Summary
TLDR: In today’s financialized economy, profit is not necessary as long as you can promise future profits. However, this endless cycle eventually leads to the depletion of capital, making returns impossible. The important question is who will be left with the consequences.
Key Points
1. Financialization allows for the promise of endless future profits, even without immediate returns.
2. The focus on immediate flows can lead to the gradual stripping away of capital, making returns elusive and eventually impossible.
3. Ultimately, the most important question in a financialized system becomes “who is holding the bag?”