Produce less. Distribute it fairly. Create a greener world for all.

Labor/Economics

Welcome to Green Social Thought’s collection of labor and economics articles. Take a deep dive into green economics and labor perspectives. As advocates for environmental responsibility and social justice, we bring you insights into a transformative economic approach that challenges the status quo, particularly degrowth and union and worker rights.

In a world grappling with the consequences of excessive consumption and environmental degradation, degrowth stands as a bold alternative. Our articles explore the the green vision of reshaping our economic landscape, with a particular focus on scaling down unnecessary and detrimental aspects, such as military expenditures and empowering workers through unionization.

Explore the economic implications of embracing degrowth policies, from redefining prosperity to creating resilient and inclusive communities. Exploration of economic alternatives that prioritize people and the planet.

Behind Trump’s spiralling tariff war: An interview with Marxist economist Michael Roberts

Michael Roberts & Federico Fuentes

Roberts explains the recent raft of tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on April 2, which Trump dubbed “Liberation Day” but was described by the Wall Street Journal as “the dumbest trade war in history”. Roberts outlines how they fit into Trump’s broader project to reassert US global hegemony, and what a left response could look like.

Trump’s Tariffs Won’t Reverse Globalization or Resurrect America’s Dying Industrial Base

Jon Jeter

Throughout history, trade restrictions have reshaped economies for good or for ill. As Trump increases tariffs across industries, it is clear that this move will not revitalize the economy as he claims. Rather, it stands to create further hardship for Black and working class people.

Public Schools, Climate Disasters, Workers’ Control

Don Fitz

When teachers’ union president Ray Cummings told the superintendent that her plan could put students in danger, he brought together problems of excluding workers from critical decisions and schemes to use climate disasters to privatize public schools.

European Dockworkers Refuse to Load Weapons Aimed at Palestine

Rafeef Ziadeh and Katy Fox-Hodess

This shows growing solidarity among European dockworkers to stop weapons destined to be used on Palestinians.

By Disaster or Design: A Post-Growth World Is Coming

Matt Orsagh

Finance now makes up about 20 – 25% of the global economy and sits at the center of the economic model that calls for eternal growth on a planet with finite resources, and finite ways to deal with the waste that results from the use of those resources. Finance must change if we are to move from an unsustainable economic model that is ultimately destroying our life support system, to a post-growth economy that operates within planetary boundaries.

French Dock Workers Block Arms Shipment to Israel

The Cradle

French dock workers refuse to load a military shipment to Israel.

“Artificial Intelligence”: Myth and Reality!

Ranganayakamma

AI is a computer program humans write to perform specific tasks. To be more precise, instead of saying “written by humans,” it would be more accurate to say “commissioned by capitalist employers.” Ultimately, AI is a software program that operates on computers. This program can help you understand human language and expression, gather extensive information from various fields, analyze multiple topics from different angles, and provide detailed insights. AI is another tool humans developed to enhance their “productive forces.” Enhancing productive forces means enabling workers (in this case, software employees) to complete more tasks with greater efficiency, less time, and fewer people. That’s all! (Of course, this does not mean their working hours will be reduced!)

Looking Ahead: US Unions Must Look Beyond Themselves to Save Themselves

Kim Scipes

This article argues that there has not been a labor movement in the US since 1949, but only a trade union movement; the latter only focuses on the betterment of union members instead of workers in general. Yet unions are important for all Drawing off a forthcoming book based on years of on-the-ground experience combined with extensive archival experience, the author suggests that workers might find social justice unionism–uniting workers and communities–as a way to advance unions, overcome weaknesses of business unionism, strengthen and advance communities, and rebuild a labor movement to address issues facing workers in the US and around the world.

Labor Needs Debate, Not Dissolution

LEPAIO

LEPAIO claims that efforts to dissolve the Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) caucus within the United Auto Workers (UAW) union is a mistake; that it’s better to honestly debate issues rather than dissolve the caucus and try to sweep issues under the rug.