Thanks Chris- it's great to see economists at least prepared to engage this
issue- let's face it we need their help to understand things as much as they
need us. However, I tend to agree with Anne, but, just for the sake of
arguement, let's suggest Chris is right.
So if it is the profit motive that's the problem not growth itself I would
like to ask how connected growth is to profit motive- can we seperate them-
and just suggesting we can (which I'm not sure that they can at all), what
impact would this have on developing new economic systems- ie. ones that do
not destroy the environment and ending up killing everything.
Any takers?
tim
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Holden" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: rational choices?
> I would rather criticise the fallacy that economic growth is
unsustainable.
> The invention of new materials and techniques allows us to continue to
grow
> our economies without endangering our environment. It is the short-termism
> of the profit motive (or inadequate regulation) that leads to
environmental
> damage, not growth itself.
>
> Chris.
>
> On Fri, 18 Oct 2002 20:38:57 +0100 Ray Thomas <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > Well said:
> >
> > > economists would be
> > > better concentrating on the fallacy of unlimited economic growth,
> > > underpinning our entire social, economic and political
> > > system, rather than
> > > developing ever better models to predict economic behaviour.
> >
> > But why blame just the economists for this? Don't we all uncritically
> > accept economic statistics as indicators of economic growth?
> >
> > Such statistics guide governments, because they are the basis of
govenmental
> > revenue, as well
> > as capitalism that is equally dependent on growth.
> >
> > Ray Thomas, Social Sciences, Open University
> > Tel: 01908 679081 Fax 01908 550401
> > Email: [log in to unmask]
> > 35 Passmore, Milton Keynes MK6 3DY
>
> Dr Chris Holden
> Lecturer in Social Policy
> Department of Health and Social Care
> Brunel university
>
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