The Divide

Global Inequality from Conquest to Free Markets

By: Jason Hickel

Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley

Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's Summary

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

eye-opening

an eye-opening expose of systemic disadvantages. if the information inside is true, it really undermines the whole notion that global capitalism is helping to lift the developing world out of poverty. the narrator gave a very good performance

Crucial Reading

The topics and history laid out in this book are indispensable in fixing our global crisis. Excellently written, researched, and read.

Thank you Jason Hickel

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.

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.

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

Visionary

Hickel is an incredible mix of economics, history and philosophy knowledge and I can only hope his vision of the future is heard and realized. Super inspirational and though provoking.

Very Good

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

eye opening, slow first few chapters

Incredible book, but the first few chapters are very slow and technical. Push yourself through that section and you'll be rewarded with incredible stories on the other side.

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.

Wow - a MUST read

Jason Hickel provides an incredibly detailed analysis of the global economic system with this book. He truly leaves no stone unturned. Hickel challenges commonly accepted ideologies tied to capitalism, neoliberalism, and free market theories.

A must read.

In depth and revealing the grim future under capitalism. Growth for the sake of growth is the way of cancer cells.