Economy
In reply to the discussion: Weekend Economists Ask: R WEE Donne? January 8-10, 2016 [View all]Proserpina
(2,352 posts)practical solutions have been banned, made illegal, taken apart, exported, chopped to bits by outsourcing, etc.
The truly practical solutions, the ones that will work, consist of forming community: an intentional binding of a group of people to commit their efforts and resources to the survival of all in the group. You know, the kind of thing a nation used to be, or a tribe. Or a hippie commune, even. It doesn't happen today because:
1) too few resources in the hands of the people
2) too many psychopaths among us
Until we have a way to deal with the second issue, we will be reduced to fighting tooth and claw for survival in ever-smaller groups. The anomie (lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group), the atomization of the community, is already well-advanced in this nation and most of the Western nations. There are many forces that caused such division--what we need are forces that cause a cohesion. Solidarity! Our best bet at the moment is Bernie Sanders, by some serendipity, or blessing of an ill-natured fairy...
(Gilbert and Sullivan, Pirates of Penzance)
Early communities had strong requirements for membership, and used exile freely to enforce them. It didn't work in the long term nor even in the short-term, unless there was only one serial killer, or some such obvious criminal. Religions employed the same tactics: excommunication, Inquisition, etc. America's "rugged individualism" did a number on that idea, as did the religious wars in any form.
We need another method of making group participation appealing and effective, so that even the incipiently psycho amongst us feel compelled to restrain their evil side. A shared self-interest...rather like this thread!