Is 'sustainable cities' an oxymoron or can they be made to work?
Reinventing the World: Economics
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
ECONOMICS takes an insightful look at the modern economic system and its purported benefit to global society. It denounces the myths that everything has a price tag, purchasing things will bring people happiness, and that wealth, happiness, and fulfillment are inseparable from money. It asserts that focusing on human and natural capital can truly benefit society and suggests that the values of life outweigh financial values. Featured are David Korten and Maude Barlow, along with Paul Hawken, Amory and Hunter Lovins and the ideas presented in their book Natural Capitalism.'
ECONOMICS and its companion program, CULTIVATING CHANGE, introduce us to innovative people, and their ideas for practical solutions to the big problems affecting all of us. Hosted by Canadian author, gardener, and activist Des Kennedy, both programs offer clear alternatives to the questions we are all facing at the beginning of this new millennium.
Citation
Main credits
Springbett, David (film director)
Springbett, David (film producer)
MacAndrew, Heather (screenwriter)
Kennedy, Des (narrator)
Kennedy, Des (screenwriter)
Other credits
Editor, Jack Morbin; photography, Gord More - Quadra Productions; original music, Tobin Stokes.
Distributor subjects
American Studies; Canadian Studies; Capitalism; Community; Economics; Ethics; Globalization; International Studies; Local Economies; Marketing and Advertising; SociologyKeywords
WEBVTT
00:00:22.690 --> 00:00:27.280
All the blue
00:00:51.450 --> 00:00:55.479
In Borneo in the 1950s the Diak people had
00:00:55.480 --> 00:00:57.698
malaria and the World Health Organization
00:00:57.699 --> 00:00:59.949
had a solution they would
spray DDT all over which
00:00:59.950 --> 00:01:03.698
they did and it seemed to work it killed
the mosquitoes so the malaria decline.
00:01:03.699 --> 00:01:08.183
So far so good but there were
00:01:08.184 --> 00:01:12.848
unexpected side effects for example the
rooves of people\'s houses started to fall
00:01:12.849 --> 00:01:18.023
down on their heads because it seems the DDT
had also killed tiny little parasitic wasps.
00:01:18.024 --> 00:01:21.114
Which had previously controlled
that cheating caterpillars.
00:01:21.115 --> 00:01:23.678
Which without the wasp proliferated
and munched up the roof thatching.
00:01:23.679 --> 00:01:31.159
Meanwhile the DDT poisoned bugs
00:01:31.160 --> 00:01:34.159
were getting eaten by little
lizard-like things called geckos which
00:01:34.160 --> 00:01:37.218
are eaten by cats and the DDT built
up in the food chain and killed
00:01:37.219 --> 00:01:41.478
cats but without the catch
00:01:41.479 --> 00:01:43.323
the rats flourished and multiplied
00:01:43.324 --> 00:01:45.619
and soon the World Health
Organization was threatened with
00:01:45.620 --> 00:01:50.629
potential outbreaks of typhus and plague
which it had itself created and it
00:01:50.630 --> 00:01:55.953
was thereby obliged to parachute
14 thousand live cats into Borneo.
00:01:55.954 --> 00:02:00.348
Operation kept drop courtesy of the
British Royal Air Force making this
00:02:00.349 --> 00:02:05.673
up this really did happen
we told this story at 1.
00:02:05.674 --> 00:02:09.048
I believe it was on 60 Minutes And
00:02:09.049 --> 00:02:13.293
they\'re Fact Checker came back and said
Now come on you really are kidding.
00:02:13.294 --> 00:02:17.659
And somebody called up the historian
at the World Health Organization.
00:02:17.660 --> 00:02:24.348
Who said Yep we did it Amory Lovins
00:02:24.349 --> 00:02:27.409
bizarre but true story
about cats and rats and
00:02:27.410 --> 00:02:32.478
parasitic wasps really speaks
about unintended consequences.
00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:35.778
About how making one little
change over here can trigger
00:02:35.779 --> 00:02:39.468
a mad cascade of events that
nobody could have predicted.
00:02:39.469 --> 00:02:44.524
Hello I\'m Dez Kennedy and this
is a program about economics.
00:02:44.525 --> 00:02:47.419
A topic that makes most
of us go glassy eyed as
00:02:47.420 --> 00:02:50.569
soon as it\'s mentioned Most
of us economists or is
00:02:50.570 --> 00:02:56.688
incomprehensible as astrophysicists
floating debentures commodity price indexes
00:02:56.689 --> 00:02:59.359
who knows who cares.
00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:01.909
One thing we do know is that
00:03:01.910 --> 00:03:06.319
our economic system isn\'t working the way
economists tell us it\'s supposed to.
