by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
“We do not have enough growth in the economy. That's why people are not well of”, said in November 2014 a representative of an industry body in the UK.
For that statement, I suggest, we read: “We must have more growth so that capital can make more profits and screw the Planet and its inhabitants.” His concerns are hardly genuine for the people who are not well of, and his words are actually an insult to all of us.
This is not to say that state capitalism that used to masquerade as “socialism” is any less harsh on the Planet. It is but another side of the same capitalist coin.
Perpetual growth, as is being advocated by our governments and the business lobby, however, is not, never was, and never will be, something that can ever work on a finite Planet such as is the Earth, and it is not, never was, and never can be, sustainable.
All the governments keep telling us everyone that the economy must grow and grow more and then still more but when the ceiling is reached by this plant what do we do then? Knock a hole into the ceiling? No, we must prune it back like we would do with a plant that is getting too big.
The way we are going about it, however, would mean that this plant would have to grow through a hole in the ceiling into the apartment or whatever above and then when it reaches the ceiling there another hole must be knocked, probably through the roof, ad infinitum.
We have reached the ceiling already and by our consumption have already knocked a hole into it and the plant has grown through it. We are, basically, using up the resources of more than one Earth. However, last time I checked there is but one and thus we are already in serious trouble. This growth must be stopped or this plant will devour us all.
Despite this, however, the powers-that-be, industry and its lobby groups keep harping on about that we need to buy more in order to grow the economy. Hello!?! Anyone out there? It cannot be done or we have no Planet left. Wake up time, everyone!
© 2014
