misleading and confusing given the myths you summarized. There's not much actual degrowth being called for. It's mostly reorganization and reprioritization.
Degrowth is as bad a name as "defund the police" was. I get it, but the general population won't. It probably sounds like a bad thing to most people.
Thousand thanks for summing it up!