alberto_cottica

alberto_cottica, 2 months ago to Economics

If you live in the European Union, I would ask, as a personal favour, that you consider signing this petition for a tax on great wealth. It is reasonable; it would have major impact if put into place; it is very feasible (no revision of the Treaties needed). It is the brainchild of French economist Thomas Piketty, a leading scholar of inequality. https://tax-the-rich.eu #economics #ClimateCrisis

alberto_cottica, 4 months ago (edited 4 months ago) to goodnews

No way! A European Citizens' Initiative to (1) tax millionaires to (2) finance a Green New Deal via EU Commission own funds, and (3) whose proponents are (check notes) the president of the Belgian Socialist Party, a Polish former Employment and Social Inclusion Commissioner and Thomas Piketty (@pikettylemonde), possibly the world's most prominent scholar of inequality.

Did the timeline just reset? https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2023/000006_en

#TaxJustice #inequality #europeanunion #goodnews #economics

1/2

alberto_cottica, 7 months ago to solarpunk

Humble request: do you know of any real life experience of post-capitalist economies, even partial ones? Local currencies? Cooperative models? Community land trusts? Priority given to resilience over efficiency? #solarpunk economies? There are a few usual suspects (Mondragon, Cooperativa Integral Catalana, Transition Network...), but I struggle to find long lists of cases. Boost appreciated @g_kallis @jks @jasonhickel #postcapitalism #economics #degrowth #postgrowth

EDPS, 1 month ago to random

Two years ago, #EDPS embarked on a pioneering journey launching a pilot project of two decentralised social media platforms: #EUVoice & #EUVideo.

18 May will mark the end of the project. Time to review the results of this successful story.

Read Press Release https://europa.eu/!yJqDgK

rysiek, 1 month ago to Bulgaria

Well that sucks.

https://www.edps.europa.eu/press-publications/press-news/press-releases/2024/edps-decentralised-social-media-pilot-end-successful-story_en

> The EDPS pilot project of EU Voice and EU Video has proved that public bodies, like EUIs, can offer social media platforms that respect individuals’ fundamental rights

> Unfortunately, despite our efforts to find a new home for EU Voice and EU Video in other EUIs, we have been unable to secure new ownership to maintain the servers and sustain operations at the high standards that EUIs and our users deserve

#EU #Fediverse

alberto_cottica, 1 year ago to random

"One of the things that makes science fiction so powerful is its ability to ask how a system would work under some different social arrangement.

It's a radical proposition. Don't just ask what the gadget does: ask who it does it for and who it does it to."

(This is a meaningful quote, but the post by @pluralistic is much richer) https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/04/analytical-democratic-theory/

alberto_cottica, 6 months ago to sciencefiction

Beware techno-optmisim! @cstross wrote a useful and entertaining recap of the connection between #sciencefiction and right-wing ideologies (especially in their American version). Recommended: https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2023/11/dont-create-the-torment-nexus.html

alberto_cottica, 10 months ago to nature

In two weeks the EU Nature Restoration Law goes up for a vote in the EU Parliament. The NRL is a solid piece of legislation, with binding targets and all, with the idea of setting aside a substantial share of Europe's land for wilderness, in the spirit of E.O Wilson's Half Earth.

The European Greens have created a tool meant to help you to write to your MEPs and ask them to support the law. Here: https://act.greens-efa.eu/restore-nature.

#nature

alberto_cottica, 11 months ago to Trains

Solarpunk Europe! A EU Citizen Initiative to connect all capitals via high speed #rail links. I signed it, and am looking forward to the next one on #airships.

https://www.connect-capitals-hsr.eu/

#trains #solarpunk #europe

alberto_cottica, 10 months ago to random

Huge win: EU's #NatureRestorationLaw is adopted by the European Parliament. The EPP and the rights tabled a motion to reject it outright, but it was voted down.

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2023/07/12/nature-restoration-law-survives-knife-edge-vote-in-the-european-parliament-amid-right-wing

#NatureWins

edited to add documentation link

alberto_cottica, 3 months ago to random

Wow, "The Bezzle" by @pluralistic ... What a great, great book. And Martin Hench is far and away my favourite hero. Cory seems intent on becoming to private equity funds what Charles Dickens was to sweatshops. My hat is off to him. https://craphound.com/category/bezzle/

alberto_cottica, 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago) to random

All I want is for people to pull together and tackle this climate mess, whatever it takes. Is that too much to ask? Yes, it's going to be hard, but, by the Gods, what an adventure. What a way to make our lives count.