00:03:06.320 --> 00:03:10.203
Yes the economy\'s booming banks
are making record profits
00:03:10.204 --> 00:03:15.228
corporate CEOs are pocketing a hundreds of
millions of dollars per year but where\'s
00:03:15.229 --> 00:03:20.089
the great trickle-down effect in the
wealthiest nations millions of kids go to
00:03:20.090 --> 00:03:25.443
bed hungry every night Meanwhile developing
nations stagger under crippling debt.
00:03:25.444 --> 00:03:28.729
This economic system is like
spraying for mosquitoes and
00:03:28.730 --> 00:03:32.463
ending up with rats Let\'s
start with the basics.
00:03:32.464 --> 00:03:35.253
What the hell is economics anyway
00:03:35.254 --> 00:03:39.303
my dictionary says the word comes
from the Greek roots meaning
00:03:39.304 --> 00:03:43.519
household management but how
does my little household or
00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:49.563
yours relate to the fantastic machinations
of the global corporate elite.
00:03:49.564 --> 00:03:53.688
We have literally hundreds and
hundreds of economic concepts
00:03:53.689 --> 00:03:57.528
of ways to think about how to make
our activity more productive.
00:03:57.529 --> 00:04:00.663
How to get more output for less input
00:04:00.664 --> 00:04:04.219
and and economists talk
00:04:04.220 --> 00:04:08.790
really in but three or four concepts
you know like free trade you know.
00:04:08.920 --> 00:04:11.899
Let\'s not go too deeply
in debt lands pay off
00:04:11.900 --> 00:04:15.949
the deficit And inflation should
be kept in control like they\'re
00:04:15.950 --> 00:04:20.029
talking about three or four
very elementary concepts
00:04:20.030 --> 00:04:22.999
and there are a hundreds and hundreds of ones
and which are ignored and I think this is
00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.539
the really interesting thing that has
00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:30.799
happened to a debate in our society is
that economists get to pronounce on
00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:34.129
what government can do and
they\'re not using a tenth of
00:04:34.130 --> 00:04:39.514
a percent of the concepts that are
available in their own discipline
00:04:39.515 --> 00:04:43.248
which they claim to be master so
we\'ve created an economic system in
00:04:43.249 --> 00:04:48.423
a social system and an
infrastructure that is
00:04:48.424 --> 00:04:56.424
dependent on Our not paying attention
00:04:57.109 --> 00:05:00.089
to closely because if we do
00:05:00.250 --> 00:05:05.913
we realized the disjuncture between the
way we\'re living in what we say we value.
00:05:05.914 --> 00:05:08.148
Well there\'s a very strange
thing that goes on it\'s
00:05:08.149 --> 00:05:11.943
a contradiction that we\'ve been
taught not to be concerned about
00:05:11.944 --> 00:05:14.599
economics and it\'s portrayed
as if it\'s something
00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:18.259
very distant and impossible
for us normal people to
00:05:18.260 --> 00:05:21.858
understand and that in effect
excludes people from any kind of
00:05:21.859 --> 00:05:26.118
democratic process where they might
actually demand a seat at the table.
00:05:26.119 --> 00:05:29.208
Another way of thinking about the
economy particularly as our economy
00:05:29.209 --> 00:05:34.564
works is it\'s a system of power by which
00:05:34.565 --> 00:05:38.268
the world\'s resources and
wealth are Allocated
00:05:38.269 --> 00:05:41.929
and relocated to serve certain
interests at the expense of
00:05:41.930 --> 00:05:46.218
others if as David court
and says Economics is
00:05:46.219 --> 00:05:51.139
a system of power it makes sense
to ask who\'s got the power.
00:05:51.140 --> 00:05:54.559
How did they get it what
are they doing with it
00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:58.638
and should they be allowed
to keep it back when
00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:04.369
economists we\'re constructing
the the analytical framework
00:06:04.370 --> 00:06:08.629
the theoretical framework of
economic theory they had to choose.
00:06:08.630 --> 00:06:13.278
They had to decide what will be the
defining economic unit and they\'re
00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:19.053
basically two choices one is the
household and the other is the firm
00:06:19.054 --> 00:06:22.939
Could have chosen either one of those
to build a system of economics but
00:06:22.940 --> 00:06:26.119
in fact they chose the
firm the household is
00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:30.889
focused on the well-being of
all its members the firm is
00:06:30.890 --> 00:06:35.838
focused on the profit the
profit of the owner to
00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:40.879
the exclusion of the community
interests or even the interests of
00:06:40.880 --> 00:06:44.419
its own workers in focusing
on this issue of how
00:06:44.420 --> 00:06:48.574
capital gets invested people are
asking one who\'s sitting at the table.
