George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Making economic growth the overriding purpose, to which all else must be sacrificed, not only trashes ecological and social values. It's also spectacularly bad politics. Governments can't control growth, but when it dips, this government, by its own criteria, fails. A rod for its own back. 571396290
Alison H 🔶 @alisonh6.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Social values and people should be at the centre of politics 1110
davemac14.bsky.social @davemac14.bsky.social · 16/03/2025We need a wealth tax and we need it NOW. 020
Box of Frogs @boxoffrogs.bsky.social · 16/03/2025The idea that compound growth (i.e. fixed x% per year) could be sustainable is so obviously wrong that we need a reset of economic expectation. 020
Dr Adam R. North @northy1.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Exactly. Economic growth is an empty purpose because it’s not answering in whose benefit it serves? Surely we need to offer a vision and message for the future that actually addresses our (workers and environmentally conscious) concerns. 041
michele2e.bsky.social @michele2e.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Dear George, pitting values (and subjectivity) against economic growth is highly counterproductive. Why doing that? I hope you'll consider exploring the more scientific life versus Earth narrative where values, social and ecological, come as an added bonus. 021
Rob Jacobs @robjake.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Can add to that - growth for growths sake that goes to billionaires and is not shared is not growth; it is actually the opposite, it is removing assets from the wider economy. 0194
bj_chippindale @bjchippindale.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Economic Growth is demanded by our definition of "Money." (You used to follow me in that other place) Real money represents work done, limited by the laws of Thermodynamics. Our money represents debt with interest, limited by our gullibility. 100
Layer8 @layer8problem.bsky.social · 16/03/2025It's a lie though. They are only in favour of growth so long as it requires basically no investment, which basically rules out most serious avenues for growth. So growth is actually secondary to the logic of austerity. It's misleading to say growth is the 'overriding purpose' of this government. 030
Andy Smart @andysmart1948.bsky.social · 16/03/2025The theory is that once the very rich have got enough (i.e. never) then and only then they will agree to think about sharing more fairly. 030
Prof Alister Scott @profajscott.bsky.social · 16/03/2025It also will lead to perverse impacts given nature firms part of critical infrastructure Eventually short term gains will be wiped off 000
NanaJan @50swoman.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Spectacularly bad governance & a far greater rod for it's long suffering citizens. 020
Markeye @markeye.bsky.social · 16/03/2025It’s also dubious how much of any growth will actually benefit individuals struggling to cope with rising costs. And if there isn’t visible, tangible improvements for these people, this will be a one-term government. 040
Brizo75 @brizo75.bsky.social · 16/03/2025It's not real economic growth they are talking about, its GDP and not even per capita. The obsession with GDP as a metric for measuring an economies, or indeed a countries success, is the equivalent of celebrating your homes value rising as you and your family starve trying to pay the mortgage. 161
Jacques Riverain @jacquesriverain.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Well they can control growth. They choose no to and also to let it commence in an uneven way. 000
JWB @jwbsalevi.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Growth for growth's sake is just a phenomenally stupid metric. Media needs to stop playing into these gross oversimplifications for fear of losing the lazier remnants of their audience. 010
Peg Alexander @tvradiopeg.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Even the creator of the GDP growth concept said it should never be the sole aim or measurement of economic policy. 000
ala8.bsky.social @ala8.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Including throwing the sick and disabled under a bus by this nasty Labour party 010
Chris McGarry @chris-mcgarry.bsky.social · 17/03/2025Win the public over by educating them on how extreme wealth and asset acquisition is ruining their lives and then tax wealth properly. Play the long game to make sure you vanquish the media backlash. It’s not rocket science and the alternative is to strip hope from the majority. 000
vintagepatch.bsky.social @vintagepatch.bsky.social · 16/03/2025They’re failing to realise that growth comes from working and middle class people having money to spend. Introduce a wealth tax for the top 1% and take the pressure off those further down so they can help grow the economy with a bit more disposable income. 000
David McNab @mcfab59.bsky.social · 16/03/2025They can George. They absolutely can. They can strangle it through huge interest rate rises and austerity - or they can grow through socially and environmentally targeted deficit spending. Enough of the progressive learned helplessness. You don’t have to adopt their rules. #LearnMMT 000
18thcenturyboy.bsky.social @18thcenturyboy.bsky.social · 16/03/2025💯Starmer & Co. are really not very good politicians at all. 020
Summer Wolf @augustwolf.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Making growth your goal is either utterly delusional or entirely disingenuous. 081
Adam from Glasgow @1707unsubscribe.bsky.social · 16/03/2025re-define "growth" "growth" of ....what? and at whos expense? etc 000
HenoriusBooticus #FBPE 🇪🇺 @sanchopanzasmule.bsky.social · 16/03/2025As the old Troy misadministration dies..Starmer and the PR department meet. The candles are lit......no smoking and no pies and brown ale.... "Right we're called Labour" "Too much baggage Sir...we need to move on.." "So we can use New Labour..." "No Sir too much baggage.." "Right so New Tory" 000
