Joseph Stiglitz : The end of neoliberalism and the rebirth of history

[Martin Eden]

23. "Deregulation" is made possible by deeper problems

Last edited Sat Nov 30, 2019, 09:35 AM - Edit history (1)

At the very core is misplaced values and a lack of quality education.

Education needs to do more than train individuals to be productive cogs in an economic machine, pursuing monetary wealth. A functional representative democracy requires a citizenry educated in history, geography, culture, civics, and a broad swath of subjects in the context of a deeper understanding of the human condition and the Earth which sustains life in all its amazing diversity.

Our values are too often short-sighted, hedonistic, and too easily manipulated. We chase the latest shiny object while the "virtue" of endless economic growth concentrates wealth and power at the top while converting our planet's resources into pollution.

There are no easy answers to these core problems. How do we maintain a high standard of living (in the context of what makes life worth living) while changing the economic model which is ravaging our planet and so many of its inhabitants?

On the level of individuals, perhaps the greatest tragedy is the loss of human potential. Children are born and raised in dysfuntional households by parent(s) who themselves were sorely lacking in a loving environment and/or the mentoring and education essential for human development from the earliest stages.

These core problems can be a downward spiral among the collective "we," or positive changes can build one upon another into a more enlightened and sustainable future.

It all depends on each of us and on the leaders we choose from the local to the national level.

The presidency of Donald Trump can be the nadir which sparks the kind of civic engagement necessary to change our human condition for the better, or this ugly symptom of a deeper disease can be the herald of a further descent into madness and self destruction.

This truly is the most important election of our lives. Victory next November will merely provide an opportunity, with so much more yet to be accomplished.