I used to have a great cartoon of chickens dancing around Col. Saunders grave, I suppose this would be an incitement to terrorism in Blair's Britain. Any way lets think about the economy.
I think we need green economics. Green economics argues that what is good for the planet and for people is not always what leads to the greatest expansion of GNP or short term profit.
Two examples are KFC, a giant advert that can be spotted from the sky, undesirable, along with the whole system of food production involved.
The continuing scandal of pharmaceutical companies trying to shape the medical system for profit and in particular using the patent system to deny cheap generic drugs to African citizens suffering from AIDS.
The interesting fact is that the alternative is not hair shirtism, although I guess we do need to cut back on flying until silent and co2 netural flights to Caracas exist, but consuming differently.
Cheap generic drugs, cheap low impact housing, locally produced food, libraries not just for books but pretty well everything...more leisure and pleasure.
The puritan Gordon Brown as PM, could be even worse than Blair for people and planet, certainly he focuses on the 'economic' forgeting that economics should serve humanity and other species...at present it is the other way around.
8 comments:
Out of interest Derek, how do you deal with the usual criticisms levelled by critics of green economics/socialist economics? ie, that without competition and the incentive of self interest as the driving force of production, production would become inefficient and the quality and range of goods would drop off over the medium to long term?
I wondered if you had any pithy answers to these objections. I usually find myself blathering for too long when I try to address them. I'm sure you are much more experienced at fielding these sorts of questions.
open source?
Ed, there are all sorts of little creative rationalizations for this ecocidal and inhumane class system we call capitalism. May I recommened the book 'No Contest: The Case Against Competition' by Alfie Kohn:
http://www.amazon.com/No-Contest-Case-Against-Competition/dp/0395631254/sr=1-1/qid=1163617254/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5916074-6101718?ie=UTF8&s=books
Lancaster University are hosting a Green economics conference this weekend, which looks interesting. 10am to 5pm at the Friends Meeting House which is conveniently located next door to the mainline intercity railway station.
I wanbt to see this cartoon of chickens dancing round Saunders' grave.
There is a very good green economic group in the Green Party but when I read or listen to the detail of this stuff my head starts to hurt.
I think in terms of collective democratic decision making everyone will understand that if no food is made they'll be no food - so that's self interest.
In terms of national / international planning I've heard a number of theories but they always sound like stalinism or wishful thinking... sorry that's not very helpful is it?
james is an economics expert.
Dear Dr derek, im sorry for being mean to you in class, your a fantastic lecurer really. bye your annonomous student who you would never guess is me.
The fact is derek wall, seals are dying and going extinct.they need your help.
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