Karen de Lange @karendelange.co.uk · 16/03/2025And growth for whom, anyway? If the strength of a society can be judged by its weakest participant, we're failing hard right now. 020
Siue Allen @sitebadger.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Rejoin EU would help on all fronts; single market/customs union do away with costly import/export difficulties, re-embrace environmental standards & offer protection through European courts. I personally know of 1 project where prosecution threat was a ‘spur’ to rehabilitating ecology/environment. 0101
Diana Strasser #FBPE #FBIW #FBPR @dianastrasser.bsky.social · 16/03/2025There is one area where they actually could control growth. If they were serious about growth long term they could easily just join the Single Market. 010
William Thomson @williameconomist.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Totally agree, George. We are trying to shift the narrative in Scotland towards resilience and away from growth. We are seeing good support for this. It's one of the themes for our festival of economics next week. 0121
mikel-snapper.bsky.social @mikel-snapper.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Hard to disagree. However, what other recognised metrics could be used to authentically represent an uplift in UK society? 000
manteg124.bsky.social @manteg124.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Totally. Stupid and boxed in.who is advising them .? Idiotic 000
lizziec.bsky.social @lizziec.bsky.social · 16/03/2025They fail to understand the most fundamental requirement for growth - confidence. They’ve been stripping it away from day 1. Benefits cuts latest. If it’s reinforced that there is no safety net, how does that inspire people to be confident? 161
greensdavid.bsky.social @greensdavid.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Yes, it implies a link between GDP growth and well being, "happiness", or fulfillment of the population, which is tenuous and indirect at best. Some Nordic countries have started to look at better, more representative measures. So should we. 0101
nearlytoolate @nearlytoolate.bsky.social · 17/03/2025There is, in fact, govnt guidance which you don’t seem to mention? And the bigger risks are power and water disruption, not two months without bread prepare.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared...prepare.campaign.gov.ukGet prepared for emergencies - PrepareHow to get informed and put a plan in place to prepare if an emergency comes to you in your area. 000
🆃🅷🅸🅽🅺🅸🆃🆃🅷🆁🅾🆄🅶🅷 @thinkitthrough.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Do this. taxingwealth.uktaxingwealth.ukTaxing Wealth Report 2024The Taxing Wealth Report 2024 seeks to answer the question that every journalist loves to ask of every politician, which is ‘how are you going to pay for it?’, whatever 'it' might be. What we know is... 020
Timlagor @timlagor.bsky.social · 16/03/2025bsky.app/profile/timl...Timlagor@timlagor.bsky.socialThe key here is that the government only loses out to it's conspirator-competitor and not to real change -and that loss is both comfortable and temporary. 000
Matt Langley @mattlangleyuk.bsky.social · 16/03/2025They certainly can control growth. There are clear handles like interest rates, tax, and regulation. These are the biggest influences on relative growth. They need growth to increase tax revenues to cover the increasing cost of public services and the need to match Russian military capability. 100
mtjnr 🏴🏴☠️🦁 @mtjnr.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Running the country like a corporation is never going to work. It barely works for corporations. 0110
bradley252.bsky.social @bradley252.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Covid was arguably a consequence of the growth mindset: short term outsourcing of manufacturing to China for cheap consumerism growth, leading to further habitat encroachment and dodgy animal management, the perfect conditions for zoonotic viruses to emerge. 000
Steve B @stevebasnett.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Growth governments strive for is driven by the financial industry and unsustainable. 90%+ of macroeconomics is generated by self-interest excess, and disproved by genuine, unbiased economists. Energy use and environmental damage to achieve that growth is too costly, ultimately to finance itself. 110
Allasse🏴 @allasse.bsky.social · 17/03/2025The irony is they call this capitalist monetary system an economy🤣 000
Ned the head. @coolaboola.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Are we citizens of an Economy or are we citizens of a Nation ? 191
Dennis Patton @dennispatton.bsky.social · 16/03/2025The Environment only exists to enable Growth. Party Policy. 000
Snaff @snafflesblue.bsky.social · 16/03/2025When we were told that things couldn't be afforded, it was because there was no "magic money tree". It now appears we can only afford things if we make sacrifices to the "magic growth tree" which is both outside of the govt's control and is made LESS viable without actual investment. 091
Michael @mikeyh71.bsky.social · 16/03/2025bsky.app/profile/mike...Michael@mikeyh71.bsky.socialGreat post from @garyseconomics.bsky.social covering the #inequality issue and tackling it. Hoping political parties like @greenparty.org.uk @scottishgreens.org @snp.org @libdems.org.uk @plaidcymru.bsky.social & @teamlabouruk.bsky.social are listening and support. youtu.be/rAb_p5DCC3E?...youtu.beHow to stop the economy from collapsingYouTube video by Garys Economics 000
Andy F @andyfinklaire.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Refreshing comments to hear: we all live on a finite planet. 020
bettybarcode (she/her) @bettybarcode.com · 16/03/2025As Edward Abbey said, "Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell." quoteinvestigator.com/2024/11/20/g...quoteinvestigator.comQuote Origin: Growth for the Sake of Growth Is the Ideology of the Cancer Cell – Quote Investigator® 060