We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Has America’s Economy Entered the “Coffin Corner”?

Click here to access article by Fabius Maximus from Wolf Street. 

Maximus uses some very apt aerodynamic metaphors to illustrate the dilemmas confronting our capitalist masters ensconced in central banks as they desperately try to maintain their craft aloft.
In the absence of effective and comprehensible economic theory, economists often rely on analogies. Such as comparisons with aerodynamics. Flying complex vehicles at high speed under variable conditions, often with inadequate or old information — the role of pilot has similarities with that of central banker.
I particularly loved one comment by "Simon" following the article:
Just to riff [expand] a little more on the analogy….. we ought to add that the ‘central banker pilot’ is trying to keep the ‘plane’ aloft whilst strapping on his own parachute, making sure that his/her buddies have chutes also, whilst telling those in coach that everything is going swimmingly and we will all be ok!
 ...oh and those in coach are worrying about what movie they should watch! (ignorance is truly bliss).
"Altitude" in this analogy should be interpreted as the aircraft approaches the limits of the Earth's atmosphere--clearly a metaphorical referent to a capitalist economy which is running up against resource limits, especially cheap fossil fuels, to keep their giant wealth-sucking machinery fueled for more growth.