The economy is to serve the people, not the people to serve the economy
posted by Eric Blair | April 6, 2011
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IcerocketHuman World Order
Activist Post
Acclaimed economist Manfred Max-Neef, author of the award-winning book From the Outside Looking in: Experiences in 'Barefoot Economics' recently appeared in a must-see interview on Democracy Now where he says a second, more catastrophic crisis is unavoidable because our economic model is "dramatically poisonous." Max-Neef explains that "Greed is the dominant value today in the world and as long as that persists, we're done!" But he doesn't just mean done economically, he means done as a species.
Going beyond facts and figures to describe economics, his philosophy is based on a macro-world view, where he accounts for the biosphere, human creativity, security and happiness, and life in all of its manifestations. He reveals that the majority of economists have great knowledge, more than ever before, but they lack understanding. The two differ as, "knowledge is a function of science, whereas understanding is holistic," explained Max-Neef. Using the metaphor of love to simplify: we may read and accumulate great knowledge about love, but we can never fully understand it until we fall in love and experience it.
His philosophy of humanizing economics, or "Barefoot Economics," stems from spending years living in and studying the culture of poverty to better understand the economics of it. He concludes that the poverty culture has entirely different principles than our modern culture, where they must depend on enormous creativity, cooperation and solidarity of people. In poverty, "you cannot be an idiot if you want to survive," he quipped.
He emphatically assures Amy Goodman in the interview that the "next crisis is coming, and it will be twice as much as this one (referring to financial collapse of 2008)." Only for this one, "there will not be enough money anymore -- so that will be it!" Even more frightening are his views that the ecosystem may be beyond critical tipping points. He says, "Some important scientists believe that it is definite, we are finished . . . I have not reached that point, but I believe we are close."
Max-Neef claims the biggest problem is that economists view nature as a subset of the economy, not the other way around, where "economists don't realize that if the bees disappear, so will he disappear." In other words, the notion that infinite growth can persist in a finite biosphere is dead wrong. And we may already have reached a point of no return.
When asked what he thinks needs to change, he replied: "Oh, almost everything! We act systematically against the evidences we have." He believes the economy will "catastrophically" self-correct and a new model must emerge with principles to humanize the economy in balance with the biosphere. His five principles and values to develop a humanized economy are as follows:
1. The economy is to serve the people, not the people to serve the economy.
2. Development is about people, and not about objects.
3. Growth is not the same as development, and development does not necessarily require growth.
4. No economy is possible in the absence of ecosystem services.
5. The economy is a subsystem of a larger finite system -- the biosphere, hence permanent growth is impossible.
The fundmental value that is needed to sustain this new economy is, "No economic interest, under any circumstances, can be more important than LIFE in all its manifestations."
When the engineered collapse comes, we can bet that the corporate-government will offer up their "solutions." It's not good enough for the Human World Order simply to oppose tyranny; we must also present logical solutions. Manfred Max-Neef is offering a philosophy to re-humanize the economy. From the ashes of the collapse will come the opportunity to build a new economy based on human principles of valuing all life. Ultimately, he is hopeful because of the amazing human creativity and solidarity witnessed among the impoverished. We shall create our way out of the crisis, but it must take place in an entirely new economic model to be successful.
http://www.activistpost.com/2010/09/dramatically-poisonous-economy-headi...
Comments
sincronicity is not irony- please read my post from yesterday
— Apr 08, 2011
Eric- Great read :) I believe I am at the main road coming off a path in that is providing me the opportunity to change lives. Please read my ideas below that will harmonize all of the victims of this new world order in which you are quite correct.
Michael
I was hoping to incorporate Evolver's Spores as a link, providing an additional positive resource as part of a web based service going online in May. I own a real estate appraisal & consulting business on Cape Cod Mass.
