Recap — Unpacking the Polycrisis: Transforming Capitalism’s Existential Health Threats

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Published on February 3, 2026

On January 14, 2026, Dr. Ronald Labonté, Professor Emeritus and former Distinguished Research Chair in Globalization and Health Equity at the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, led a lecture around polycrisis, including a discussion around transforming capitalism’s existential health threats.

Labonté began by defining the polycrisis, made evident by the start of Donald Trump’s second presidency. Trump and his like-minded enablers have threatened health locally and globally and have transformed the world’s wealthiest and most powerful country into a militarized state with renewed imperialist intentions.

The “Trumpian assault” on global health is characterized by its undermining of other multilateral health accords, including the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization, its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and UNFCC, an abrupt ending of foreign aid, installation of anti-vaxx conspiracy theorists to head health and the use of tariffs to force other countries into submission, all while initiating military intervention in other countries. These actions have threatened global health security programs, put planetary health and human survival at risk, are projected to lead to 14 million preventable deaths by 2030, and put the world in a less prepared position for the next global pandemic than it was during COVID-19. In addition, Labonté discussed two other elements of the second Trump presidency. First, the attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion, forcing an ideology that is white nativist and fiercely anti-intellectual in nature. Second, an overreliance on many unbalanced and unchecked social media platforms for information to shape one’s understanding of the world.

Subsequently, Labonté discussed the last chapter of “Health Equity in a Globalizing Era” where it is argued that neoliberal global dominance has given rise to multiple interrelated crises, three of which posed existential health threats. These include rising inequalities (wealth, income, resources), ecological collapse (climate change and more), and migration (within and across borders).

Labonté also added another factor to this list: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Explaining this addition, he discussed how AI is another form of under-regulated financial capitalism, which deepens economic inequalities within and between countries.

The second half of the lecture focused on multiple ways that we can push back against Trump’s second presidency. In essence, polycrisis is a series of crises defined by capitalism with one essential feature: the drive to make a profit to accumulate capital in order to manifest the controlling power that comes with that wealth. Thus, methods to address capitalism are needed.

One main method to transform capitalism’s existential health threats is the concept of degrowth. There are steps the government could start taking, such as ending subsidies for environmentally damaging goods that are not essential for health, restricting advertising, and utilizing tax measures to reduce unnecessary and excessive consumption. Labonté stresses that taxes are society’s superpower and proposed tax priorities, such as the digital economy, targeting illicit financial flows and high net-worth individuals can collect $2.6 trillion annually.

Another concept introduced is a well-being economy – an economy that pursues an equitable global allocation of the resources needed for a healthy life, while staying within the ecological limits of the planet. Labonté addressed a particular report, Earth for All, which identified five global turnarounds needed, leading to a well-being economy: Ending poverty, addressing gross inequality, accelerating gender equity, transforming the food system, and transitioning to clean energy.

In closing, Labonté encouraged individuals to embrace optimism, not as a necessary trait or personality, but as a carefully nurtured act of political resistance. He emphasizes that there is no need to surrender to helplessness, as Trump’s tearful disruption is also creating work, grassroots, and upwards momentum for participatory eco-socialist economics.

Connect with Dr. Ronald Labonté.

Watch the full seminar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCSDJBRvlSk

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