https://www.megamaschine.org/en/
The End of the Megamachine brings to light the roots of the destructive forces threatening the future of humankind today. While the first part leads us to the very origins of economic, military and ideological power 5000 years ago, the second and key part retraces the formation and expansion of the modern world-system through the last 500 years. Dismantling Western progress mythologies, Scheidler shows how the logics of endless capital accumulation have devastated both human societies and ecosystems from the outset.
With the growing instability and looming collapse of the Megamachine in the 21st century new dangers as well as new possibilities for systemic change open up.
The End of the Megamachine shifts the point of view from a âhistory of the winnersâ to a âpeopleâs historyâ. It highlights the key role of the âmetallurgical complexâ linking military and financial systems and fostering the evolution of technocratic visions of the world from antiquity to modernity. A particular focus is the history of âapocalyptic thinkingâ that has been formative for Western culture, both for capitalist projections of a âNew Worldâ and for anti-systemic movements.
âThis book should become part of the curricula of all schools and universities.â
Ulrich Duchrow in the German biweekly âPublik Forumâ
âA masterstroke!â
Andrea Komlosy,
Yale University, Vienna University
âThe book has a greater value than everything I learned about history at school.â
Christian Felber, founder of the âEconomy for the Common Goodâ
âA highly original and fascinating book. It helps to understand and overcome the global Megamachine that is threatening our future.â
Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, president of the Club of Rome (2012-2018)
âWhat a brilliant achievementâa wonderfully coherent, cogent and gripping story of the historical origins of the political, economic, social and ecological crises of our times. You canât be a serious activist committed to creating a new world if you havenât read this.â
Firoze Manji, Carleton University; founder of Pambazuka News
âA magnificent book, that couldnât be more topical. We owe gratitude, solidarity and a lot of admiration to the author.â
Jean Ziegler, Advisory Committee to the UN Human Rights Council
âThe topic could not be more important. A very valuable and surely timely contribution.â
Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
âA must read for everyone rising against the system that is destroying life on earth and our future.â
Vandana Shiva, World Future Council, founder of Navdanya.org
âA fascinating new take on the parts of human history that got us where we are today. Itâs a disturbing story, but it offers some clues on the way out of our box canyon.â
Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org