Monday, December 22, 2008

Sustainability

Sadly, no
Jebus people, what the fuck do you want from an economic system other than that we all get fat, rich and happy?
I always enjoy reading Tim Worstall and he does a good job here of defending one of the arguments people have against free market capitalism. I think he fails to address the issue of sustainability though. Capitalism has provided us with the means to be "fat, rich and happy" but it can only last for a tiny tiny amount of time in the grand scheme of history. We've sped up the process way too much so we get everything at once, and then suddenly it explodes into nothing.

Personally I would have preferred slower economic growth if it meant it was actually going to last. The human race is - hopefully - going to be around for quite some time, and if not us then at least the planet will, and it is the future that will be harmed by our current economic system which builds itself on the principle that resource are infinite. This works great in the short term, for decades, and maybe even a century or two, but I can't see it lasting much longer. The oil won't last forever.


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