Are Economists Killing Us?
The Destructive Consequences of Growth-Obsessed Economics
The dominant economic paradigm of endless growth and profit maximization is wreaking havoc on our planet and society.
The mindset of "war consciousness" - characterized by scarcity, competition, and domination - is deeply ingrained in the thinking of many mainstream economists. Their theories and models often frame economic interactions as zero-sum conflicts where one party's gain is another's loss. This adversarial worldview shapes their policy prescriptions and the economic systems they help create.
Economists' single-minded pursuit of GDP growth, often at the expense of equity, sustainability and human wellbeing, is quite literally killing us. Their theories and policies have created economic systems that concentrate wealth in the hands of a few while perpetuating poverty, inequality, social unrest and environmental degradation.
The Degradation of Human Experience
The relentless drive for growth has degraded the human experience in myriad ways. As wealth concentrates, the social fabric frays - trust, community, and shared purpose give way to isolation, anxiety and despair. Inequality breeds resentment and scapegoating, fueling the rise of authoritarianism and "us vs. them" mentalities.
Poverty and lack of opportunity push many to the margins, where they are more vulnerable to recruitment by extremist ideologies and criminal networks. Hopelessness and rage can erupt into violence, both against others and oneself. Suicide rates, drug overdoses, and mass shootings have skyrocketed in recent decades, symptoms of a society coming apart at the seams.
The War Consciousness
The "war consciousness" described by Dr. Teri Baydar - a mindset of scarcity, competition, and domination - has become the default mode of our growth-obsessed economy. Businesses battle for market share, workers compete for scarce jobs, and nations fight over resources and trade advantages. This zero-sum mentality breeds conflict, both interpersonal and geopolitical.
A few key ways this "war consciousness" manifests in economics:
1. Modeling economic agents as rational, self-interested actors who will exploit others if given the chance. Game theory and contest models in economics often assume agents will choose strategies to maximize their own payoffs, even at the expense of others[3][6].
2. Prioritizing GDP growth and competitiveness over equity, sustainability, and human wellbeing. The relentless pursuit of growth, often enabled by economists' advice, has led to the concentration of wealth and power, perpetuating poverty and environmental destruction[1][2].
3. Framing economic relationships as zero-sum competitions where one party's gain is another's loss. Trade wars, labor-management conflicts, and battles over market share are seen as inevitable and even desirable outcomes in this view[5].
4. Justifying the use of force and coercion to maintain economic order and property rights. Economists often support the use of state power to crush labor unions, enforce contracts, and protect corporate interests[2].
5. Ignoring or downplaying the human costs of economic policies, like the social dislocation and suffering caused by austerity measures, trade liberalization, and structural adjustment programs[2].
Ultimately, the war consciousness of mainstream economics reflects a failure of imagination - an inability to envision economic relationships as positive-sum, where cooperation and mutual care can lead to greater prosperity for all. Embracing an alternative "love consciousness" grounded in abundance, empathy and ecological stewardship is essential for creating a more just and sustainable economic future.
The Path Forward: Love Consciousness
To heal our fractured world, we must embrace the "love consciousness" that Dr. Baydar advocates. This mindset of abundance, cooperation and mutual care is the antidote to the war consciousness of the current economic paradigm. It recognizes that we are all in this together, that there is enough to go around if we share and steward resources wisely.
Transitioning to alternative economic models like doughnut economics, commonweal economy, and post-growth economics can help us escape the growth trap. These approaches prioritize human and ecological wellbeing over profit, promote local resilience and collective resource management, and measure progress in terms of thriving, not just accumulation.
Implementing these alternatives will require a profound shift in consciousness - from scarcity to abundance, from competition to cooperation, from domination to partnership with nature. It means recognizing our deep interconnectedness and acting accordingly. The love consciousness is not just a personal choice, but a societal necessity if we are to survive and thrive in the 21st century.
Economists have led us down a dark path of destruction. It's time to chart a new course, one guided by love for each other and the planet we share. The future of humanity depends on it.
Leadership Development Coach/CEO Whisperer | #1 Best Selling Author, Love Consciousness Advocate, Speaker and Podcaster
Citations:
[1] https://www.economist.com/schools-brief/2015/09/12/the-hard-problem
[2] https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/peps-2015-0047/html?lang=en
[3] https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1225&context=esi_working_papers
[5] https://www.jstor.org/stable/2539041
[6] https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/80277/1/MPRA_paper_80277.pdf
[7] https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/08/10/the-perfectionism-trap
[8] https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/we-need-to-talk-about-the-original-sin-of-economics
[9] https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/conflict-theory.asp
[11] https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/10.1257/jep.8.2.3
[12] http://www.untag-smd.ac.id/files/Perpustakaan_Digital_2/POLITICAL%20ECONOMY%20The%20political%20economy%20of%20global%20security%20%20war,%20future%20crises%20and%20changes%20in%20glo.pdf[13] https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2022/08/16/will-ai-achieve-consciousness