Green Funhouses: A Critique of the Critique of Eco-Modernism

Max Ajl

This paper critiques two dominant articulations of contemporary core green thought—Northern eco-modernism and degrowth/post-development—arguing they form a mirrored, constricting dichotomy. It contends that despite their apparent opposition, both perspectives share critical blind spots: they reject a global class analysis, dismiss the imperative of sovereign industrialization and national liberation in the periphery, fail to seriously think through technology, and inadequately engage with the sociological reality of imperialism. Consequently, they obscure an alternative historical tradition of Third World Marxist thought. This overlooked current advocated not for a rejection of modernity or development, but for a bespoke, sovereign path. It embraced a tempered engagement with technology and industrialisation to fulfil basic needs, integrating ecological concerns with anti-imperialism and sovereign national development.


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