michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 11hthe real question isn’t if you’re left or right. it’s if you're pro-humanity, or you believe humanity is something we should leave behind. if you're on Team Human, it’s time to bring a mass insurgent political movement into being. 2102
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 13hRight now is an unprecedented moment for populist political transformation. But if we’re going to win the politics we want, we have to fight like hell to bring an insurgent movement into being. I sat down with the @workingfamilies.org National Director, Maurice Mitchell, to discuss exactly that.betterfuturemedia.substack.comTo make real progress, the US left needs a third party. Maurice Mitchell is building one.In this episode of the Better Future podcast, the WFP director lays out a roadmap toward a political system that works for working people. 010
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Since 2020, the cost of everyday essentials have skyrocketed while wages have stagnated. Things will only get worse until we make real changes to the system. 140
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Worrying about AGI is a luxury for privileged elites. It’s also a convenient distraction from the real harm AI is *already inflicting* on ecosystems and working people. 021
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 16/09/2026The era of 90% top marginal tax rates helped build the strongest economy in US history. History is clear: taxing the rich is a requirement for an economic prosperity. @gabrielzucman.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod: 1112
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Jeff Bezos once claimed a tax credit meant for families earning less than $100,000. He received the money. He has a net worth of $18 billion. This is crazy. We need a wealth tax for billionaires. @gabrielzucman.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod: 2132
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 07/09/2026Friendly reminder that US leaders chose to put Labor Day in September to avoid international working class solidarity. Most of the world celebrates May Day on May 1st. 1100
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 04/09/2026In Vienna, large portions of the housing stock are owned by the city and by limited-profit cooperatives. The result: lower rent for higher quality housing. With enough political will, any city could achieve this. Timothée Parrique on the Better Future podcast: 3208
Reposted by michael mezzatestaAmanda @amandaianthe.bsky.social · 02/09/2026It could go on a t-shirt at least. For a hat we'd have to use the abbreviation: MAAEOOGFWNCBA @michaelmezz.bsky.social 0113
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 02/09/2026It’s one of the most shameful open secrets in fashion: Whatever clothing companies don’t sell, they’ll destroy – or send to the Global South. The EU’s new ban against the practice of destroying unsold clothes is an important step toward a more circular economy. 140
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 26/08/2026A circular economy won’t just “happen” when fashions brands decide to be nice and play along. Corporations will always put profits first; so they must be forced to prioritize sustainability. Kudos to the EU for passing this law!betterfuturemedia.substack.comFashion brands are destroying perfectly good clothes. Europe just made it illegal.Large fashion retailers are now required to resell, repair, or donate unsold inventory, delivering a win for the circular economy. 191
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 24/08/2026every productivity gain we've ever made could have meant more rest, more time, more life. instead, those gains have been turned into more profit, consumption and work. it doesn’t have to be this way. @timparrique.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod: 34115
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Economists say that “green growth” can stop climate change, but their solutions only address carbon emissions. With this lens, @timparrique.bsky.social says electric SUVs sound great – until you factor in material extraction, land use, and other consequences born by communities in the Global South. 52512
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 20/08/2026A top government official called India's unemployed youth "cockroaches.” They responded with satirical memes and protests, and rapidly built a mass political movement that forced the education minister to resign. Here’s what progressives everywhere can learn from them. 152
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 18/08/2026China’s renewable energy and transit advancements are only possible because it controls its financial system. This allows China to invest in what society needs, not just what’s most profitable. The West has much to learn from China here. @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod: 096
Reposted by michael mezzatestaRoss 🇨🇦🏳️🌈🐻 (he/him) @rossz28.bsky.social · 13/08/2026This is long, but if you'd rather have real, actionable ideas rather than just doomscrolling about the world burning all around us...this is an hour and a half well-spent listening. (It's just the video version of an audio podcast. You only need to listen to get the benefit!) 0173
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 14/08/2026India’s “cockroach” movement is incredibly inspiring. In just a few months, they’ve mobilized millions of people and forced a top government official to resign. And they’re just getting started. Progressives everywhere should learn from them:betterfuturemedia.substack.comIndia’s youth-led revolution offers a blueprint for building real political power.The Cockroach Janta Party is showing us how to transform a progressive movement into a political force: through memes, social media and grassroots organizing. 162
