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Economics and ethics after the fall...
Marvelously challenging and more than a little depressing podcast (or video if you prefer) of a lecture presented by Professor Jeffrey Sachs at the LSE in December 2011 (I'm catching up on my podcasts steadily but slowly). Sobering stuff, but what choice have we got?
UPDATE: Another interesting LSE lecture (a panel talk actually) titled, About Time, examines some of our social and economic assumptions about the length of the work week in western nations. It feels a little like a counterpoint to Sachs' talk and is a little less dire. This one was recorded in January of this year.
UPDATE: Another interesting LSE lecture (a panel talk actually) titled, About Time, examines some of our social and economic assumptions about the length of the work week in western nations. It feels a little like a counterpoint to Sachs' talk and is a little less dire. This one was recorded in January of this year.
An excellent lecture. Thanks for the posting.
ReplyDeleteI can see where the end is depressing because I
don't see a solution or a suggestion of a solution. That's the scary part.
"Restore democracy". Okay, how? What steps? Given the power base that has established itself over the last 30 years, what politician can win on a raise taxes platform? There would have to be a significant shift in public opinion based on educating them with the facts. This is a good start. Ultimately I fear that it would take revolutionary form which has started with the "occupy" political movement.
There's a dystopian science fiction novel in here somewhere. The rise of power of state governments filling the void of the federal government. Okay, versions have been done and are still being done.
I'm currently reading Dan Simmons's Flashback which is why I'm thinking of this. Still... what's the path forward?