Dave's view of "Britain's economic future"

[greenman]

Ah, Tories......
Capital accepts no boundaries as limits.
Resource depletion, climate change, pollution, species extinction are all boundaries to Capital that "environmentalists" (i.e. not ecologists or ecosocialists) would present as limitations on capital and demand a halt - i.e a "humanised" and limited, restrained Capital - historically a repeated failure and even more unlikely in our globalised world (of triumphalist "liberal" capitalism) than in the heyday of Keynsianism.
Capital (of which the "New" Old Tories affect to currently represent a particular national and resurgent element, finding it politically convenient to keep the now extra unpopular Thatcherite finance capitalists in the shadows for the time being - the New Labour Tories largely representing a more internationalist and corporatist variety of interests) as I say, rejects the idea of boundaries as limits - limitation of capital is the decay of capital (or on the international stage its' eclipse by less constrained varieties). Hence the idea of green capital and green capitalism - accumulation can continue by leaping the boundaries and not accepting them as limits. Hence the result of "green capitalism"? The destruction of any qualititive advances by quantitive expansion. More fuel for the fire - More consumption of energy and resources, more commodification, more insult to ecosystems, more exploitation, more colonialism, all with a nice shiny new green coat of paint.
The emancipation of labour and the cooperative commonwealth remain the goals required to end the suicidal capitalist drive to accumulate, destroy or subjugate every last human, vegetable, animal and mineral on the planet.
But if you prefer Butchers' response I'll go with that too

 

[shagnasty]

Sadly I can't see that happening because there isn't much parking in high streets. When I'm at home I walk everywhere local, unless I'm doing a big shop. I go to the local Indian green grocer, the local coffee shop etc the vast majority of people in my street hop in the car to waitrose because they can park.

Yes but that was about change .most ideas from the political parties is to carry on as before when the crunch ends or through it.i believe there needs to be change i can;t say what it will be but it needs to come

 

[gosub]

The Guardian's George Monbiot has questioned the sincerity of David Cameron's green ideals. Like most aspects of Mr Cameron's platform, I suspect it's been adopted purely as a route to political office. If Mr Cameron actually believes it, all credit to him. I'm glad he believes in something.

Investing in computer and communications technology is sensible, but basing your economy around an intangible product is silly. An "information economy" is predicated on the idea that we can sell, well, ideas. Other "developing" countries will work out how to do this for themselves rapidly enough, and then where are we?
I'm not against government spending in principle. I'm against very little in principle. I'd support temporary and judicious spending to kickstart the economy, depending on the proposal, but not a general belief that the state can spend its way out of trouble. That's ever bit as limited as its free market opposite number.

I completely agree with your cynicism, however the term "information economy" is within the global zeitgeist. It contains unlying ideas and ramifications at least as deep as the current economic turbulence that our political classes have proved so inept at getting their head around (with apologies to those in both Houses that called for the Banking crisis to be addressed in the last session of Parliament{there were a few}).

There is for the start the quagmire of copyright for a start, and more particularly crown copyright a theoretical advantage in info sharing in a globalized world , but then I think of the evolution of Quinetic out of DSTL and DERA at the same time as Commonwealth servicemen requiring additional(UK centric) clearances for UK service and think its probably been squandered - the more room(acreage) you have for secret stuff, better secret stuff against increased development with UK outside the loop e.g Indian Space Program.

Second bit for me is genetics and this gets me twitching on at least a couple of points Firstly A really good chapter on Wellcome vs the US Human Genome project (Rest of book is quite good), the US appears to have really non open source ideas about genes that I think will impact not only medicine but at the very least agriculture where my concern (unaddressed by BBC broadcasts) is the impact of biodiversity within ecosystems- a growing dependence on GM seed banks and possible monopolies therein (not so much will eating it kill me).

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

I try not to do partisan here, but frankly if you want Green you have to vote Green. Thats about it. The others really cant be trusted.

So much about the way society is structured is unsustainable (in the true sense of the word, not the co-opted sense). Green solutions are the only ones with a hope of taking us forward and the Green Party is the only hope of implementing them via elected authorities. Perfect? Nope. Corruptible? Certainly. But the best hope we have. Support your local Green Party. If there aint one then be your local Green Party. They need you, The Greens dont get bungs from corporations and the elite.

 

[Demosthenes]

And if everyone who isn't going to bother to vote at the next election votes green instead, we'll have a green party government.