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 13/08/2026the biggest AI companies have spent over a trillion dollars and generate barely $50 billion in annual revenue. the math doesn't work, so they’re racing to IPO – forcing us to buy in automatically through index funds, and leaving us holding the bag while investors cash out. 172
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Under capitalism, no investor will voluntarily walk away from a highly profitable industry like fossil fuels – even if it’s causing ecological breakdown. This is why solving the climate crisis requires overcoming capitalism. @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod: 1144
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 03/08/2026@jasonhickel.bsky.social calls what’s happening in Gaza not a blip in history, but a longstanding pattern of imperialist violence. Western intervention keeps happening because capitalism requires it. Breaking this cycle means transitioning to a post-capitalist economy. 074
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 31/07/2026we're told Israel is "the only democracy in the Middle East" – but they govern a population under military occupation without the right to vote. that’s apartheid. Western governments know this, and choose to support them anyway. why? @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod: 2123
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 29/07/2026the West keeps going to war with countries that pose no real threat. @jasonhickel.bsky.social calls it the symptoms of capitalist imperialism. We dive into the economics of imperialism, China's rise, and ecosocialism in the latest episode of the Better Future Podcast:betterfuturemedia.substack.comCapitalism requires violence. Here’s how we overcome it.Jason Hickel on the economics of imperialism, the rise of China, and the path toward a post-capitalist future. 0133
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 29/07/2026capitalism has always required cheap labor and resources from a periphery, and the West has maintained that imperial arrangement through violence. it’s imperative that we transition to a post-capitalist economic system. @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future Pod: 615861
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 25/07/2026I love when people reply to my posts saying I “must have flunked out of economics” When in fact, I graduated with distinction from Stanford Econ (with a 4.0 GPA) lol The reason I’m a socialist is I studied this topic deeply & realized socialism is needed to build a better world 0171
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 23/07/2026Revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara once said “We are the heirs of the world’s revolutions.” Every democratic right we have today was won through struggle. His memory should inspire the actions we take today. @jasonhickel.bsky.social on the Better Future podcast: 052
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 22/07/2026The reason we produce so many private jets and not enough healthcare is that ultra-wealthy people have taken over our economy and democracy. @jasonhickel.bsky.social says taxing the rich is about taking that power back, so we can make more democratic decisions about the future we want to build. 18536
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 21/07/2026Around the world, more and more communities are giving nature rights – which makes it illegal to harm the Earth. The Rights of Nature movement is building momentum in 700 communities across 66 countries, reminding us that systemic change starts locally. betterfuturemedia.substack.com/p/rights-of-... 0113
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 21/07/2026Trump’s Spain meltdown backfired immediately. Spain is showing other countries that you can stand up to Trump and still win — sometimes right in front of him. 1103
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Normalize giving nature rights. Then it’ll be illegal to harm the Earth.open.substack.comThis global movement is winning legal rights for nature.A Canadian town just became the latest community to grant legal rights to nature, joining a fast-growing movement aiming to reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world. 082
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 17/07/2026wildfires ripping across Ontario, Canada. hundreds of thousands of acres have burned in the last 48 hours. history will judge those who profited from this. 041
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 17/07/2026A Canadian town just became the latest community to grant legal rights to trees, joining a fast-growing movement reshaping humanity’s relationship with nature. Here’s why the movement matters, and how to get involved:open.substack.comThis global movement is winning legal rights for nature.A Canadian town just became the latest community to grant legal rights to nature, joining a fast-growing movement aiming to reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world. 161
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 14/07/2026Elon Musk says we should to go to Mars to avoid extinction. He’d just like us to ignore the fact that wildlife populations are down 73%, our planet is warming to unlivable levels and billions of humans still live in poverty. If we go extinct, it’ll be because we wasted time listening to his lies. 1371157274
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 13/07/2026AI companies are pouring trillions into a dystopian future: a few companies running the global economy, where humans are no longer needed. that's what grassroots organizers across the country are up against. their wins prove a better future is possible when we fight for it:betterfuturemedia.substack.comA nationwide movement against AI data centers is starting to win.People across the US political spectrum are increasingly united in opposing data centers in their communities. Here's how the movement is building power – and how to get involved. 310137