00:06:48.575 --> 00:06:51.814
Isn\'t a monocrop Is it
just old rich white males
00:06:51.815 --> 00:06:55.969
corporate chieftains bankers
et cetera and the PhD
00:06:55.970 --> 00:06:58.458
economists in their employ
at the World Bank and
00:06:58.459 --> 00:07:04.428
the International Monetary Fund
or is it Diversity of humanity.
00:07:04.429 --> 00:07:08.959
Women peasants small farmers
trade unions environmentalists
00:07:08.960 --> 00:07:13.278
internationalists Solidarity activists
and the second question that\'s
00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:16.398
being asked is what are the
values what are the value it
00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:19.879
isn\'t just money is that what it
is the love of money the economy
00:07:19.880 --> 00:07:22.383
has been hijacked by a small hand of
00:07:22.384 --> 00:07:29.898
very wealthy very powerful corporations
politicians media giants and technocrats.
00:07:29.899 --> 00:07:34.008
Who are benefiting from it pulled up and
00:07:34.009 --> 00:07:38.478
control by these international institutions
And having left most of the world
00:07:38.479 --> 00:07:40.848
behind there now scrambling and
00:07:40.849 --> 00:07:43.698
saying oh globalization is not the
problem its it\'s just that it
00:07:43.699 --> 00:07:45.469
hasn\'t reached everybody
yet but don\'t worry
00:07:45.470 --> 00:07:49.413
the trickle-down theory is is
going to go to happen soon soon.
00:07:49.414 --> 00:07:54.229
Everybody will have Nike running
shoes and a desk computer
00:07:54.230 --> 00:07:59.133
and so on everybody will have that real soon
just weight the trickle-down theory that
00:07:59.134 --> 00:08:02.718
promises that the vast amounts
of wealth being accumulated
00:08:02.719 --> 00:08:06.289
in corporate boardrooms will
eventually trickle down into
00:08:06.290 --> 00:08:12.379
your kitchen and mine empowering us
as mod says to run out and buy things
00:08:12.380 --> 00:08:16.759
the implicit assumption is that
purchasing stuff will bring us
00:08:16.760 --> 00:08:21.439
happiness that wealth
Happiness and fulfillment.
00:08:21.440 --> 00:08:25.083
Are inseparable from money.
00:08:25.084 --> 00:08:29.838
Think about when you were a child if you\'re
00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:36.603
an adult and what how you spend
your leisure time how you played.
00:08:36.604 --> 00:08:42.949
Where you played what your activities
were my guess is that for most of
00:08:42.950 --> 00:08:46.878
us we didn\'t have to go to our parents to
00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:51.558
ask for a chunk cash every
time we had a free afternoon.
00:08:51.559 --> 00:08:53.809
We\'ve changed from having this notion
00:08:53.810 --> 00:08:56.809
that there were certain things
you traded and certain things
00:08:56.810 --> 00:08:59.479
you bought and sold that belong
to the economic realm and there
00:08:59.480 --> 00:09:02.304
are other areas that belong to Life.
00:09:02.305 --> 00:09:05.768
Culture and social programs
in human rights and so
00:09:05.769 --> 00:09:09.848
on that\'s all changed in the new economic
order absolutely everything is for
00:09:09.849 --> 00:09:13.569
sale and we\'re creating a culture
of fascination with celebrity
00:09:13.570 --> 00:09:17.903
with extreme wealth with extravagance.
00:09:17.904 --> 00:09:22.493
That has even very very
poor children children from
00:09:22.494 --> 00:09:27.489
low-income households tracking the
activities of very wealthy people
00:09:27.490 --> 00:09:29.858
the notion that everything is on to be
00:09:29.859 --> 00:09:32.259
put on the market that everything
has to be privatized and
00:09:32.260 --> 00:09:35.198
commodified is absolutely fundamental to
00:09:35.199 --> 00:09:39.668
the new definition of the economy which no
longer belongs to you and I which which
00:09:39.669 --> 00:09:43.239
now belongs to those who have the
power to dictate how it will
00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:46.849
operate And a modern society
almost everything we do
00:09:46.850 --> 00:09:50.298
from eating to entertainment
depends on having money
00:09:50.299 --> 00:09:54.589
so we\'d become so focused
on the money that we forget
00:09:54.590 --> 00:09:57.769
that it is simply a number
which is created out of
00:09:57.770 --> 00:10:02.478
nothing which has value only
because by social convention we
00:10:02.479 --> 00:10:06.018
all are conditioned or agree
to accept it and return for
00:10:06.019 --> 00:10:10.113
things of real wealth like our labor
or if we have lands or shelter.
