GUEST BLOG: Pat O’Dea – For Growth’s Sake
For Growth’s Sake
“Growth For The Sake Of Growth Is The Ideology Of A Cancer Cell”
Edward Abbey, American Environmentalist
Want to stop War?
Want to stop Climate Change?
Join the growing Anti-Growth Movement
“As a founder member of the anti-growth coalition, I’m delighted to discover how fast it has, ahem, been growing…” George Monbiot
“We have sought to explain that what mainstream economists call progress is what ecologists call planetary ruin. We’ve contended that infinite growth on a finite planet is a recipe for catastrophe.”
Infinite growth on a finite planet is a recipe for catastrophe. It is the recipe for imperialism, it is the recipe for war.
Degrowth is an idea that critiques the global capitalist system which pursues growth at all costs, causing human exploitation and environmental destruction. The degrowth movement of activists and researchers advocates for societies that prioritize social and ecological well-being instead of corporate profits, over-production and excess consumption. This requires radical redistribution, reduction in the material size of the global economy, and a shift in common values towards care, solidarity and autonomy. Degrowth means transforming societies to ensure environmental justice and a good life for all within planetary boundaries.
What some people, even within the Anti-growth movement, don’t realise, not only does the global capitalist system which pursues growth at all costs, lead nations and economies to exceed planetary boundaries, the pursuit of growth by nations and economies leads them to exceed political and national boundaries as well.
Infinite growth on a finite planet is not just the cause of biosphere collapse.
Infinite growth on a finite planet is the cause of war.
As competing growth economies bump up against each other, in the search for export markets, for resources, for cheap labour, war is the end result.
Stop War!
Stop Climate Change!
Stop Growth!
Pat O’Dea is a trade unionist and human rights activist.
Good article
Vote Labour in at the next election and your prayers will be answered.
Boom or bust, growth or recession,
If global capitalist growth does slow after the next next election, it will have nothing to do with whatever Party is in the Beehive. But because global capitalism has reached its natural limits.
Whatever party is in power they will both try to claw back ‘growth’ by cutting social services, raising interest rates, slashing incomes, raising prices, increasing unemployment, polluting more. Y’know. Because we must have growth.
What is this growth thing anyway?
When prices and profits go up, its called growth. A good thing.
When incomes go up, its called ‘wages inflation’, or just simply inflation. A bad thing.
What is the capitalist economists’ cure for wage inflation? Brutal as it simple. Force up unemployment so workers have to compete with each other for jobs so forcing wages down.
Unemployment must rise before inflation comes under control: Economists
Susan Edmunds
05:00, Oct 27 2022
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300721698/unemployment-must-rise-before-inflation-comes-under-control-economists