Proponents of the current worldwide economic system will tell you that a shift towards economic degrowth will lead to many people losing jobs and going hungry, and at first, this makes perfect sense. However, people are already losing jobs in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but not everyone is hungry. In January 2020, the CEO of Boeing was fired for his terrible handling of the 737 Max crashes, which killed 346 people, and the aftermath. He received a USD 62 million payout on the very same day that the company announced they would let 2,800 workers go because the 737 Max would not be produced anymore.
This is only one recent example in a sea of similar ones throughout the years. What they prove is that there may not be enough workplaces, but there is certainly enough money. The current rapid growth serves to line the pockets of the wealthy and keep everyone else busy. This is also why there is no reason not to implement a Universal Basic Income (UBI), as it goes perfectly well with degrowth. People would be free to refuse jobs they don’t want, for example those in the fossil fuel industry, while still being able to lead dignified lives. Instead, they could choose the field they would prefer working in, thus still helping society.
Both the current health crisis and climate change mean that a complete overhaul of perspective is sorely needed. The relationship between work and survival should certainly be questioned, especially since it doesn’t hold true for everyone. Both UBI and degrowth stand for a very important cause: putting care for human life in the center of our policies and improving the quality of life for everyone, not just those deemed most useful by an unforgiving system.