00:10:10.114 --> 00:10:15.139
Of various kinds of real resources and
00:10:15.140 --> 00:10:20.328
forgetting that distinction we then
get distracted and don\'t realize
00:10:20.329 --> 00:10:25.038
what power the system gives to
those people who are able to
00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:31.159
create money Nothing and decide how
it will be allocated in society.
00:10:31.160 --> 00:10:37.354
Now there\'s a refreshing notion that wealth
is not necessarily the same thing as money.
00:10:37.355 --> 00:10:39.888
However our economy is measured in
00:10:39.889 --> 00:10:43.459
dollar signs and numbers the
unfathomable statistics of
00:10:43.460 --> 00:10:50.193
the gross national product or gross domestic
product all based on money changing hands
00:10:50.194 --> 00:10:54.529
a bullish economy is one in which money
is flying from place to place at
00:10:54.530 --> 00:10:59.628
an accelerated rate this basic
economic assumption is being
00:10:59.629 --> 00:11:04.128
challenged by a lot of people one
of them is Joanne cartoonists that
00:11:04.129 --> 00:11:08.779
California is redefining
progress Research Institute She
00:11:08.780 --> 00:11:13.698
asks what about all the work being
done in society things like caring for
00:11:13.699 --> 00:11:19.443
children and elderly parents that isn\'t
paid for and isn\'t counted by economists.
00:11:19.444 --> 00:11:25.039
If we gave value to that invaluable
work how would our vision of
00:11:25.040 --> 00:11:33.040
the economy shift we did some work in
1995 and we\'ve done it annually since.
00:11:34.745 --> 00:11:39.619
Using an indicator that we refer to as the
genuine progress indicator and we start with
00:11:39.620 --> 00:11:44.748
the basic numbers of the
GDP and discount the GDP
00:11:44.749 --> 00:11:49.248
for those expenditures
those activities where
00:11:49.249 --> 00:11:53.988
money changes hands Where we just
assume not be spending that money if
00:11:53.989 --> 00:11:57.154
I go in a bar and I ordered ten
beers and drink them all down knows
00:11:57.155 --> 00:12:00.799
that money for that ten beers as a
positive contribution in GNP drunk
00:12:00.800 --> 00:12:02.508
I get my car I go and I smash into
00:12:02.509 --> 00:12:04.939
a family and a car and they
were all maimed and require
00:12:04.940 --> 00:12:07.069
millions of dollars a healthcare that
00:12:07.070 --> 00:12:10.174
millions of dollars on health care
as a positive contribution to GNP.
00:12:10.175 --> 00:12:13.308
The emergency vehicles that come clean
up the mess the money to put me
00:12:13.309 --> 00:12:16.548
in jail hopefully that all is
00:12:16.549 --> 00:12:19.609
a positive contribution
GNP Under the system of
00:12:19.610 --> 00:12:24.663
economic growth measuring that is currently
in force there is no negative numbers.
00:12:24.664 --> 00:12:27.079
There\'s no subtracting
well we know that\'s not
00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:30.034
the natural world in a natural world
there\'s always a price to pay
00:12:30.035 --> 00:12:31.938
nature bats last you throw
00:12:31.939 --> 00:12:35.929
some toxic sludge and the stream here
it\'s going to hurt something downstream.
00:12:35.930 --> 00:12:40.579
Part of what we\'ve tried to show with
the GPI for years is that we have
00:12:40.580 --> 00:12:45.619
really skewed values and
we have an economy that
00:12:45.620 --> 00:12:47.989
is growing in part because we\'re making
00:12:47.990 --> 00:12:52.849
expenditures that aren\'t in the
interests of well-being and that
00:12:52.850 --> 00:12:56.658
aren\'t in the interests
of all people and we need
00:12:56.659 --> 00:13:00.828
to turn that around we really
need to be thinking again about
00:13:00.829 --> 00:13:04.983
The economy becomes a tool
for improving the well-being
00:13:04.984 --> 00:13:10.590
the quality of life for everyone within
the capacity that nature provides.
00:13:11.500 --> 00:13:19.500
So we subtract things like the cost of
computing the costs of crime household crime
00:13:22.670 --> 00:13:26.043
and then we also add in things that
00:13:26.044 --> 00:13:29.748
the economy doesn\'t count but that
are important contributors to
00:13:29.749 --> 00:13:31.699
the quality of life that we all have and
00:13:31.700 --> 00:13:36.949
enjoy things like the value of
work that\'s done in the home.
