Across the industrialised world we face a set of problems, that are destined to be the problems of all people across the whole world. The affordability of the social-democratic State is in question, particularly in a low growth and resource constrained world. The inevitable time constraints on resolving this issue means that if it is... Continue Reading →
Service, not material, is the basis of human groups
Human society, as it is currently configured, is unaffordable. Why? Because service, not material, is the true basis of human groups. Membership of a group costs every individual member of the group a little something, an intangible, and not the same thing from every person, but something from everyone. The group returns something to every individual... Continue Reading →
Crisis of Living Cost
It’s not unreasonable to define the crisis we are in as a ‘cost of living crisis’. It costs too much to live an ordinary life: it costs too much money, it costs too much freedom, and it costs too much planet. One solution to something costing too much is to earn more to cover those costs.... Continue Reading →
UK policy: trapped behind the yield curve
If you want to understand why all of the major UK political parties are committing to essentially the same fiscal strategy, i.e. reducing borrowing to zero by the end of the next parliament, then you're going to have to understand what the "yield curve" is. The "yield curve" is a line drawn on a graph... Continue Reading →
Why WellFair Works Fair
The welfare debate has become confused and poisonous. We are firmly in the territory of "deserving" versus "undeserving" poor, when the real issue is affordability. As all advanced societies start to grapple with the challenge of how to run a peaceful, modern society within the confines of a low growth economy and within a sustainable... Continue Reading →
Common sense for Proper Change
It may not feel like it right now, but we are in desperate straits, and in need of radical change if we are to maintain the society that we have built over the last 300 years. Britons deserve the right to choose a proper solution at the next general election, and that is why we... Continue Reading →
We have to solve the real problems
The real problem is that we are not running a working system. Not economically or financially. Not socially. Not environmentally. Economically we are not balancing our books, and using debt to plug the gap. And we are paying millions of people to do nothing, in a society were simply existing is expensive, financially and environmentally. Socially... Continue Reading →
Dependency & Tax
There is a direct link between dependency ratios and tax rates, and this limits the extent to which a mature human society can be capitalist or commercially-dominant. First of all, let's assume that the total activity necessary to support an individual person remains constant throughout their life. Babies and really old people need lots of... Continue Reading →
Math problems for the status quo
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) released a report today on the state of the world economy and national budgets. It makes for pretty dire reading - especially if you think we are already suffering under unbearable austerity. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23028023Bottom line: interest rates will at least double before the next General Election, and none of the incumbent... Continue Reading →