#amoccollaps
#amoc

alberto_cottica, 1 month ago to climate

Very inspired by the American Climate Corps initiative. It captures the spirit of the #greennewdeal , even in the @pluralistic version in "The Lost Cause". I am jealous of the Americans, a rare occurrence. Joe Biden has really grown into his role; his presidency might be the best one I witnessed in my adult life (I am 58). @EU_Commission , could we have this too?
https://www.acc.gov/
#ClimateCrisis

alberto_cottica, 1 month ago to ai

"But I find one common thread among the things #AI tools are particularly suited to doing: do we even want to be doing these things? If all you want out of a meeting is the AI-generated summary, maybe that meeting could've been an email. If you're using AI to write your emails, and your recipient is using AI to read them, could you maybe cut out the whole thing entirely?"

https://www.citationneeded.news/ai-isnt-useless/

alberto_cottica, 8 months ago to random

"In Europe, fiscal policy and monetary policy are fundamentally misaligned".

• Monetary policy goes restrictive to contrast inflation.
• This discourages investments and slows down the twin transitions.
• Which means that fiscal policy needs to go expansive in order to compensate.
• But fiscal expansion cannot happen under the Stability Pact.
• Lack of clean energy investment power "fossil inflation".

Etc.

#NewEconomies

alberto_cottica, 7 months ago to Economics

A profound reflection by @pluralistic: IPR (copyright) never worked for protecting people's privacy, nor for making sure creative workers are fairly compensated. This is because IPRs are tradeable, and the markets they are traded in are characterized by an extreme concentration of power. What does both jobs is NON-tradeable (inalienable) rights. In other words, we are back to the distinction between human rights (that work) and property rights (that don't). https://doctorow.medium.com/how-to-think-about-scraping-2db6f69a7e3d #economics

alberto_cottica, 3 months ago to climate

It's just transitions all the way down. Decarbonising the economy will be socially just, or will not happen at all.
"The E.U.’s reversal on agriculture-specific climate goals highlights the need for a meticulously-planned ‘just transition’ — a shift toward climate-friendly farming that doesn’t ignore farmers’ economic needs." https://grist.org/agriculture/europe-farmer-protests-eu-climate-progress/
#ClimateCrisis

alberto_cottica, 1 month ago to Brussels

Signal boost! I am part of a group building a #cohousing in #Brussels. We are getting ready to purchase a site, and are accepting new members. If you or someone you know is interested, come to a public presentation on April 17: https://www.facebook.com/events/1526505357911161

alberto_cottica, 1 month ago to Brussels

I am part of a group building a #cohousing in #Brussels. We are getting ready to purchase a site, and are accepting new members. If you or someone you know is interested, come to an in'-person public presentation on April 17. Info and registration link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1526505357911161

alberto_cottica, 10 months ago to random

Great to see @pluralistic engage directly with EU efforts to regulate Big Tech. @EU_Commission , you could not hope for a better advisor! Just saying 😊

Saving the news from Big Tech
https://euobserver.com/opinion/157187

alberto_cottica, 3 months ago to sciencefiction

I like doing economic analysis of #sciencefiction work (man needs a hobby, I guess). Looking for advice: what do I read next? Preference for recent work depicting #solarpunk economic systems.

Background: I am part of a collective, the Science Fiction Economics Labs. We maintain a list econ-sci fi work here: https://edgeryders.eu/t/economic-science-fiction-a-selection-of-works-and-authors/8582?u=alberto

Illustration by Nadia E. Alter

alberto_cottica, 1 month ago to random

Love Robin's definition of "conservative". And the dovetailing of conservatism and financialization is a powerful - and terrifying - concept to understand the world.

@pluralistic 's post is mostly about America, but Europe has the same direction of travel.

Pluralistic: The tax sharks are back and they’re coming for your home (27 Apr 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/27/for-the-little-people/#alden-capital

alberto_cottica, 9 months ago to geopolitics

It turns out the reasons why many cultures, ancient and modern, loathe moneylenders (observation I owe to the late David Graeber) are all still there in the modern #debt collection industry, with a side of algorithmic harassment as described by @pluralistic . I have no love for an #economy that preys on the weakest like that, and look forward to its downfall. https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/12/do-not-pay/#fair-debt-collection-practices-act

alberto_cottica, 5 months ago to sciencefiction

My wonderful partners in crime at @edgeryders and the Science Fiction Economics Lab weigh in on #COP28 and the deep economic reform we need:

"@pluralistic ] and other authors have connected with the academic economists advocating for system overhaul, taking their ideas and making them come alive in their work."
https://www.brusselstimes.com/opinion/825839/economic-science-fiction-key-to-save-the-planet

#sciencefiction #economics