00:13:36.950 --> 00:13:39.469
Things like the value of
volunteer services in
00:13:39.470 --> 00:13:47.258
our communities So basically
it\'s an adjustment of the GDP.
00:13:47.259 --> 00:13:50.349
Both up and down based
on those things that are
00:13:50.350 --> 00:13:53.378
providing benefits to us and those
things that are diminishing
00:13:53.379 --> 00:13:56.768
our well-being we will only change
00:13:56.769 --> 00:14:01.208
the definition of the economy by taking
back the economy claiming it back
00:14:01.209 --> 00:14:04.913
in very different and unique ways
and how that\'s going to happen
00:14:04.914 --> 00:14:09.174
it is going to happen in myriads of waves
because there isn\'t any one dominant.
00:14:09.175 --> 00:14:13.839
Answer that anybody\'s gonna except
now we\'re getting into the heart of
00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:18.729
why control of the economy is crucial
to living in a true democracy.
00:14:18.730 --> 00:14:23.409
Whoever controls the economic
leavers gets to decide what kind of
00:14:23.410 --> 00:14:28.744
society we\'re going to have
And ultimately how each of us
00:14:28.745 --> 00:14:33.498
will think about and live
our lives the issue of
00:14:33.499 --> 00:14:38.539
democracy and democratizing the
economy has now been raised and you
00:14:38.540 --> 00:14:39.829
can see that in three areas
00:14:39.830 --> 00:14:42.708
the corporate accountability
movement which is struggling against
00:14:42.709 --> 00:14:46.429
the individual corporations
Nike sweatshops oil company
00:14:46.430 --> 00:14:48.499
pillaging of Native American lands
00:14:48.500 --> 00:14:53.298
all these kind of issues a movement to change
the rules of the global economy focused
00:14:53.299 --> 00:14:55.699
on the World Trade
Organization World Bank IMF
00:14:55.700 --> 00:14:58.278
the global rulemakers and
a third movement that I
00:14:58.279 --> 00:15:00.949
think doesn\'t even understand itself
to be a movement yet and that\'s
00:15:00.950 --> 00:15:06.889
the alternative economic institutions Fair
trade networks that local currency movements
00:15:06.890 --> 00:15:08.898
the micro enterprise lending like
00:15:08.899 --> 00:15:12.528
the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh
they\'re now over 2 thousand of
00:15:12.529 --> 00:15:15.679
those micro enterprise
lending organizations all of
00:15:15.680 --> 00:15:21.119
those different movements are about
getting democratic control over capital.
00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:25.939
Where we are now is the corner of Main and
00:15:25.940 --> 00:15:29.224
Hastings which is the
center of poverty in Canada
00:15:29.225 --> 00:15:32.178
the downtown east side where
we are in the middle a hub is
00:15:32.179 --> 00:15:38.268
the poorest community in the country
eighty-five percent unemployment.
00:15:38.269 --> 00:15:42.108
We\'re told it\'s the drug and
alcohol calorie counter
00:15:42.109 --> 00:15:48.228
the prostitution Capital of Canada and
I believe that all of that is true on
00:15:48.229 --> 00:15:51.453
the other hand we have massive
amounts of people here with
00:15:51.454 --> 00:15:55.609
unbelievable talents and abilities
that have been kept in a state of
00:15:55.610 --> 00:15:59.208
poverty and what we\'re trying to do
through the institution were standing and
00:15:59.209 --> 00:16:03.664
four corners community savings
which I\'m Chair and CEO of
00:16:03.665 --> 00:16:05.778
this using the abilities
that we have through
00:16:05.779 --> 00:16:10.728
government and community partnerships and
try to leverage people who have been
00:16:10.729 --> 00:16:14.628
very much left out of the economic
equation into that equation and
00:16:14.629 --> 00:16:18.049
that they become producers
and people who are also
00:16:18.050 --> 00:16:21.818
rewarded by their efforts we took over
00:16:21.819 --> 00:16:24.708
an abandoned Bank of Montreal
here several years ago
00:16:24.709 --> 00:16:28.849
four years ago And sat in here
in the dark no heat no light.
00:16:28.850 --> 00:16:31.938
Nothing and people here
drafted legislation to
00:16:31.939 --> 00:16:35.778
allow us to set up a new entity
that really was developed and
00:16:35.779 --> 00:16:37.668
designed by the people
in the neighborhood here
00:16:37.669 --> 00:16:39.889
for their needs and the
needs of the staff that
00:16:39.890 --> 00:16:44.209
were coming on board this is going
00:16:44.210 --> 00:16:48.019
to be the economic engine in this
community that lends out that
00:16:48.020 --> 00:16:52.579
allows non-profit organizations
to purchase hotels and run
00:16:52.580 --> 00:16:54.949
them properly and safely for people build
00:16:54.950 --> 00:16:58.099
social housing and we\'re getting
closer to these goals every
00:16:58.100 --> 00:17:02.298
day we also developed a four corners
00:17:02.299 --> 00:17:06.739
Community Development Society which
developed a $7 million housing project.
