A New and Radical Approach to Creating a Sustainable and Socially Just Society for the Benefit of Humanity

Collectively, we are driving the Earth and civilization toward collapse. its human activities beyond the limits of the planets. We are changing the climate, losing biodiversity, spoiling the earth, polluting fresh water, and damaging the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles on which we all depend.

We ask how this could happen. Also, why do democratically elected governments ignore the wishes of the majority of their people. Why some governments continue to export fossil fuels despite commitments to mitigate climate change. Why some go to war in distant lands without any debate in Parliament or Congress. Why do some give tax cuts to the wealthy while those on benefits struggle below the poverty line.

The answers to these questions all stem from one thing: decision makers and influencers are caught up in vested interests. This is the disturbing truth revealed in Our new bookThe path to a sustainable civilization: technological, social, economic and political change. But these forces can be overthrown.

We argue that it is not enough for civic organizations and governments to address specific issues related to the environment, social justice and peace. It is certainly necessary, but we must also fight for systemic change. This means challenging the secret driving forces of environmental destruction, social injustice and war, that is, “state capture” and the dominant economic system.

It’s 90 seconds to midnight on a day Doomsday clockso there is no time to waste.

counter state takeover

Political scientists And political economists Governments, public servants, and the media argue, even the majority of decision-makers and influencers have become dominated by special interests.

This is known as state families, where state means the nation-state. The kidnappers include the fossil fuel, weapons, finance, property and gambling industries.

State capture can also include foreign governments. There is justified concern in Australia and elsewhere about Subversion by the Chinese Communist Party.

However, there is little discussion of the fact that since 2015, Six retired US admirals. I worked for the Australian government before Aucus Announcement of nuclear powered submarines.

The capture of the state may explain why Australia’s defense was shifted to the South China Sea under American sovereignty.

Countering state capture involves reversing many undemocratic practices. Of particular concern is Funding political parties Through corporate interests as well revolving door functions between government and corporate interests.

There is also a concentration of media ownership and influence The so-called “think tanks” funded by vested interests.

The first step is to create coalitions or networks to oppose the power of special interests. This would bring together diverse civil society organizations with common interests in democratic integrity and civil liberties.

One example is Australian Democracy Network, which campaigns for “changes that make our democracy fairer, more open, participatory, and accountable.” The network was established in 2020 by the Human Rights Law Centre, Australian Preservation Foundation and Australian Council of Social Service.

The challenge of economic ideology

traditional economic theory let us down when it comes to recovering from The global financial crisis From 2007–09 and Coronavirus disease pandemic. However, many governments still accept her recipes.

Dangerous and destructive myths of traditional economics include the following claims:

• Economic theory can treat the natural environment as an infinite resource and as an infinite waste dump
• Endless economic growth on a finite planet is both possible and desirable
• Wealth flows from the rich to the poor
• Welfare and welfare can be measured by GDP
• Government intervention in the market should be avoided.

Although these myths have been refuted many times, even before Famous economist Joseph StiglitzThey still determine a lot of government policy.

Australian economist Steve Kane first published Expose the economy in 2001. The financial crisis of 2007 gave him plenty of material for a revised edition in 2011. Richard Dennis gave us Iconobabble: How to decode political spin and economic bullshit in 2021. Yet, as John Quiggin so eloquently put it, dead ideas still haunt the Earth (Zombie economics.

It has devastating effects on our life support system (the biosphere) and social justice. Excessive consumption is one of the major factors destroying our planet, especially consumption by rich individuals and rich countries.

An economic framework more appropriate to human and planetary well-being is an interdisciplinary field environmental economics.

In contrast to neoclassical economics, environmental economics prioritizes environmental sustainability and social justice over economic efficiency. He works for the transition to a stable state economy. That is, there is no global increase in the use of energy, materials, and land, and no increase in population.

Since planetary boundaries are already crossed and low-income countries must develop, social justice requires that rich countries submit to it Planned growth decline.

On the road to a sustainable civilization, environmental protection and social justice must be addressed together. Because the rich are responsible for the largest environmental impacts, reducing the gap between the rich and the poor is crucial.

Comprehensive basic services Such as improving public health, education, housing and transportation – funded by the government Job guaranteeGreater equality can be achieved and people given incentives to support transition.

citizen action

Why do governments free themselves from state capture and ignore the ideology of economics? Former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once told the delegation, “Well, you’ve convinced me. Now get out there and make me do it!” In other words, voter pressure is needed to make government actions politically possible.

This is why we need citizen-based groups in the fields of environment, social justice, public health and peace to form coalitions to challenge the cross-cutting issues of state capture and flawed economic ideology.

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