Josh Farley — The Myths Shaping Our Economies: The Disconnect between Economic Theory and Reality

In this conversation, Nate is joined by ecological economist Josh Farley to explore the persistent myths taught in business schools, and the disconnect between economic theory and reality. Building on Nate’s recent Frankly episode, they unpack topics like the misconception between value and price, how GDP is a flawed measure of well-being, the truth about debt, and the ripple effects these have across market dynamics.

What could go wrong?

Things caused by humanity can probably also be solved by humanity. A good place to start seems to be to make sure that the risks we face are more consistently included in things like national risk assessments or global policy making, so that we can better explore what might be done about them.

Rivulets of Life

I am not claiming that we need to consider rivulets or fire or lightning as animate forms of Life. The difference in complexity is truly staggering. Yet, the comparison offers a mottled window—especially into decision-making processes that appear (via feedback/success) to be directed, or purposeful.

Is it strategic to refocus towards climate adaptation? 

As global heating accelerates and climate damages mount all around us, and as climate organizations and activists grow desperate about what to do, SAFER provides important new thinking. The challenge, one of the biggest of our times for organizers, theorists and social scientists, is how to bring this idea into our various countries at an organizational level.

O! Enkidu!

And the Gilgamesh epic as we have received it from the ancient cuneiform tablets is excellent propaganda supporting the idea that cities are better than nomadism and we must have kings ruling us. But my question is: What is a more realistic story about how the conflict played out between the city states in Mesopotamia and the older nomadic culture of the surrounding area?

“We invent nothing, or only very little.” A portrait of Les Soulèvements de la Terre and some reflections

Although the movement’s actions are based on local struggles, it is part of a broader post-capitalist and post-development struggle. The movement aims to abolish the patriarchal, colonial, racist, and extractivist growth regime while building a new world here and now.

A visit to Kailash Ecovillage

Personally, I would settle for a lot less than paradise. For me, paradigm shift would work, a condition where people simply behave in their own best interests which means living within the boundaries of the natural world and cooperating with each other for the common good. That would look a lot like Kailash Ecovillage.