00:17:06.740 --> 00:17:11.269
Next door For people in the developer
owner was a woman who was on
00:17:11.270 --> 00:17:15.979
welfare for 15 years so
what can we do down here
00:17:15.980 --> 00:17:20.719
anything if we have the opportunity to
allow people to flourish and bloom to
00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:23.659
the processes of developing
00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:27.604
housing developing banks whatever I call
it the architecture of opportunity.
00:17:27.605 --> 00:17:30.874
Not building a bank or building
a whole lot of people who have
00:17:30.875 --> 00:17:35.519
much better chance of changing the world
than they did before we came on board.
00:17:38.530 --> 00:17:43.624
Most people have grown up in a society
where they actually experienced.
00:17:43.625 --> 00:17:47.508
Economic growth that was
relatively evenly distributed
00:17:47.509 --> 00:17:51.453
throughout the society and that
the fact that it is Now more
00:17:51.454 --> 00:17:54.888
inequitably distributed is is
fairly new social scientists
00:17:54.889 --> 00:17:58.683
and economists are just starting to tweak
to it and the population is not so
00:17:58.684 --> 00:18:02.328
Myer I believe it discussions on growth
00:18:02.329 --> 00:18:06.199
have to now bring that fact to the
four that we need to say this is
00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:10.638
an illusion that you will receive you
at the ordinary person will receive
00:18:10.639 --> 00:18:15.273
any benefits from it periodically are
elected governments present to us
00:18:15.274 --> 00:18:17.539
a budget that suppose that the tells us
00:18:17.540 --> 00:18:21.348
how much money they have to run the
country and how that money\'s going to
00:18:21.349 --> 00:18:25.069
be spent you and I don\'t
have any real input into
00:18:25.070 --> 00:18:30.889
government budgets the people we do
that for us but what if we did For
00:18:30.890 --> 00:18:35.688
several years now the Institute for
Policy alternatives in Ottawa has devised
00:18:35.689 --> 00:18:41.059
another alternative budget presented
at the same time as the real budget
00:18:41.060 --> 00:18:44.629
Bruce Campbell tells us how
this alternative budget is
00:18:44.630 --> 00:18:51.319
different budgets are about choices there
are political documents they they they
00:18:51.320 --> 00:18:54.228
they stem from a set of priorities and
00:18:54.229 --> 00:18:57.498
values and at the kind of
choices that you make are
00:18:57.499 --> 00:19:00.288
a function of your priorities
and values and that
00:19:00.289 --> 00:19:04.503
the kinds of choices that the
that the government was making.
00:19:04.504 --> 00:19:07.818
Were a function of its
priorities and values but
00:19:07.819 --> 00:19:11.029
we would do it differently it
is determined for instance by
00:19:11.030 --> 00:19:13.968
the Bank of Canada We will have X number of
00:19:13.969 --> 00:19:16.938
people unemployed each year
in order to keep inflation
00:19:16.939 --> 00:19:23.358
down order to adjust interest rates will
say okay we\'re going to 10% or 8% is.
00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:26.838
OK we can live without an order to get
other things so we\'ve consciously
00:19:26.839 --> 00:19:30.919
said that 10% of our citizens
will be in a state of poverty.
00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:33.258
So it is public policy.
00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:37.380
More than anything else
that creates poverty.
00:19:38.380 --> 00:19:43.278
What we wanted to do in the
alternative budget was to say
00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:48.769
yes we can\'t indefinitely keep
accumulating deficits and
00:19:48.770 --> 00:19:52.578
debts but that there were ways to go about
00:19:52.579 --> 00:19:57.978
it which did not Sacrificing our
social programs and you could do it in
00:19:57.979 --> 00:20:01.518
such a way as to not kind
of put the burden on
00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:06.948
those most vulnerable sectors of our
society it was it was also an exercise in
00:20:06.949 --> 00:20:11.269
demystifying economics
and specifically budgets
00:20:11.270 --> 00:20:14.689
because people have have
tended to think that they are
00:20:14.690 --> 00:20:18.919
these very complex documents that they are
00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:24.229
beyond the knowledge and understanding
of ordinary lay people and we
00:20:24.230 --> 00:20:27.378
wanted to kind of shoot holes in in
00:20:27.379 --> 00:20:33.364
those in that mythology as well you
know it\'s not economics it has to be
00:20:33.365 --> 00:20:39.379
reinvented it A government
role in distorting
00:20:39.380 --> 00:20:46.384
economics has to be ended and a
classic case of that is with oil.
