michael mezzatesta

In just a few weeks, we have an incredible opportunity to pass the USA’s first-ever wealth tax for the ultra-rich. So let’s fucking do it.

"We have to build AGI before China does.” Sound familiar? It's the same logic that justified colonialism – and now it’s being used to justify the “AI race.” @mauricewfp.bsky.social of @workingfamilies.org on the Better Future Pod:

Right now is an unprecedented moment for populist political transformation. But if we’re going to win the politics we want, we have to fight like hell to bring an insurgent movement into being. I sat down with the @workingfamilies.org National Director, Maurice Mitchell, to discuss exactly that.

Worrying about AGI is a luxury for privileged elites. It’s also a convenient distraction from the real harm AI is *already inflicting* on ecosystems and working people.

The era of 90% top marginal tax rates helped build the strongest economy in US history. History is clear: taxing the rich is a requirement for an economic prosperity. @gabrielzucman.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod:

Friendly reminder that US leaders chose to put Labor Day in September to avoid international working class solidarity. Most of the world celebrates May Day on May 1st.

A circular economy won’t just “happen” when fashions brands decide to be nice and play along. Corporations will always put profits first; so they must be forced to prioritize sustainability. Kudos to the EU for passing this law!

every productivity gain we've ever made could have meant more rest, more time, more life. instead, those gains have been turned into more profit, consumption and work. it doesn’t have to be this way. @timparrique.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod:

China’s renewable energy and transit advancements are only possible because it controls its financial system. This allows China to invest in what society needs, not just what’s most profitable. The West has much to learn from China here. @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod:

India’s “cockroach” movement is incredibly inspiring. In just a few months, they’ve mobilized millions of people and forced a top government official to resign. And they’re just getting started. Progressives everywhere should learn from them:

the biggest AI companies have spent over a trillion dollars and generate barely $50 billion in annual revenue. the math doesn't work, so they’re racing to IPO – forcing us to buy in automatically through index funds, and leaving us holding the bag while investors cash out.

@jasonhickel.bsky.social calls what’s happening in Gaza not a blip in history, but a longstanding pattern of imperialist violence. Western intervention keeps happening because capitalism requires it. Breaking this cycle means transitioning to a post-capitalist economy.

we're told Israel is "the only democracy in the Middle East" – but they govern a population under military occupation without the right to vote. that’s apartheid. Western governments know this, and choose to support them anyway. why? @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod:

the West keeps going to war with countries that pose no real threat. @jasonhickel.bsky.social calls it the symptoms of capitalist imperialism. We dive into the economics of imperialism, China's rise, and ecosocialism in the latest episode of the Better Future Podcast:

I love when people reply to my posts saying I “must have flunked out of economics” When in fact, I graduated with distinction from Stanford Econ (with a 4.0 GPA) lol The reason I’m a socialist is I studied this topic deeply & realized socialism is needed to build a better world

Revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara once said “We are the heirs of the world’s revolutions.” Every democratic right we have today was won through struggle. His memory should inspire the actions we take today. @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future podcast:

The reason we produce so many private jets and not enough healthcare is that ultra-wealthy people have taken over our economy and democracy. @jasonhickel.bsky.social says taxing the rich is about taking that power back, so we can make more democratic decisions about the future we want to build.

Around the world, more and more communities are giving nature rights – which makes it illegal to harm the Earth. The Rights of Nature movement is building momentum in 700 communities across 66 countries, reminding us that systemic change starts locally. betterfuturemedia.substack.com/p/rights-of-...

Trump’s Spain meltdown backfired immediately. Spain is showing other countries that you can stand up to Trump and still win — sometimes right in front of him.

Normalize giving nature rights. Then it’ll be illegal to harm the Earth.

wildfires ripping across Ontario, Canada. hundreds of thousands of acres have burned in the last 48 hours. history will judge those who profited from this.

A Canadian town just became the latest community to grant legal rights to trees, joining a fast-growing movement reshaping humanity’s relationship with nature. Here’s why the movement matters, and how to get involved:

Elon Musk says we should to go to Mars to avoid extinction. He’d just like us to ignore the fact that wildlife populations are down 73%, our planet is warming to unlivable levels and billions of humans still live in poverty. If we go extinct, it’ll be because we wasted time listening to his lies.

AI companies are pouring trillions into a dystopian future: a few companies running the global economy, where humans are no longer needed. that's what grassroots organizers across the country are up against. their wins prove a better future is possible when we fight for it: