exterminism
A societal condition characterized by economic and political arrangements that lead to the extermination or elimination of large marginalized populations deemed superfluous.
2 chapters across 1 book
Four Futures: Visions of the World After Capitalism (2016)Peter Frase
This chapter explores the dystopian future scenario termed 'Exterminism,' where advanced automation and scarcity coexist with entrenched social hierarchies. It uses the film Elysium as a metaphor for a world where a privileged elite enjoys postscarcity abundance while the majority are rendered economically superfluous and potentially subject to extermination. The chapter traces the political economy of such a society, the breakdown of mutual dependence between labor and capital, and the resulting social and moral dangers posed by a marginalized, disposable underclass.
The chapter 'Exterminism: Hierarchy and Scarcity' explores the socio-political dynamics of a future marked by extreme inequality, environmental degradation, and militarized control. It discusses how scarcity and hierarchical structures lead to exclusionary enclaves, privatized security, and state violence, drawing on historical and contemporary examples of repression, surveillance, and social stratification. The chapter situates exterminism as a potential endpoint of capitalist civilization, where the ruling elite secure their survival through violent exclusion and control over resources.