If their name may make you smile, their approach is nothing short of serious. For a little over a year and a half, around ten “Anonymous Capitalists” have been meeting at La Fabrique d’Issy, in Issy-les-Moulineaux, in the Paris suburbs.
The project ? Talk about addictions to planes, cars, meat, clothes. In short, “all the goods, services and leisure that the capitalist system can provide us”, says Julien Lamy, founder of this new kind of discussion group. And above all succeed, ultimatelyto free oneself from it.
Eight Steps to Achieving Sobriety
If among Alcoholics Anonymous, there are twelve steps to take to help one get out of it, among Capitalists Anonymous, they are limited to eight. Among them: “transform your feelings in the face of collapse and inaction into drivers of change for yourself and for society”, or even “conduct a deep reflection on your relationship with nature and living things”. “I certainly relied on the functioning of Alcoholics Anonymous, but far be it from me to compare our support group to that of people who are truly ill with their addiction,” specifies Julien Lamy.
With CAs, there are no constraints. Becomes an anonymous Capitalist, whoever wants, whenever he wants. No obligation for regularity, no long-term commitment.
20 minutes was able to attend a meeting of the Anonymous Capitalists of Issy-les-Moulineaux. The full report can be seen in the video at the top of this article.