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Our economies can be just as rich as natural environments. The problem is that in the case of the economy we care about each individual and their human dignity whereas in an ecosystem we don't care if organisms die, or starve, or are diseased, or get eaten. Those are just things that "happen".

So the economy needs to be thought of as a garden, not as a wild ecosystem. And managing a garden as an ecosystem is hard to do, monoculture is easier as there are fewer different things to think about.

I guess what you're leading to is permaculture. But permaculture is not a natural environment, it's a managed environment.

Bush is a symptom, not the disease.

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon May 28th, 2007 at 07:44:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The problem is that in the case of the economy we care about each individual and their human dignity

Really? I thought the economy compells to think only about yourself. Who cares about Chinese workers, African kids?

I don't see our economies just us rich. Especially now, I see many wide one-way highways of growth, but I wonder, how the things will bend to ever lively cycles.

by das monde on Mon May 28th, 2007 at 08:18:51 AM EST
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Well, if you don't care about individual dignity it's hard to see any problems with economic organisation.

But if you do care then you have to manage the economy, because left to itself it's going to look a lot like a jungle.

Bush is a symptom, not the disease.

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon May 28th, 2007 at 08:22:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I see a lot of management in modern economy, but a jungle might look like not a bad place by comparison. The understanding of individual dignity does not go further than the 10 Biblical commandments, or even legal technicalities. Minimal wages, contract regulation and more power to the labour restrict your freedom, as "they" say.

I think that dominating greed is abnormal in Nature. There are no licenses and tax incentives there.

by das monde on Mon May 28th, 2007 at 09:14:18 AM EST
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Yes, there is management as a monoculture. When you remove management from a monoculture you get infestation by weeds and pests [maybe that's what "liberalisation" has produced?]. So what you need is better management (permaculture), not lack of management.

Bush is a symptom, not the disease.
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon May 28th, 2007 at 09:25:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]
... the economy needs to be thought of as a garden, not as a wild ecosystem.

THAT is excellent Framing and could be developed into a counter-narrative/attack.  

by ATinNM on Mon May 28th, 2007 at 09:08:47 AM EST
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