Obesitas Economicas

The modern economistificator steadfastly believes that the remedy for any problem is growth. Everything must grow, markets, money supply, debts and of course, populations. These geniuses assert that growth is the motor of prosperity. And through complex smoke and mirror acts they entice the ignoramus credulosus into their utopia. Laws are made to promote growth. Growth becomes the only statistic that unites left and right. Growth is the drug that appeases the political mind; the opium of the omnipotent.
 
One cannot argue with “experts” because they hold the upper hand, they know everything, and you know nothing – that is why they are “experts”. Another problem with arguing against “experts” is that you have the burden of proving them wrong. So, being a fearless sceptic, I have decided to take up the challenge; to disperse the opium clouds and to reveal the truth.
 
Allow me a small comparison before I bring in the big guns. If you compare your life to that of your father's, you will notice that in the grand scheme of things conditions are near identical; you work the same hours, maybe more. You have the same holidays. You have a similar standard of material comfort (a washing machine, a car, heating, a beer when you want one). Your father retired at 60, while you will have to work to 67. A “doubling” in the size of the economy has not given you (and the vast majority of people like you) any major advantages in terms of free time or choice of what to do with your life.
 
So, the fundamental question is why do we need a growing economy when such major changes have little effect on real people’s lives? Even in poor countries, growth has failed spectacularly to alleviate poverty.
 
The experts will have you believe that economic growth is absolutely necessary to keep the wheels of modern life turning (in the right direction). But I think it is just plain econo-politico bullshittery. We don’t need economic growth. Economic growth will not solve the fundamental problems of human behaviour.
Growth will not make you richer, growth will not alter the fact that some will always be much poorer than others, growth will not reduce the incentives to cheat and steal and growth does not make people more charitable and good natured.
Growth is the primary cause of our environmental woes. Further economic growth will undoubtedly exacerbate these issues and reduce living standards.
 
There can be only two reasons why economic growth is necessary; people want to own more ‘stuff’ so they drink the Cool Aid and live in stress while waiting for financial nirvana, or because elections are won or lost on the state of the economy, and no politiclown wants to lose an election.
So, economistificators dispel growth theories from their assholes so that Politiclowns can win elections and keep the economistificators in a job.
 
While these shenanigans have been going on, nobody has noticed the adverse effects of perpetual economic growth – not even the “experts”.
When I inadvertently removed my rose-tinted glasses, I could not help noticing that the world is now in an irreversible state of Obesitas Economicas.
 
Obesitas Economicas (don’t bother to Google it, I made it up for the occasion) is an economic condition in which excess economy (money, things etc.) has accumulated to the extent that it has a negative effect on our, and our planet’s wellbeing. It increases the likelihood of various states of disorders, particularly uncontrollable debt, unemployment, stress related problems, poverty and political constipation. The earth suffers more from growth than humans, probably because the earth does not want to own things, or to go on exotic holidays.
 
Obesitas Economicas may preventable through a combination of social change and personal choices.
We need to stop pandering to the Economistificators and their lackeys, the Politiclowns. We need to stop believing political promises of a better future, the marketing genie and Playboy magazine. We need to realize that the possession of ‘stuff’ does not define us as humans.
 
Things go on, until they can’t.