3 ms·

You can stop worshipping growth any time you like.

ACCount37 9mo ago
The alternative is stagnation. And if you think that zero sum economy would favor you over corporations and billionaires, I have a bridge to sell you.
- graemep 9mo ago
  Assuming positive real return on their investments, a zero growth (or low growth) economy means the rich will own an ever growing proportion of wealth - its simple arithmetic.
- pixelpoet 9mo ago
  And if you think humanity is making it past ~2100, I have some carbon credits to sell you: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016328719303507 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001632871... Growth über Alles / the race to consume everything we can in our spherical petri dish with the same level of awareness as mindless bacteria, will be the end of human civilisation, regardless of anyone's economic beliefs.
  - iinnPP 9mo ago
    Turns out love your neighbor was incredibly valuable advice.
  - ACCount37 9mo ago
    Climate change is simply not an extinction threat. Despite all the fearmongering, the worst case scenarios top out at "WW2" levels of devastation and loss of life. The only credible extinction threat to humankind so far is an ASI oopise, and that's because it's an intelligent threat.
geremiiah 9mo ago
Capitalism and democratic systems don't work without growth. Just look at the consequences of the economy stagnating in western Europe and what that is causing on a societal and political level. No growth means no jobs for new grads, no growth means workers have no negotiating power with their employers, no growth means young people remain poor and cannot afford families. No growth means young people with bad economic prospects seek political alternatives, and newsflash, they far-right with their magic-grift-politics are far more appealing than the far-left with their estorectic utopian far-fetched plans. Also no growth means a worsening wealth inequality over time.

The alternative is stagnation. And if you think that zero sum economy would favor you over corporations and billionaires, I have a bridge to sell you.

graemep 9mo ago
Assuming positive real return on their investments, a zero growth (or low growth) economy means the rich will own an ever growing proportion of wealth - its simple arithmetic.
pixelpoet 9mo ago
And if you think humanity is making it past ~2100, I have some carbon credits to sell you: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016328719303507 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001632871... Growth über Alles / the race to consume everything we can in our spherical petri dish with the same level of awareness as mindless bacteria, will be the end of human civilisation, regardless of anyone's economic beliefs.
- iinnPP 9mo ago
  Turns out love your neighbor was incredibly valuable advice.
- ACCount37 9mo ago
  Climate change is simply not an extinction threat. Despite all the fearmongering, the worst case scenarios top out at "WW2" levels of devastation and loss of life. The only credible extinction threat to humankind so far is an ASI oopise, and that's because it's an intelligent threat.

geremiiah 9mo ago

Capitalism and democratic systems don't work without growth. Just look at the consequences of the economy stagnating in western Europe and what that is causing on a societal and political level. No growth means no jobs for new grads, no growth means workers have no negotiating power with their employers, no growth means young people remain poor and cannot afford families. No growth means young people with bad economic prospects seek political alternatives, and newsflash, they far-right with their magic-grift-politics are far more appealing than the far-left with their estorectic utopian far-fetched plans. Also no growth means a worsening wealth inequality over time.