Nostr

With extra resources, one can either pursue expansion, or an improved quality of life. Not both.

The allure of expansion is pushed on the people, because it justifies inflation, longer working lives, and austerity measures that shift value from social services to corporate needs.

I advocate for investing in improved quality of life at the expense of expansion. A steady-state economy, which incorporates a deflationary currency like Bitcoin, leads to less consumption, shorter working lives, resource availability for the poor, and more equitable social policies. The billionaire class, and the corporations and governments that kowtow to them, will have to give up their thrones of exploitation.

Undisciplined 2y ago

I'm often trying to gently encourage friends and family to think along these lines.

In particular, I suggest they pencil out how much of the earnings from their second income earner they get to keep and whether that's worth all the time they are giving up.

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Discussion

Aurelius 2y ago

They preach that inflation is good. Inflation is good if you want to encourage spending over saving. That spending culture drives exchange, which fuels corporate profits and regressive tax growth. That culture also keeps people working longer, which further shifts work energy from the people to the neoliberals who design economic policies.

Aurelius 2y ago

Most of our “growth” is contrived…just a balance sheet rendition of the effects of inflation.

Undisciplined 2y ago

You're raising good pro-social reasons for changing work-life balance, but it's also generally aligned with selfish preferences too and people just don't realize it.