Festival of Dangerous Ideas

8 comments on “Festival of Dangerous Ideas ”

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1. corokia 1

   3 September 2016 at 11:17 am

   I use an online youtube to mp3 converter and then listen to these when out in the garden etc. Interesting and inspiring stuff
   • Murray Simmonds 1.1

     4 September 2016 at 9:59 am

     Even better – use something like “Youtube Downloader” to download it as an MP4.

     It is EXTREMELY important that the “Anti-growth” message gets pushed in every way possible. (And don’t forget Tim Jackson’s book “Prosperity without Growth”.)

     We were in China last week. On the eve of the G20 meeting in Hangzhou the “talking heads” on the TV news sessions, a week out from the start of the meeting, were pretty much all pushing the importance of kick-starting or rekindling GROWTH in the world economy. Especially CCTV America.

     Pffffftttttt!!!
     • weka 1.1.1

       4 September 2016 at 10:15 am

       I’m interested in how those alternative ideas about economics can be discussed more broadly and more accessably. I keep an eye on but don’t follow a lot of the economic discussion on the standard because it is too geeky for me. I think that’s probably true for many people. When the dominant socialisation is that the market, neoliberally driven economy is King TINA, how would we change that story for people that aren’t going to read Marx or who aren’t particularly interested in smashing capitalism?

       I like Vandana Shiva’s speech especially for its accessablity of ideas and concepts.
       • Murray Simmonds 1.1.1.1

         5 September 2016 at 3:48 am

         I agree, Weka. But I’m no economist by any stretch of the imagination. I do try to keep an eye out for discussions on the alternatives to Growth-based economies. But there doesn’t seem to be a lot out there.

         However, on a finite planet with finite resources that are rapidly diminishing, there seems to be no viable alternative, long-term, to zero-growth or “steady-state” economies.

         Unless one believes in “mining the moon and planets” or whatever. Which I don’t believe for one moment. Talk about “pie in the sky . . . .”
     • corokia 1.1.2

       4 September 2016 at 6:38 pm

       MP4 only better if you plan to sit looking at it. Listening while doing other things works better for me.
2. weka 2

   3 September 2016 at 11:56 am

   That was an exceptionally good speech. So many intelligent and thought-provoking things covered.
   • Murray Simmonds 2.1

     5 September 2016 at 8:17 am

     Just watched the video. Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for posting it Bill.

     This is a wonderfully insightful analysis of the stupidity of basing economic policy and governance upon the twin bogey-men of “Growth” and “GDP”.

     If only someone could get this important message through to our ruling politicians.
3. johnm 3

   4 September 2016 at 12:55 pm

   In a culture built on lies telling the truth is a revolutionary act!

   And may even get you ostracised or even killed!

   Not very festive!

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