The Age of Plunder - Winners and Losers in the Low Growth Era

The book addresses a critical shift in global economics: the transition from an era of rapid expansion to a prolonged period of persistently low economic growth.King argues that when economic growth stalls, the global economy turns into a zero-sum game. Instead of a "rising tide lifting all boats," wealth accumulation becomes predatory—meaning one group or nation can only prosper at the direct expense of another. This dynamic forms the basis of the book's title, "The Age of Plunder."

Key Arguments & Topics CoveredThe Zero-Sum Trap: Analysis of how stagnant productivity forces societies to fight over the distribution of existing wealth rather than creating new wealth.The New "Winners and Losers": Identification of the socioeconomic classes and regions that will successfully hoard resources versus those that will be economically marginalized.De-globalization and Protectionism: How low growth fuels political populism, trade wars, and the fragmentation of global supply chains.Policy Failures: Critique of central bank strategies and fiscal policies that have failed to revive long-term growth while inadvertently worsening wealth inequality.