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 12/07/2026communities are sending politicians a loud message: your elections now depend on your stance on data centers. DSA candidates like @melatkirosco.bsky.social and @claireforny.bsky.social ran on banning them and won their primaries. Utah incumbents who backed Kevin O'Leary's project just lost theirs.betterfuturemedia.substack.comA nationwide movement against AI data centers is starting to win.People across the US political spectrum are increasingly united in opposing data centers in their communities. Here's how the movement is building power – and how to get involved. 063
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 11/07/2026Nobody wants an AI data center in their neighborhood that will increase their electricity bills, pollute the air, and harm local ecosystems. That’s why communities across the US are fighting back – and recently, they’ve racked up some massive wins: 1104
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 06/07/2026your utility, grocery, and insurance bills are all going up – and climate change is a big part of the reason why. extreme weather is destabilizing our supply chains, and that volatility gets priced into everything – including the essentials we need to survive. 151
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 03/07/2026mass social movements have always been led by a large enough minority that gained support, until the passive majority couldn’t ignore them. @pik-potsdam.bsky.social director Johan Rockström explains how we’re seeing the same dynamic unfold with global fossil fuel phaseouts around the world: 04418
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Amsterdam’s ban on fossil fuel and meat ads is part of a broader movement to weaken the social license of unsustainable industries that spend billions annually on advertising. This is key to shifting culture away from overconsumption and towards human and planetary health. 132
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 30/06/2026over centuries of industrialization, Earth has been providing us free services: cleaning our air, purifying our water… but we’re close to crossing planetary “tipping points” that would turn Earth from friend to foe. @pik-potsdam.bsky.social director Johan Rockström on the Better Future podcast: 02010
Reposted by michael mezzatestaPIK_climate @pik-potsdam.bsky.social · 29/06/2026"We've reached a saturation point & start hitting the ceiling of the processes that regulate Earth system stability" states PIK Director Rockström. "The old economic paradigm doesn't work anymore: Exploiting the Earth for free without repercussions."👇 betterfuturemedia.substack.com/p/johan-rock... 02717
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 29/06/2026there is a popular bit of climate misinformation that says a warmer planet is a good thing. world-renowned earth system scientist @pik-potsdam.bsky.social director Johan Rockstrom eviscerates that claim: 33115
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 25/06/2026we've breached 7 of the 9 planetary boundaries that keep the Earth stable enough for humanity to exist. the good news? the science says it's not too late to turn things around. Johan Rockström on the Better Future Pod: 241
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 24/06/2026Democratic socialist candidates just swept major races across NYC, defeating centrist incumbents up & down the ballot. We’re told these ideas are “too radical” for US voters. Yet when given a choice, voters keep choosing candidates who promise real change. NYC won’t be the last place this happens. 280
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 16/06/2026it should surprise absolutely no one that the first trillionaire is a white supremacist. capitalism and white supremacy are inextricably linked, and we cannot dismantle one without dismantling the other. 0227
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 15/06/2026no one wants trillionaires. no one wants to go to Mars. we want clean water. we want free healthcare. we want Earth to be safe for future generations. 24113
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 10/06/2026Many people who yearn for a better world are scared to have kids because they fear the future. Economist and mother @kateraworth.bsky.social shares her wisdom on what it means to raise humans who understand their role on this planet: 150
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 05/06/2026The myth that “humans are inherently greedy” has shaped mainstream economic models – and remade us in its image. The more economics students learn about a selfish and individualistic caricature of human nature, the more self-serving and competitive they become. @kateraworth.bsky.social 1126
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 27/05/2026we've lost the ability to do basic things – cooking, planning gatherings with our community – because our lives have been commodified. capitalism is bleeding us dry. 140
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 22/05/2026if CEOs face personal criminal liability for crimes their companies commit, their risk calculus could change completely. that's what makes this Lafarge verdict different – and why it matters far beyond France:substack.comThis landmark ruling says corporations can no longer use “profit” to justify their crimesThe former CEO of Lafarge is going to prison. Here’s why this precedent-setting verdict is an important step toward a better future. 160
michael mezzatesta @michaelmezz.bsky.social · 22/05/2026the CEO of a $50B French corporation just went to prison for his company’s crimes. this landmark ruling is a step toward a better future – one where bad actors pursuing “profit at all costs” are held accountable: 071