00:20:46.385 --> 00:20:48.483
Okay. And in fact.
00:20:48.484 --> 00:20:53.658
I would say with oil or with anything else
you want to take a look at that there is not
00:20:53.659 --> 00:20:57.349
one environmentally harmful
socially harmful practice
00:20:57.350 --> 00:21:01.623
that could last more than five years
without massive government subsidy.
00:21:01.624 --> 00:21:07.009
Not one we have to get those governments
back we have to take back the agenda.
00:21:07.010 --> 00:21:09.649
We have to take back democracy
we have to take back
00:21:09.650 --> 00:21:13.039
universality in this country we
have to take back the notion that
00:21:13.040 --> 00:21:15.799
the economy serves us and our neighbors and
00:21:15.800 --> 00:21:18.903
our small farms and our
communities And our children
00:21:18.904 --> 00:21:22.038
that those are fundamental
rights their economic and social
00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:25.398
rights that go hand in
hand and that the economy.
00:21:25.399 --> 00:21:29.029
Whatever that is does not belong
00:21:29.030 --> 00:21:33.408
to the powerful anymore than they should be
able to say every single fish in the ocean
00:21:33.409 --> 00:21:37.729
belongs to them or every tree in the
forest belongs to them gotta come
00:21:37.730 --> 00:21:42.888
to an end that notion that you can buy
whatever you want has got to come to an end.
00:21:42.889 --> 00:21:48.379
Through the ages one of the privileges
of aristocracy was that it could be
00:21:48.380 --> 00:21:54.949
largely shielded from the poor If the
people have no bread let them eat cake.
00:21:54.950 --> 00:21:58.999
Today boardroom plutocratic
can similarly choose to
00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:04.518
ignore the unseemly spectacle
of the poor getting poorer.
00:22:04.519 --> 00:22:09.709
No not too long ago our ancestors
decided that monarchy was not
00:22:09.710 --> 00:22:15.439
a really very good way to
organize society and that we
00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:20.269
needed forms of organizing society
more consistent with their ideals
00:22:20.270 --> 00:22:26.854
of human freedom and so they did away
with the institution of the monarchy.
00:22:26.855 --> 00:22:32.629
Now we face a similar challenge in our
generation to do away with the institution of
00:22:32.630 --> 00:22:38.389
the Publicly traded Limited Liability
Corporation which is the modern equivalent.
00:22:38.390 --> 00:22:41.389
It\'s not that everybody
gets corrupted by power
00:22:41.390 --> 00:22:44.688
but just about everybody
gets cropped up my power and
00:22:44.689 --> 00:22:47.479
my experience and you start to read
00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:51.078
your own press and you start to think
you\'re pretty important and you start to
00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:54.348
just not have to notice
the bore you don\'t quite
00:22:54.349 --> 00:22:57.964
have to notice environmental
degradation because you travel and
00:22:57.965 --> 00:23:02.539
government Beautiful government or
corporate jets and you\'re picked up with
00:23:02.540 --> 00:23:05.659
beautiful limousines air conditioned
limousines and take into
00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:09.123
five-star hotels and it doesn\'t
matter if the entire rest of this.
00:23:09.124 --> 00:23:11.868
Developing country city Is
00:23:11.869 --> 00:23:15.859
a Islam it doesn\'t matter you don\'t have to
see it because you\'re part of that elite.
00:23:15.860 --> 00:23:19.218
More and more I think that
people who go into politics and
00:23:19.219 --> 00:23:22.848
particularly into big
business are cocooned off
00:23:22.849 --> 00:23:26.688
from the world I call it the new
global elite and I would say
00:23:26.689 --> 00:23:30.648
that chunk that CM Paul Martin and
these folks have more in common
00:23:30.649 --> 00:23:34.549
with their corporate and political and
media counterparts around the world than
00:23:34.550 --> 00:23:38.749
they do with the people from their
own society it\'s corruption.
