Lazy cut and past from Amazon review

Social Limits to Growth sets forth a new view of the nature and the limitations of economic growth. The author's central argument is that there are indeed limits to growth currently exist and are essentially social rather than physical. As societies have become richer, an increasing proportion of the extra goods, services, and facilities sought by consumers cannot be acquired or used by all, without spoiling them for each other. So frustration is heightened by material affluence, which is why affluence does not make a satisfied society.

This book offers important insight on apparently disconnected aspects of the current malaise...such as alienation at work, the rat-race element in education, deterioration in city living, consumerist relationships with neighbors, friends, and sex partners, as well as accelerating rates of inflation and unemployment.

Key Concept

Positional goods: the idea that once a society has escaped the state of scarcity where the provision of the absolute neccesities of human life (Food, shelter, clothing, etc) the further creation of wealth in a society serves primarily to create social distinction rather than provide for human existence. Thus, once a society escapes scarcity the social impact of further economic growth is essentially fixed and zero sum.  I'm trying to figure a way to integrate this into measures for a research paper I'm working on about the relationship between economics and democracy.

I come from a red state, 'nuff said.

The Gift-Marcell Mauss

Linca led me to it.  The assumption that market as defined by the exchange of goods and services primarily defined by subjective utility of the individual as the operative mechanism rather than an intersubjective social significance not reducible formal value has always existed is utterly inaccurate.  Before greed was made good by the normative doctrine of economics, the primary purpose of wealth in a society was to convey social distinction.  Redistribution and reciprocation rule.  The wealthy have an obligation to care for the poor, and this in turn creates social obligation from the poor to those wealthy who provide for them.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg