A Digital Tech Deal: Digital Socialism, Decolonization, and Reparations for a Sustainable Global Economy

Michael Kwet
{"title":"A Digital Tech Deal: Digital Socialism, Decolonization, and Reparations for a Sustainable Global Economy","authors":"Michael Kwet","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3670986","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"As we progress into the 21st century, the human race is driving planet Earth towards ecosystem collapse. Scientists fear that because humans are overheating the environment and over-consuming its material resources, we are generating a sixth extinction event that is extinguishing billions of animals. Without a rapid change in the way the we conduct global civilization, we will destroy much of life on Earth, including, potentially, our own species.<br><br>In order to fix the situation, the human race must redistribute wealth and income from the rich to the poor and rapidly shift to an economic model based on equality and ecological sustainability. Unfortunately, transnational technology corporations, centred in Silicon Valley, are perpetuating consumerism and exacerbating inequality across the world.<br><br>This essay argues that colonialism is the business model of digital capitalism, and the problem of \"Big Tech\" cannot be fixed within a capitalist system. In order to produce an environmentally sustainable digital economy, we need digital socialism.<br><br>I suggest we develop and expand “People’s Tech for People’s Power” – a commons-based digital economy based on free and open source software and internet decentralization, supported by socialist legal solutions, critical education, grassroots movements, and bottom-up democracy. Under People's Tech, the digital ecosystem will be socialized, with the means of computation placed into the hands of the people, who will administer production, distribution, and development for a just and sustainable economy. Intellectual property (in the form of copyrights and patents) will be converted to commons-based ownership, available to everyone on equal terms. This model of development redistributes wealth and knowledge as a form of reparations for colonialism and slavery, and intersects with the movement for social and environmental justice.","PeriodicalId":284417,"journal":{"name":"Political Behavior: Race","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2020-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Political Behavior: Race","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3670986","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1

Abstract

As we progress into the 21st century, the human race is driving planet Earth towards ecosystem collapse. Scientists fear that because humans are overheating the environment and over-consuming its material resources, we are generating a sixth extinction event that is extinguishing billions of animals. Without a rapid change in the way the we conduct global civilization, we will destroy much of life on Earth, including, potentially, our own species.

In order to fix the situation, the human race must redistribute wealth and income from the rich to the poor and rapidly shift to an economic model based on equality and ecological sustainability. Unfortunately, transnational technology corporations, centred in Silicon Valley, are perpetuating consumerism and exacerbating inequality across the world.

This essay argues that colonialism is the business model of digital capitalism, and the problem of "Big Tech" cannot be fixed within a capitalist system. In order to produce an environmentally sustainable digital economy, we need digital socialism.

I suggest we develop and expand “People’s Tech for People’s Power” – a commons-based digital economy based on free and open source software and internet decentralization, supported by socialist legal solutions, critical education, grassroots movements, and bottom-up democracy. Under People's Tech, the digital ecosystem will be socialized, with the means of computation placed into the hands of the people, who will administer production, distribution, and development for a just and sustainable economy. Intellectual property (in the form of copyrights and patents) will be converted to commons-based ownership, available to everyone on equal terms. This model of development redistributes wealth and knowledge as a form of reparations for colonialism and slavery, and intersects with the movement for social and environmental justice.
数字技术交易:数字社会主义、非殖民化和对可持续全球经济的补偿
随着我们进入21世纪,人类正在将地球推向生态系统的崩溃。科学家们担心,由于人类正在使环境过热并过度消耗其物质资源,我们正在制造第六次灭绝事件,使数十亿动物灭绝。如果我们不迅速改变我们管理全球文明的方式,我们将摧毁地球上的大部分生命,包括我们自己的物种。为了解决这一问题,人类必须将财富和收入从富人重新分配给穷人,并迅速转向一种基于平等和生态可持续性的经济模式。不幸的是,以硅谷为中心的跨国科技公司正在延续消费主义,加剧世界各地的不平等。本文认为,殖民主义是数字资本主义的商业模式,“大科技”的问题无法在资本主义制度内得到解决。为了创造一个环境可持续的数字经济,我们需要数字社会主义。我建议我们发展和扩大“人民科技为人民力量”——一个基于自由和开源软件和互联网去中心化的基于公共的数字经济,以社会主义法律解决方案、批判性教育、基层运动和自下而上的民主为支持。在人民科技下,数字生态系统将被社会化,计算手段将被交到人民手中,他们将管理生产、分配和发展,以实现公正和可持续的经济。知识产权(以版权和专利的形式)将转变为公有制,人人平等享有。这种发展模式重新分配了财富和知识,作为对殖民主义和奴隶制的一种补偿,并与社会和环境正义运动相交叉。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 求助全文
来源期刊
自引率
0.00%
发文量
0
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:604180095
Book学术官方微信