Economy

Those coming into power now on a worldwide wave of discontent appear to understand little about the ultimate underlying causes of that discontent.

We can choose to stop the economic growth machine and keep it idling in a steady state, preserving the little environmental integrity that remains, before the machine is forced to a halt. This will require thinking outside the box and using monetary policy tools unconventionally.

I want ‘The Good Life’ to be inclusive of everyone, to be truly pluralistic in not leaving anyone behind across ideological and geographic lines.

I am not sure that my employer quite understands the changes that have been set in motion. The gossip chain spread that story within days. Now, we all know that we have leverage. We can demand. Wouldn’t it be great if such a thing were to happen in your community! So what’s stopping you…

In short — the key to the profound changes that our current polycrisis is calling for lies in the cultivation of the social soil. Every one of us can be (and is) a gardener or farmer of that soil.

Most big-think essays like this end on a note of inspiration and hope. For once, I’ll resist the temptation to go that route. Can we humans make ourselves useful to the rest of life? It’s an open question.