Hi Grownups

Here's a little something to think about . . .

"We have a choice. We can keep complaining about greed, fraud, and cutthroat business practices. We can put up with the daily stress of unsuccessfully juggling jobs and family. We can tell ourselves there's nothing we can do about policies that damage our natural environment, create huge gaps between haves and have-nots, and lead to untold suffering. Or we can join together to help construct a saner, sounder, more caring economics and culture." Riane Eisler

I like what Riane Eisler says so much I want to share her wisdom with locals. I am almost finished her book "The Power of Partnership" and highly recommend it to those of you who would like a more caring economics.

More than that . . . .

To learn more Go To: www.centreforpartnershipstudies.org - After learning about the CPS and if you like what they do you are welcome to help me start a Centre for Partnership Studies in Christchurch. I have purchase the manual developed by the CPS.org to help with this.

Interested? Please communicate email address below

cpscanterbury@gmail.com

Thank you very much for time.

Bluecod, there is something fishy about your email addresses - both of them "not found" by my computer, but one of them, even though "not delivered", returned with a message - and a warning that there is a risk opening it. I did not try to open it.
Instead, I will try to get the book you recommend, and find out what the message you find too hard to explain on the grownups forum - is about.

Hi Jens

Sorry I think the problem might be the (www) in front of the Address.

My mistake sorry.

Bluecod - (Excellent fishy smell, taste delicious too).

P. S. Another tasty treat

February 19, 2009

Partisan Politics is so passé in a Full Spectrum Economy...

By Ann Kramer

Partisan politics has become the order of the day—but it is literally strangling us from getting anything done. But Partisan politics is intricately tied to the rules of the current 3 sector economy as measured by the GDP where only the markets, government and illegal sectors are counted in our economy. The limitations of our current economy force politicians into aligning with either the government or the private markets. We’re watching this as the Republicans scream ‘markets, markets, markets’ will take care of the economy and the stimulus is a government interruption and stealing your money. Then the Democrats are screaming “we need more government balance” and the stimulus is necessary because the markets have failed and left us in a depression. This either/or game is so yesterday!


Its time to get our heads out of the sand and recognize what is staring us in the face—that the current 3 sector economy is no longer meeting our needs and it is time to redesign it—not as an either/or system but a Full Spectrum, 6 sector economy that measures and monetizes the full spectrum of work that is necessary to sustain our lives. A Full Spectrum economy starts a whole new dialogue—instead of the either/or of government vs.markets, it’s the ‘and/both’ focus of enabling all 6 sectors to have their part in this new, vibrant economic system. Once we do this, the old either/or arguments of government vs. markets dissolve. Partisan politics become old news and those who want to continue to perpetuate partisan politics show their true colors—that they aren’t interested in creating a world that works, they’re interested only in maintaining status quo and the old power games.


A Full Spectrum economy is a 6 sector economy—

Markets—goods and services sold for profit/financial wealth generation

Government—services for the common good/financed through taxes on profits

Illegal—people create wealth outside traditional markets through illegal activities (we might not want this sector—but its very real)

Household enterprise—paying for the human capacity building in our homes which produces the adults available for the other sectors

Volunteer service—caring activities that support the community and build social wealth/social safety net

Natural environment—valuing the resources that enable the markets to produce goods and factoring this cost into the product/profit balance.


When we measure and monetize all of these activities in our economy ‘financial wealth creation’ goes beyond the sole reliance on the markets, This is necessary because the markets can no longer singularly carry that burden since the 70% consumer economy is coming to a halt whether we likeit or not. In fact, ‘wealth accumulation’ doesn't need to be limited strictly to financial wealth but can also include social wealth as can be measured in the volunteer sector as an example.

A Full Spectrum economy frees politicians to focus on building policies that are inclusive of all six sectors with the realization that in doing this it leads us out of the current chaos and into a vibrant new economy. And that’s a heck of a lot more fun than the old either/or world where nothing gets done by squabbling.


We don’t have time for partisan politics and these ridiculous, wasteful power games. The world’s economy is in collapse, neither the markets and the government can get us completely out of this mess, but a Full Spectrum Economy can. Let’s get to work on it.


For more information:Ann@partnershipway.org

A Full Spectrum Economy is based on the work by Riane Eisler, “A Real Wealth of Nations…creating a caring economics.

Hi Bluecod, I have read Eisler's book, and posted my review on the Books site.
The Full Spectrum Economy proposition as above seems to complicate matters - it does not suggest what to do, or alter about the 6 spectrums mentioned, and how can you change the political etc. ideas competition and debating process ?
I thought that Ownership Democracy - defined by at least a minimally meaningful level of personal (tangible) wealth ownership by all citizens eventually - would get us all pulling in one direction through the all-inclusive saving effort and thus go a long way towards what The Power of Partnership stands for.
What are your reasoned thoughts on that, I am not offended by substantiated exposure of faults or irrelevance or opposition?

Hi Guys

Here's a little note from Richard C. Cook

The Purpose of Money

What is the purpose of money?

This question has many theoretical answers but only one practical one–it’s to get what we want.

So the question really is what do we want.

And what we want depends on what kind of person we are.

If we are greedy, violent, and selfish, we will do many underhanded and dishonest things to get money. This will include creating a monetary system where whatever government we are living under will allow us to accumulate more and more wealth to our advantage and to the disadvantage of our neighbor. One good way to accomplish this is through a private banking system that creates money through lending it at interest.

If we are kind, altruistic, generous, and loving, we will create a monetary system that will allow each member of the community to create, produce, acquire what they need to live, provide for the future, prepare the way for the next generation, etc. This can be accomplished through various democratic methods such as government infrastructure investment, guaranteed education and health care, a basic income guarantee or citizens’ dividend, low-interest lending for beneficial purposes, etc.

In fact it is the duty of any responsible government to provide a medium of exchange for all citizens to use in the trading of goods and services as well as monetary “tickets” for everyone to use in gaining access to the benefits of the societal commons–land, resources, utilities, etc.

A monetary system that benefits mainly the controllers of society leads to the theft of the societal commons by the few to the detriment of everyone else.

The problem is that most people live at such a low level of consciousness that the higher purposes of life are overwhelmed by base motives. This is what most urgently needs to change.


This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 at 1:56 pm and is filed under Richard Cook Blog.

If you like what he says please check out his website and inparticular check out "The Cook Plan."

Go to www.richardccook.com

Don't forget the letter c after richard

It's interesting stuff

Bluecod

Bluecod - I don't think The Cook Plan - just $1000.- worth of vouchers per month for essentials as a "national dividend" to all citizens, together with starting a new banking system, is a realistic idea, because:
1. Economic realities stay still the same, regardless of the banking or monetary systems, and the reality applying to us humans is, that you cannot create anything out of nothing.
2. "Welfare vouchers" will help to eliminate poverty only if a proportion of them is not consumed, but saved and invested PROFITABLY IN PRODUCTIVITY, infrastructure etc.
3. So, the most effectively caring economy is one with a personal (retirement) capital savings and ownership factor built into the taxation system, which does not require complicated banking reforms which are really confusing compared to the straightforward banking we have now.