While the critics of globalised capitalism considered in Chapter 11 considered that capitalism would be replaced through a metamorphosis or could be undermined by autonomous parallel developments, others adopt a more combative stance. Capitalism, they maintain, must be confronted, dismantled and, importantly, an alternative type of society put in its place. Political movements that have adopted ‘anti-globalisation’ and ‘anticapitalism’ appellations are directed against different parts and functions of global and national capitalist arrangements. They are ideologically, socially and politically heterogeneous and include individuals and associations with democratic, socialist, liberal and anarchistic outlooks. The consumptiondriven world system promotes environmental harm which poses an existential threat to civilisation. They all agree that globalisation is harmful. Such critics seek to reverse globalisation and strengthen local economies by developing sustainable autonomous economic, political and social units (communities, production and consumption collectives). Rather than a focus on replacing globalised capitalism with a different type of industrial or post-industrial society, these movements envisage changes at a more micro level which lead to a qualitatively distinctive form of a democratic and just society. Leslie Sklair, for example, makes a call for ‘exiting capitalism and the system of hierarchic so-called nation states’ in favour of ‘the creation of smaller scale human settlements, rather than huge cities and world revolution’.

Autonomists reject state capture as a means to secure their objectives. Scepticism stemming from the failures of state socialism and the inadequacies of social democracy has led to the denunciation of state power, which has failed to achieve democracy and to stop environmental degradation. Anger is focussed somewhat indiscriminately at international bankers, the international system, industrialisation, globalisation and capitalism in general. As political power is global in character, the movements regard formal electoral politics as futile. Such opponents, therefore, rely on elemental, often spontaneous, movements seeking to reverse current trends to globalised capitalism. Their discourse is less theoretical and academic and more activist. They want action, not words. Lara Monticelli has called these movements ‘prefigurative’ in the sense that they ‘embody their ultimate goals and their vision of a future society through their ongoing social practices, social relations, decision-making philosophy and culture’.