The theory that the global economy has shifted from producing things to trading claims on things, with finance becoming not just a sector of the economy but its dominant logic. Under financialization, companies exist less to make products and more to generate shareholder value; housing becomes an investment vehicle rather than a place to live; and every aspect of life—education, health care, even relationships—gets turned into something that can be bought, sold, and securitized. The theory of global financialization explains why your rent keeps rising even though your wages don't, why your student loans are owned by three different investment firms, and why it feels like everything is a transaction now. Because it is.
Example: "She learned about the theory of global financialization and suddenly understood why her hospital bill was incomprehensible, why her landlord was a corporation she'd never meet, and why her retirement savings were invested in companies that were actively making the world worse. Everything was finance now. Nothing was just itself anymore. She felt very small and very angry."
by Dumu The Void February 15, 2026
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