The Divide

Global Inequality from Conquest to Free Markets

By: Jason Hickel

Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley

Sixty percent of humanity - some four-point-three billion people - live in debilitating poverty. The standard development narrative suggests that alleviating poverty in poor countries is a matter of getting the internal policies right, combined with aid from rich countries. But anthropologist Jason Hickel argues that this approach misses the broader political forces at play.

Global poverty - and the growing divide between "developing" and "developed" countries - has to do with how the global economy has been designed over the course of 500 years through conquest, colonialism, regime change, debt, and trade deals. Global inequality doesn't just exist; it has been created.

To close the divide, Dr. Hickel proposes dramatic action rooted in real justice: we must abolish debt burdens in the developing world; democratize the IMF, World Bank, and WTO; and institute a global minimum wage, among many other vital steps. Only then will we have a chance at a world built on equal footing.

©2017 Jason Hickel (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Stunning

On a recommendation from Eddie of Midwestern Marx, I decided to listen. It ranks in my top 10 as one of the most enlightening books I have have the pleasure of hearing. Thank you, Eddie and Mr. Hickel.

a must read

wanna know why us buying new phones every year will kill the entire planet? this book is for you. wanna know why Europe and the US are so rich while the rest of the world struggles to survive on the brink of perpetual hunger? this book is for you. wanna know if you can bring your contribution to a better world? it's easy and you can find the answer in every page of this book.

Finally!

This book does an incredible job at explaining why certain countries can’t seem to get out of poverty, and how it is not an accident or down to incapable citizens. This book should be mandatory reading for every high school student. Please, someone create a 2 hour documentary out of this material in order to make it more widely recognized

Global Hope

This could be the most important message you will ever hear. It should be mandatory listening (reading) globally. Let’s change the world. The only ones who will suffer will be the top 1%, those who charge ridiculous usury, patent holders who charge insane prices for needed medicines, and other such criminals.

The Legacy of Fifteenth Century Enclosures

Terrifying colonial history that brings you right to present day and describes how we are still living the legacy of colonial rule. The enclosure acts in Europe that removed people from their land to feed the global amoeba market and create dependence in the 1400’s has repeatedly happened throughout history and continues in new ways today. The amount that developed countries are dependent on global south minerals and cheap labor is still an injustice we benefit from today. Happy he ends with an emphasis on soil health and restoring the indigenous practices that colonialism has undone.

Combining history, story, politics and KPI’s

We should all read and care for this topic. But i would’ve preferred a more appealing experience of the content. Both in editing as well as in the narration

Book of the decade

A phenomenal introduction to global inequality, the role of western economic power, and realistic changes that can be made for a better future for all. The structure and flow of such a complex topic was exceptional. Absolutely brilliant.

Actually a really engaging read

I at first thought this might be bad because it was free and because it necessarily retrod the history of colonialism that many of us are already familiar with. But it’s so much more than that. So many of the observations and explanations about economic policy are fascinating, clearly laid out, and convincing. The author has no shortage of layers to his argument and the overall picture is extremely compelling. I found myself hooked all the way through the end despite not being sure if I would bother finishing the book when I first downloaded it. This is also a good companion to David Graeber’s “Debt” if you’ve read that.

Beyond Excellent

This book is one of the most important books written so far in the 21st century. It methodically breaks down the myriad of 'common knowledge' assumptions about Capitalism, trade, debt, sovereignty, and both the political and economic power structures that perpetuate human suffering on a mass scale.

I learned something new with every chapter and so much more about things that I thought I was well informed about. It also reinforced some of my beliefs about how economics, politics, and power structures should function; namely that they need profound structural changes if we are to survive climate change.

The only minor issue that I have with the book is that his proposed solutions don't go far enough and actually answer the thesis that he sets out early on in book. He's correct in stating that it is an unsustainable waste of time, and resources to keep trying to plug the fire hose of poverty, and suffering by shoving a cork in the spout, but as a species we need to focus our efforts working towards solutions that shut the hose off.

His global scale Enhanced Keynesian policies don't do this, and can't do it. If it was implemented it would without a doubt be a massive improvement over the current state of the world, but it doesn't quite get to the root of the issue; Capitalism. Until we have democratic control over our workplaces, and the surplus of our labor we won't end exploitation. In addition to bringing democracy into the worlplace, there needs to be the complete dissolution of the existing state and corporate hierarchies. These two goals are needed to ensure that our gains do not get rolled back by the owning class, just like the New Deal was systematically torn apart by the those same .1%-ers.

Very Good

The vision and arguments of Hickel are very good and clear. I was really glad to see his work!