Forced spending cuts aren’t an unfortunate economic accident; they’re a political weapon used to protect capital and suppress social change. When we accept the myth of permanent scarcity, we accept deep inequality.
Today, let’s look at how economics can be reshaped to serve people instead of power.
I look up to Clara Mattei, economic historian and author of *The Capital Order*.
In her book, Clara explores how governments and industry applied brutal financial squeezes in 20th-century Italy and the United Kingdom to protect capitalist economies against social disorder—ultimately paving the way for fascism.
She exposes how wealth inequality isn’t a natural law, but the direct result of political design. But Clara doesn’t just study history; she builds community. She co-founded FREE—the Forum for Real Economic Emancipation.
Starting locally in Tulsa and expanding online, FREE is a community where economics serves people. It asks the hard questions about power, wealth, and justice to spark real conversation and learning.
This asks you to reflect on your own economic impact. Are you accepting top-down models of artificial scarcity, or are you fostering true economic emancipation?
Building a resilient business means creating spaces where stakeholders can question power, share wealth fairly, and build a truly just economy from the ground up.
Here is your habit for this week: The “Economic Emancipation” Audit.
Look at how value, wealth, and decision-making power are distributed within your business this week. Ask yourself: “Does our financial model serve human well-being and justice, or do we rely on top-down control?”
Take one step to open up the conversation with your team or community around power and fairness.
Resources:
- Clara Mattei’s book The Capital Order: How Economists Invented Austerity and Paved the Way to Fascism (University of Chicago Press).
- Book: Escape from Capitalism [Published by Simon and Schuster in the US and Penguin Random House in the UK]
- Research and public initiatives around FREE (Forum for Real Economic Emancipation), promoting community-led economic education starting locally in Tulsa and expanding digitally.
- Clara Mattei – Wikipedia
- Clara E. Mattei (website)
- FREE – Forum for Real Economic Emancipation (YouTube)
- Forum for Real Economic Emancipation: FREE (website)
- Photo from claramattei.com
