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Published on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 by CommonDreams.org
The Value Of Nothing - Raj Patel
"Opening with Oscar Wilde’s observation that “nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing,” Patel shows how our faith in prices as a way of valuing the world is misplaced. He reveals the hidden ecological and social costs of a hamburger (as much as $200), and asks how we came to have markets in the first place. Both the corporate capture of government and our current financial crisis, Patel argues, are a result of our democratically bankrupt political system."
More about Raj Patel and 'The Value of Nothing': http://rajpatel.org/
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9 Comments so far
Show AllValue = 0bama.
I was watching a show on volcanos on TV: "The eruption of Mount St. Helens caused over a billion dollars in damages"
What are they talking about? Loss of timber? Loss of buildings? Loss of tourism dollars? How can a natural function of the earth's crust be measured in dollars?
How much damage might have occurred had the volcano not erupted?
How much per cubic foot is a mountain worth?
Is money the only measure of loss or gain?
The answers to these questions point to a very strange way of viewing reality, and may be the answer to what is going on with this so called financial crisis.
It may be the answer to a lot of things.
By injecting sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, St Helens may have held off the worst effects of Global Warming for 2-5 years. Since that is a global effect, I wonder what THAT was worth? (and whether it made it into the calculation)
At the top of the reading list.
I am more than halfway through this book. The $200 for a hamburger mentioned here is actually a reference to another report by the Center for Science & Environment in New Delhi, India, and details of the calculation are not shown. (I've seen a report online, on the carbon footprint of a hamburger, though - from a European research team). However, it's a sincere attempt to draw attention to some major issues today, and Raj Patel's thinking seems absolutely clear and his heart is in the right place. I find the examples of activists taking on powerful interests inspiring. Funny how the 'peasants' with little education can see through so much economic BS much more clearly.
I've been thinking lately - why is that some books that came out several years ago, famous for a while, but didn't have the impact that people expected they would? Books such as "Limits to Growth", "Small is Beautiful", "The Growth Illusion", "Our Ecological Footprint" and so on. These were groundbreaking books in some sense - as they set the tone in some respects. And yet, things have only gotten worse. Something more is needed than just an appeal to reason.
" MONEY for nothing, and chicks for FREE"
What a sexist rant.
Raj Patel ROCKS! He is one of the most balanced, clear, and innovative thinkers of our time!
How about a FINANCIAL COMMONS? ... there is a new decentralized model currently forming, here in the US, which YOU can help to start by getting ready to move your money locally:
Common Good Bank
democratic economics for a sustainable world
http://www.commongoodbank.com
Common good banks are designed to be the cornerposts of a new economic system -- a democratic, community-based system that can spread very quickly, empowering people everywhere to take control of their own economic destiny. This is not just another bank with a social mission. This is
...a social mission with a bank!
Ed Democracy
http://www.Democracy207.com
Sounds an awfully lot like a credit union. What's the difference?
I LOVE Raj!