Paris (AFP)
French economist Thomas Piketty calls for "going beyond current hyper-capitalism" to fight inequalities in order to stem an "extremely dangerous" identity retreat, in an interview with AFP on the occasion of the publication Thursday of his new book "Capital and Ideology".
Considered a "rock star" in the economy, the professor of the Paris School of Economics publishes this new book of more than 1,200 pages, published by Seuil, six years after the global success of his "Le Capital au 21st century "(more than 2.5 million copies sold).
Q: What are you looking for in your new book?
A: In this book, I try to show that great ideological upheavals have already occurred several times in history. We still think that the structure of inequalities will not change, that things are rock solid. But all ideologies end up being replaced by other systems of organization of social relations and property. It will be the same with the current regime.
Q: What is your observation?
A: We need to get back on track, calmly, calmly, trying to discuss solutions to overcome current hyper-capitalism, in the light of historical experiences. The good news is that all unequal political regimes end up transforming themselves. Often with moments of crisis more violent than one would like. I wish it could be done peacefully, through democratic deliberation, with elections. Often, there are unforeseen moments of crisis, like Brexit. In these moments, as history shows, one needs to draw on the repertoires of ideas produced in the past.
Q: What is the risk if the debate on inequalities does not take place?
A: If we refuse to talk about the overthrow of capitalism by a fairer, more decentralized economy, circulating power, we risk continuing to give strength to the discourse of withdrawal of identity, xenophobic withdrawal. These are nihilist stories extremely dangerous for our societies that feed on the refusal to discuss fair solutions, internationalist, equitable reorganization of the economic system.
Q: You are not tender with the evolution of our society since the fall of the Soviet empire.
A: It's time to take stock of the choices made since the 80s / 90s. At the dawn of the 2020s, we can see the limits of it with a highly unequal globalization, which is challenged by many, and which feeds extremely dangerous identities. The conservative revolution of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, as well as the fall of Soviet communism, gave a kind of momentum to a new faith, sometimes limitless in the self-regulation of markets, the sacralization of property. But it is a movement that I believe is coming to an end.
Q: What was the influence of the fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago on the evolution of inequalities?
A: The year 1989 opens onto a world where post-communist disillusion leads to a kind of sacralization of hyper-capitalism. Communism in the 20th century, after presenting itself as the most formidable challenge to proprietary ideology, ended up becoming the best ally of hyper-capitalism precisely because of its failure. After 89, we stop thinking about the question of excess inequality in capitalism, the need to regulate, to overcome capitalism. The extreme case is Russia, where you have no inheritance tax, no progressive income tax. Even Donald Trump in his wildest dreams does not envision it.
Q: The Communist Party is still in power in Beijing ...
A: The story is different in China, but you still have the Maoist disaster, the cultural revolution ... There is the dominant role of the PC that continues, but there is also a refusal to overcome the inequality generated by private property. In China, as in Russia, you do not have inheritance tax. The case of Hong Kong is unheard of because it is the only country in the world that has become more unequal after becoming a communist. You had an inheritance tax before the handover which was later removed.
Q: You are not afraid to use the word "socialist", even if it is not up to date anymore.
A: Yes, I'm not afraid. I think that democratic socialism, which is social democracy, has brought with it not only hope, but also tremendous success during the twentieth century. We must take this thread, see the shortcomings of this model and also take everything that worked well to try to bring it further.
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