The Usual Suspects
Who killed the economy?
Pointing fingers seems to be the new national pastime and I’m appointing myself referee of the blame game for a minute. I’m not an economist, I’m an ecologist, but since most people don’t pay attention to ecologists and they do pay at least some attention (and often a lot of money) to economists, lawyers, and doctors, I’ll pretend just for fun.
No doubt many of the recently alleged instances of mismanagement did contribute to the economy’s downfall. However, I would like to suggest that everyone is looking in the wrong place, or, more precisely, on the wrong scale, for the culprit. The problem is a great deal bigger and older than any of our current so-called leaders, and the absurdities and atrocities committed in the past decade have been more or less in keeping with the fundamental logic of the economy.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I humbly suggest a different solution to our case. The prosecutors have not given adequate consideration to the possibility of suicide as cause of death. I am prepared to offer evidence.
The opposite of ‘sustainable’ is ‘unsustainable.’ ‘Unsustainable’ means ‘can’t keep going.’ Think back to 11th grade American history. What happens when widespread buying on credit and speculation on real estate and the stock market combine with natural disasters, drought, and crop failure? Has anyone read the headlines lately? What is to prevent it from happening again?
Only through deceitful externalization of (real) human and ecological costs and elaborate manipulation of (imaginary) money has the economy survived this long. October of ’29 was not a fluke, it was a warning. We ain’t seen nuthin yet.
The economy is killing itself.
Our patient is in critical condition. Despite (or rather due to) recent periods of robust activity, the deferred maintenance on its infrastructure is reaching unmanageable levels and damage to vital organs may be irreversible. The military-industrial respirator that has kept the system chugging for so long now seems to be on the fritz and refills for the petroleum IV keep getting harder to come by. I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, folks, but the prognosis is touch-and-go. We’ll do our best to maintain homeostasis by every means at our disposal. Meanwhile, perhaps you’d want to go and call the family?
Pointing fingers seems to be the new national pastime and I’m appointing myself referee of the blame game for a minute. I’m not an economist, I’m an ecologist, but since most people don’t pay attention to ecologists and they do pay at least some attention (and often a lot of money) to economists, lawyers, and doctors, I’ll pretend just for fun.
No doubt many of the recently alleged instances of mismanagement did contribute to the economy’s downfall. However, I would like to suggest that everyone is looking in the wrong place, or, more precisely, on the wrong scale, for the culprit. The problem is a great deal bigger and older than any of our current so-called leaders, and the absurdities and atrocities committed in the past decade have been more or less in keeping with the fundamental logic of the economy.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I humbly suggest a different solution to our case. The prosecutors have not given adequate consideration to the possibility of suicide as cause of death. I am prepared to offer evidence.
The opposite of ‘sustainable’ is ‘unsustainable.’ ‘Unsustainable’ means ‘can’t keep going.’ Think back to 11th grade American history. What happens when widespread buying on credit and speculation on real estate and the stock market combine with natural disasters, drought, and crop failure? Has anyone read the headlines lately? What is to prevent it from happening again?
Only through deceitful externalization of (real) human and ecological costs and elaborate manipulation of (imaginary) money has the economy survived this long. October of ’29 was not a fluke, it was a warning. We ain’t seen nuthin yet.
The economy is killing itself.
Our patient is in critical condition. Despite (or rather due to) recent periods of robust activity, the deferred maintenance on its infrastructure is reaching unmanageable levels and damage to vital organs may be irreversible. The military-industrial respirator that has kept the system chugging for so long now seems to be on the fritz and refills for the petroleum IV keep getting harder to come by. I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, folks, but the prognosis is touch-and-go. We’ll do our best to maintain homeostasis by every means at our disposal. Meanwhile, perhaps you’d want to go and call the family?
posted by Ingrid at 5:05 PM
2 Comments:
Ingrid,
I appreciate this for many reasons, not the least of which because I am doing CPE in a nursing home this summer, so medical talk is everywhere. :)
But in all seriousness, I really appreciate this point of view you are offering. And you are right. This whole thing is ridiculous...we just never understand that we can't keep repeating history.
Thanks, Alaina!
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