Economy

I’ve no desire to make strong claims about what is achieved by serving mince pies to neighbours and strangers, but I will say that, from these humble, stumbling experiments in convivial economics, I am learning things that I would not have caught sight of, had I tried to do all my thinking through books and screens and the kind of conversations that come with footnotes

In a “wellbeing economy”, government policies, business activities, and citizens’ behaviour are aimed at meeting our physical, social, and spiritual needs within planetary boundaries. It doesn’t mean we’re anti-growth; we’re just more selective about it.

Economists in the mainstream have typically looked down on the heretical ideas of these ecological economists and promoted a solution that leaves their core theories as little changed as possible: externalities.

So while ancient and modern commoners may share a disdain for capitalism, ancient wisdom traditions bring much more gravitas and insight to the challenges we face than, say, politicians and political parties.

If critical masses of people could recognise this fully, and join forces to finally say ‘enough!’ to this misleading belief about ‘making it’, perhaps there would be a real chance that something better could arise in its place.

In this article, we’ll see why cascading disruptions of environmental and political systems are entangled and mutually reinforcing. We’ll also try to identify the next stages of global collapse, and explore the options for individuals and communities seeking to survive and to prevent as much harm and suffering as possible.