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Endless economic growth is only a convincing argument if you don't understand basic math. Things that appear exponential locally usually turn out to be logisti
by andrewprock 7y ago
Endless economic growth is only a convincing argument if you don't understand basic math.
Things that appear exponential locally usually turn out to be logistic or cyclic.
I would like to say that I'm surprised that an economist doesn't understand math, but I can't.
- s1artibartfast 7y agoQuestions of endless economic growth are a red herring/off topic. If exponential economic growth is possible now, then it should be invested in now. If yields change in the future, investment should be reassessed.
- maxlamb 7y agoThis line of thinking can lead to catastrophic consequences if the long-term implications are not well understood. Short-term exponential growth can lead to a catastrophic crash down the road if the debt, resources, or social fractures are not sustainable in the long run.
- andrewprock 7y ago"If exponential economic growth is possible now..." It's not. You can arrive at many false conclusions by assuming a false antecedent.
- solveit 7y agoI'm not sure what you think is happening then. What do you measure economic growth in, Dollars or percentages?
- andrewprock 7y agoRegardless of the units you use, you won't get an exponential curve. You can fit an exponential curve to the data. You can also fit a logistic curve to the date. Heck, you can even fit a linear curve to the data.