Are we just selfish brutes who need to be civilised into social, moral behaviour? If not, where do our decency and altruism come from? Can we resist the tides of fear and control rolling over us and cultivate more compassionate and peaceable societies? [Published by Pearls & Irritations 10 July 2025] Elon Musk reckons ‘the… Read More Empathy, morality, civilisation, and resisting tyrants
Deregulation basically allowed the financial system to break out of its relatively small, useful role and become a huge parasite, sucking wealth to the already-wealthy and depriving the poor and middle class.… Read More How Ronald Reagan Started the Ruination of the USA
To properly stop the machine we need to look more carefully, to find the off-switch. Only turning the machine’s engine off will finally stop the destruction. Where is the engine, the beating heart of this global materialist-consumerist-industrial civilisation?… Read More Unconstrained competitive markets are the heart of the planetary problem
We are assured our alleged alliance with our great and powerful friend, the United States, is based on shared values. Really? I went to the pictures the other day, to see a doco about Aussie football. It featured a focus on winning, certainly, but by means of teamwork, having fun, having a healthy family life… Read More Shared values?
I expect to resume more frequent commentary, though not on a regular schedule.… Read More Resuming
It is possible to create a much fairer, safer and more durable society than we have at present. The means are available, if we dispense with myths and special interests. It is there for us to do.… Read More A Thrival Budget
The neoliberal, social engineering experiment in privatisation has been an economic failure and a social disaster. Underpaid, insecure, fearful people can become desperate. They can look for someone to blame, and someone to save them.… Read More What if Labor has still got it all wrong?
It is getting harder to place non-mainstream commentary in either online or traditional media. The reasons are not very clear, but the continuing disruptions by social media evidently are the underlying problem. My take on our society is anchored in my analysis that reveals mainstream economics to be hopelessly misguided and misleading, and in my… Read More Thrival economics?
Thrival Economics 