Utopia For Realists- Book Review
I first came across Dutch journalist Rutger Bregman through a much shared social media video where he talked at Davos about tax avoidance and how no-one was talking about this elephant in the room. He seemed like an intriguing fellow and so when I heard he'd written a book I bought it and approached it with cautious optimism. I say cautious as I am wary of 'men of destiny' who give bitesized TED-talk style solutions or quick answers and soundbites puff pieces rather real-world suggestions and workable solutions. I worry about the cult of personality the internet has given us where someone claims to have all the solutions, however they very rarely do once you scratch beneath the surface. After all, we don't want a repeat of the charismatic guy who fronted the Kony 2012 campaign which called for foreign powers to go in, take over, control and train a foreign army... pro-war activism. Hmmm, yeah, not great when you consider the geo-political implications of training an army with a recent history of civil war. But I digress… how is Utopia For Realists?
Well, I'll say this- it is very readable, understandable and Bregman doesn't claim to have all the answers. Often, in these kind of books the author makes a grand statement proclaiming that their idea or polemic is the one solution but Bregman is more measured in his approach. His vision for a utopian society includes establishing a universal basic income for all, a more measured approach to GDP which takes into account the value and quality of the jobs rather than quantity, a 15 hour work week where hobbies and interest are promoted and open borders. It’s a pity the book was written a few years ago as, in light of the pandemic and the Universal Basic Income model that many countries (including Britain through the furlough scheme) employed, it would be useful to see what the real world situation bore out but alas it is not to be. However what we have is a book that is broken down into 10 chapters over 264 pages (not including appendices etc)
The chapters include:
1. The Return of Utopia
This compares the medieval European ideal of the Land of Plenty, Bruegel's Cockaigne, to the modern western world’s, but paints a bleak picture of Paradise.
2. Why We Should Give Free Money to Everyone
Examples of giving away free money, resources and support to the street-sleeping homeless are presented and they show impressive data and real-world results.
3. The End of Poverty
This look at how an indigenous casino lifted Cherokee families out of the cycle of poverty and social problems and led to a huge improvement in school attendance and results. Also, it looks at Utah‘s unique way to deal with homelessness and poverty and the lasting impact it has had on the public purse and society as a whole.
4. The Bizarre Tale of President Nixon and His Basic Income Tax Bill.
If you can believe it, President Nixon considered introducing a universal basic income in the 1970s but the successful results of a similar scheme in early 19th century Speenhamland, England were deliberately misrepresented for political reasons in the 1830s.
5. New Figures for a new Era
The creation of GDP and its modern limitations.
6. A Fifteen Hour Work-Week.
The push for more leisure and creativity time, especially where automation would make many jobs obsolete.
7. Why It Doesn’t Pay to be a Banker
On real, well-paid jobs that negatively contribute to the economy and jobs that are meaningless-so-called 'bullshit jobs'. For a recent example, see the Greensill business with David Cameron where he was a lobbyist for a firm that recently went bankrupt.
8. Race Against the Machine
The rise of automation and its impact on labour.
9. Beyond the Gates of the Land of Plenty.
Allowing freedom of movement to allow the creation of wealth across the world and equity.
10. Ideas Change the World
The belief that apparently impossible or crazy ideas eventually become mainstream e.g. abolishing slavery, environmentalism etc
Reading the book, I liked Bregman's viewpoint and his optimism for the world as he doesn't have all the answers nor does he pretend to, however, I would like to have seen him address some of the potential issues. I think open borders are a compelling idea but would it suppress wages and lead to animosity and friction between groups due to reduced labour bargaining power? If we look at Britain and the EU, access to cheaper labour has led many unscrupulous businesses to begin a 'race to the bottom' and zero hour contracts. Further, would open immigration lead to a brain drain in certain countries and further entrench the deep inequality between the rich and poor? However, these are small points to reflect on when looking at the wider picture.
Victor Hugo stated, ‘There is nothing is as powerful as an idea who's time has come’ and this is what Bregman is stating in this book- we need to alter what we value as a society and consider how we measure success away from pure economics. In a way he is singing off the same hymn sheet as David Attenborough in his book A Life On Our Planet: My Witness Statement and Vision for the Future where he states that we need a more global rather than individualistic country GDP measure of success.
Overall, Bregman is an enthusiastic writer and I like that the tone of the book is optimistic rather than pessimistic and angry. There is so much angst and anger out there so it's refreshing to read a more measured approach to something that everyone has a viewpoint on and strong feelings about. Utopia For Realists is a quick and enjoyable read and I would highly recommend it.
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