In the past 3 years I have specialized in bankruptcies by helping homeowners with appraisals showing loss of value. After witnessing 1st hand the unbridled greed in the finance industry in the past decade with the end result being family destruction in the aftermath of a perfect storm on a scale worse than the Great Depression; I evolved my business web site into a helping hand to guide the many lost families who are so overwhelmed that they do not know where to begin in rebuilding their lives after being taken advantage of by corporate America; whom for all intents and purposes are the real rulers & dictators of our country with our current political system nothing but their lackeys. There are certain companies I refuse to do business with as a matter of principle.
Revolution is to revolve in endless, often negative cycles; repeating habits with brutal end results in a quest for freeedom and equality - as in the ole saying ' History repeats itself '. the Middle East of today- do I need to say more :)
Evolution is to evolve to higher states in positive levels; as in Evolver :)
Evolution, not revolution is the key to humanities future. Revolution is old school; where violence is a given.
Revolution, Like burning fossil fuels are both technologies and ideologies/ tenets of previous centuries.
Conditioned mind sets of the unenlightened; being a product of their enviroment similar to radical terrorists - due to constrictive dogma of church & state in previous eras along with predjudices until the convergance of 1987- our ancestors did not know any better- we do! For example, a famous Civil War generals statement in the Indian Wars of the 1880s " The only good indian, is a dead one' Thank God we have changed- or have we? For most of our race- Not really.
The industrial age was no differnt than the age of the crusades. An agent of the Vatican, a Cistern Abbott was asked during the mass murder/ genocide of the peacefull Gnostice Cathars ' How do we tell the difference between Catholics or Cathars?' His reply was 'Kill them all! God will know his own.' What we dont understand-scares us. Times changes, but not ignorance.
Today's crusaders are corporations hiding behind their agents- the lobbyist.
The perfect Business model is 'Responsible Capitalisim' In any of my previous enterprises my goal; in addition to making a responsible profit, the goal was to ensure the welfare of family and employees- sharing the wealth. By not price gouging and not taking advantage when over paid; a clear conscious was the end product.
How much profit and money does any one corporation or CEO need? It all boils down to power. Todays business model is profit at any cost - other than the company.
Unfortunately, I cannot help all famlies with an appraisal; although with a free fall in values over the past 3 years in the housing sector it has not been a hard task- 85% of families needing my service have benifited in their bankruptcy .
Unlike the afore mentioned; my integrity and moral compass points true North. I will not use my positition to state a value that is not correct; although the end result would have been for the common good rather than profit.
My genuine care and compassion in helping all familes without sacrificing integrity was solved when I evolved my business web site into a sanctuary offering advice, financial budgeting, strategies, meditational musings; creating a business/battle plan for all who call.
In addition to free seminars/ webinars & monthly on-line tak show featuring various guest & topics; a networking model, simliar to the Spore called Nous Spheres- or sphericles :) ( Thank you David Pinchbeck- Great read!) will allow the many who are alone meet once month in each town, etc to network, support each other, and together- conquer life.
The site itself is evolving into a new program called ' THE NAV-U-GATOR....LIFES G.P.S- TURN AHEAD FOR SUCCESS.'
The site will be launched this month.
For details/ input/ or just to say hi & encourage others in our guest book please travel to : www.actionappraisals.biz
We would love to have Evolver as part of this evolution.
Humbly and Gratefully
Michael
allaction@comcast.net
Development of environmental intelligence
— Apr 11, 2011
Check out the book "Environmental Intelligence" by David Godelman (2009), similarly he advocates that we as a consumer species must wake up and be aware of how each purchase choice we make has ramifications across the Geo-sphere, biosphere and social-sphere. We need to get past single changes in habit, to a major shift in thinking about our individual role in the whole system.
Every activist has their issue, but every issue is part of an others. Social justice is linked to environmental and climate issues, health issues and food issues are all linked.
6 Tektite Serpent
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"That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly" - Thomas Paine
"We never reflect how pleasant it is to ask for nothing" - Seneca
