tl;dr: Just Say No.
From birth to puberty, a hamster doubles its weight each week. If it didn’t stop when mature, as animals do, and continued to double on its first birthday, we would be staring at a nine billion ton hamster. This hamster could eat all of the corn produced annually worldwide in a single day – and still be hungry.
There is a reason why, in nature, things grow in size only to a certain point. So why do most economists and politicians think that the economy can grow forever, and ever… and ever?
The current crop of politicians and economists – who have held sway for far too long – have a mantra, and they won’t let it go of it. That mantra is “Growth is Good.”
They also won’t let go of GDP, either, although it makes no distinction whatsoever between good and bad economic activity. It’s used as a blanket measure of ‘how well the economy is doing’, even though disasters increase it. Massive floods and megafires, for instance, that devastate entire neighbourhoods are a terrific boost to GDP – because everything has to be rebuilt.
It’s time to turn the tide on the insanity.
- Say ‘no’ to upgrading your dumbphone (does the one you have do what you need?)
- Say ‘no’ to those who make things that break the day after the warranty runs out.
- Say ‘no’ to buying trendy clothing (especially if your wardrobe is already full).
- Say ‘no’ to buying new ‘labour-saving’ widgets and gadgets.
- Say ‘no’ to anything that’s not recyclable.
- Say ‘no’ to single-use plastics.
- Say ‘no’ to factory farming.
- Say ‘no’ to obscene consumerism making a wasteland of our home planet.
… and say ‘yes’ to life.
Wibble 
Brilliant video! I have been saying “no” to all of the above for quite some time.
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Good for you! Now, how to get all the others on board this sinking ship to do the same… ?
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An impossible task but possible with determination.
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I have always maintained that the economy can’t grow indefinitely without destroying what makes life worthwhile, and inevitably the world.
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Indeed, it’s utter nonsense. It’s the epitome of pure phlyarologism. Even the ‘father of economics’, Adam Smith, acknowledged that there would come a time when the economy had to stabilise. Sadly, those who have followed in his footsteps are blinded by their ideological dogma (and, perhaps, also greed).
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A great post, my friend. I just say ‘no’ to almost all of the above, though admittedly I sometimes fail. As re the economy and its growth … I find it sad that far too many people fail to understand that there are far more important things than economic growth that benefits only a handful while enslaving the rest of us in one way or another.
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Very well said, Jill.
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Thanks, my friend.
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