Re: The joy of actual numbers, was Democracy

On Tue, 29 Oct 2024 18:35:16 GMT, Charlie Gibbs wrote:

On 2024-10-29, The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:
 

On 29/10/2024 15:18, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>

Which attempts fundmentally can be attributed to modern capitalist
theory that requires constant growth.   Without new consumers,
how can the economy expand?
 
Is it time for a steady-state economy?

 
The problem is that most modern economies have a social care and debt
Ponzi scheme, that relies on more people earning more money to pay for
it.
>
Stop the new people and the scheme collapses.

 
Don't stop the new people and the scheme collapes a bit later due to
resource exhaustion.  It's no different from any other Ponzi scheme.
 

https://steadystate.org/discover/definition-of-steady-state-economy/

>
Well it will have to come eventually, but the transition will be
painful

 
Perhaps - but it might be less painful than a Malthusian crash.

I can never remember if high time preference or low time preference is the
one that thinks '$100 today is better than a tomorrow that may never come'
but it does seem to be the dominant philosophy.

The cornucopians think there will always be a technological fix. Someday
they will reach into the hat to pull out the next rabbit and find out
there ain't no more rabbits.