'There is no alternative' has been the unofficial mantra of the neoliberal order since its utterance by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. As Derek Wall argues inEconomics after Capitalism, there is in fact an alternative to our crisis-ridden, austerity inflicted world - and not just one alternative, but many.
Challenging the arguments for markets, mainstream economics and capitalism from Adam Smith onwards,Economics after Capitalism provides a step-by-step guide to various writers, movements and schools of thought, critical of neoliberal globalisation. These range from Keynesian inspired reformists such as Soros and Stiglitz, critics of inequality like Piketty and Sen; to more radical voices including Naomi Klein, Marxists such as David Harvey, anarchists, and autonomists including Negri and Hardt.
Wall explains Marx's economic system in a 21st century context and outlines how we can build a commons based democratic economy that, by drawing on the ideas of Elinor Ostrom, Chavez and others, can renew socialism. In providing a clear and accessible guide to the economics of anti-capitalism, Derek Wall successfully demonstrates that an open source eco-socialist alternative to rampant climate change, elite rule and financial chaos is not just necessary, but possible.
