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NOTE: The After Capitalism paperback is back for sale on Amazon (the initial run sold out and there were, um, issues with replenishing … now resolved!)
Here is the slightly late first installment of the quarterly check-in for 2025 on what the signals are saying regarding After Capitalism. (See Q3 2024 here.) Drum roll please!
‘No Buy’ 2025 Is a Growing Trend. Here’s How to Do It
In 2025, many individuals are partaking in a “No Buy” year, meaning they’re strictly cutting down on unnecessary purchases to save money or pay off debt.
There’s even a subreddit called r/nobuy that supports this movement, boasting over 67K members.
AH Comment: Amidst the constant bombardment of messages to buy more, some are choosing the opposite. Certainly not easy, but one might imagine allowing a few “free passes” and it becomes reasonable. It demonstrates the long-term trend to enoughness, which I talked about in a 2012 post.
Finding Peace and Purpose Off the Grid
The rise of alternative energy is fueling a relatively new lifestyle trend, known as going “off the grid.” Many people around the world are opting to live in homes free of municipal power, and, in some cases water, and are instead choosing to be fueled exclusively by alternative sources. As technology evolves and progresses, the possibilities for and interest in alternative, off-grid lifestyles are increasing.
AH comment: More and more signals on various forms of this. What’s really telling is that this isn’t coming from a commune or prepper publication, it’s from Forbes! Off-the-grid is moving from the fringe to the edge … is the mainstream next?
Dystopia Intensifies as Startup Lets You Take Out a Micro-Loan to Get Fast Food … It’s burger time.
DoorDash announced that it’s partnering with AI-powered payment platform Klarna to allow empty-walleted consumers to take out micro-loans to pay for food and grocery delivery.
On checkout, DoorDash users will soon see Klarna as a payment option along the usual options like debit cards and Apple Pay. If your bank account is empty and payday is a ways off, Klarna will offer three options: pay in full, pay in four interest-free installments, or pay later, presumably with interest.
AH comment: I’m not sure this is the definitive sign of dystopia, but it absolutely signals the increasingly desperate quest of capitalism for growth opportunities. No stone is unturned and no nook or cranny is overlooked in the quest for profits – why not broke college kids? — Andy Hines
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