Before economics can progress, it must abandon its suicidal formalism.– Robert Heilbroner
Every culture has its myths, and right now, our economic myth is so powerful that it prevents us from facing the truth. As Derrick Jensen says: “For us to maintain our way of living, we must tell lies to each other and especially to ourselves. The lies are necessary because, without them, many deplorable acts would become impossibilities.” In other words, the truth would stop us from doing stupid things. Economic growth is one of those stupid things, because if we really thought about its impact, we would have to change our entire worldview. Imagine you’re an economist who has been trained for 40 years to believe in unlimited economic growth, and that all our problems will be solved by market-driven technological solutions. Naturally you will prefer evidence to support that argument, and turn aside evidence that is not to your taste. So the lie endures.– Bill Rees. More...
Courtesy of Adbusters magazine
2 comments:
Kuthula,
You have written about the lies of Economic Growth, Technological Society and Derrick Jensen.
In this context I want to post a part from my article which examines the impact of Speed, Overstimulation, Consumerism and Industrialization on our Minds and environment. Please read.
Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment.
The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked. Our Minds cannot be peaceful when attention-spans are down to nanoseconds, microseconds and milliseconds. Our Minds cannot be peaceful if we destroy Nature.
The link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues.
Subject : In a fast society slow emotions become extinct.
Subject : A thinking mind cannot feel.
Subject : Scientific/ Industrial/ Financial thinking destroys the planet.
Subject : Environment can never be saved as long as cities exist.
Emotion is what we experience during gaps in our thinking.
If there are no gaps there is no emotion.
Today people are thinking all the time and are mistaking thought (words/ language) for emotion.
When society switches-over from physical work (agriculture) to mental work (scientific/ industrial/ financial/ fast visuals/ fast words ) the speed of thinking keeps on accelerating and the gaps between thinking go on decreasing.
There comes a time when there are almost no gaps.
People become incapable of experiencing/ tolerating gaps.
Emotion ends.
Man becomes machine.
A society that speeds up mentally experiences every mental slowing-down as Depression / Anxiety.
A ( travelling )society that speeds up physically experiences every physical slowing-down as Depression / Anxiety.
A society that entertains itself daily experiences every non-entertaining moment as Depression / Anxiety.
Fast visuals/ words make slow emotions extinct.
Scientific/ Industrial/ Financial thinking destroys emotional circuits.
A fast (large) society cannot feel pain / remorse / empathy.
A fast (large) society will always be cruel to Animals/ Trees/ Air/ Water/ Land and to Itself.
To read the complete article please follow any of these links :
PlanetSave
FreeInfoSociety
ePhilosopher
Corrupt
sushil_yadav
Hi Sushil,
Thanks for your contribution which I believe brings another very critical dimension to this topic. Personally, I think it will enhance my scope on the violence of our kind of economic system. I look forward reading your article.
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