Vocal Voices

I see the IMF and leading economists are getting themselves into a lather about the slowdown of the Global economy. Well, it cannot go on growing forever, even primary school children know that, so why not work with it? Why not aim for stabilisation rather than growth, the Earth's environment could certainly do with it?

It is long past the time for us to be having a good look at what "money" and "wealth" really are and to stop aiming for more of everything: more goods; more consumerism; more; more and more.

Very true. But big business is immensely greedy for more money, so they want a bigger and bigger world population consuming more and more goods.

I'm no communist but as you say, in the long run constant growth isn't sustainable, consumes too much of the earth's reserves and creates massive pollution problems.

I think the economy could benefit from a slow down in growth.

I can't see that continual growth is the recipe for happiness.

Ah but you see there are still about 3bn people who have not yet embraced Western economics.

Plenty of room for exponential growth yet....

Or not. But that is how they think. So when it stops growing they start flapping.