00:23:38.750 --> 00:23:41.709
It\'s it\'s oligarchy it\'s plutocracy as
00:23:41.710 --> 00:23:47.719
campaign finance reform it\'s the fact that we
have a world described by corporations and
00:23:47.720 --> 00:23:49.879
that oddly enough the corporations
00:23:49.880 --> 00:23:52.998
benefit from change and they\'re doing
everything they can to prevent it
00:23:52.999 --> 00:23:56.259
from happening And this is the
irony that we have to deal
00:23:56.260 --> 00:23:59.709
with and address directly
the $1.5 trillion transfer
00:23:59.710 --> 00:24:02.998
payment every year to wealthy
people in corporations for
00:24:02.999 --> 00:24:06.998
middle-class and pro taxpayers
in order to subsidize a system
00:24:06.999 --> 00:24:10.988
that is basically marginalizing the
environment and people we have
00:24:10.989 --> 00:24:15.818
huge blind spots in the economic
assumptions that we\'re operating
00:24:15.819 --> 00:24:19.568
under and nature is
trying to tell us that we
00:24:19.569 --> 00:24:23.663
better try to figure out how
our economy meshes with
00:24:23.664 --> 00:24:27.189
natural systems and hopefully
we\'ll do that before we\'ve
00:24:27.190 --> 00:24:32.603
so damaged the natural system on
which this whole economy depends.
00:24:32.604 --> 00:24:37.489
We know that natural systems are
finite So it\'s reasonable to
00:24:37.490 --> 00:24:42.273
ask Can an economic system
based on unlimited growth.
00:24:42.274 --> 00:24:45.379
Continue expanding indefinitely in
00:24:45.380 --> 00:24:50.989
a finite world if not can we reroute
this runaway bus before it\'s
00:24:50.990 --> 00:24:55.368
too late and if we can reroute
it where to what sort of
00:24:55.369 --> 00:25:00.303
Economics makes more sense capitalism.
00:25:00.304 --> 00:25:03.858
You could say is an
aberration not because it\'s
00:25:03.859 --> 00:25:09.019
capitalistic the greatest known system
for the creation of wealth ever.
00:25:09.020 --> 00:25:12.169
But rather because it is violating
00:25:12.170 --> 00:25:18.918
its own internal logic by liquidating by
not valuing the forms of capital That
00:25:18.919 --> 00:25:22.789
arguably are the most important
and those are the natural and
00:25:22.790 --> 00:25:26.688
the human capital the first
Industrial Revolution made people a
00:25:26.689 --> 00:25:29.959
100 times more productive and
that made sense at a time when
00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:33.409
the relative scarcity of people
was limiting progress in
00:25:33.410 --> 00:25:37.039
exploiting seemingly boundless
nature but today we have
00:25:37.040 --> 00:25:41.209
a different pattern of scarcity we
have abundant people and scarce nature
00:25:41.210 --> 00:25:45.438
The economic logic of economizing on
your scarcest resource remains the
00:25:45.439 --> 00:25:48.078
same but the change
pattern of scarcity means
00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:50.853
that now well we ought to be
economizing on his nature.
00:25:50.854 --> 00:25:53.869
Not people now what is natural capital.
00:25:53.870 --> 00:25:57.229
It is the resources that we extract from
00:25:57.230 --> 00:26:00.978
the planet but it\'s a lot more
than that it\'s things like
00:26:00.979 --> 00:26:07.383
climatic stability the ability of
the planet to detoxify our wastes
00:26:07.384 --> 00:26:15.214
bees the little pollinators imagine hand
pollinating all of agriculture bees are dying.
00:26:15.215 --> 00:26:17.494
We don\'t quite know why.
00:26:17.495 --> 00:26:20.658
But life without them will be fairly grim.
00:26:20.659 --> 00:26:25.234
The climate is becoming less
stable These are losses of
00:26:25.235 --> 00:26:30.679
ecosystem services the natural capital
that life on the planet depends
00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:35.644
on some estimates have been
made trying to put a value to
00:26:35.645 --> 00:26:38.944
the economic value of this natural capital
00:26:38.945 --> 00:26:42.904
and it comes to tens of
trillions of dollars of worth.
00:26:42.905 --> 00:26:48.708
Each year. Roughly the same as the
size of the economy that is counted.
00:26:48.709 --> 00:26:51.723
But none of this appears on
anybody\'s balance sheet.
00:26:51.724 --> 00:26:56.328
Some really amazing and radical things
happen and then you get this shift in
00:26:56.329 --> 00:27:01.248
this emphasis on human productivity
to 100 resource productivity You
00:27:01.249 --> 00:27:05.058
began to restore and
replenish and replace what
00:27:05.059 --> 00:27:09.018
is the limiting factor as opposed to
use it up so you begin to restore
00:27:09.019 --> 00:27:17.019
natural capital living systems forests
oceans and then find that you create
00:27:17.045 --> 00:27:20.838
in few well an economic
business strategy that
00:27:20.839 --> 00:27:25.383
allows you to provide the
services that people need warmth.
00:27:25.384 --> 00:27:30.409
Education health care housing clothing.
00:27:30.410 --> 00:27:35.448
Good nourishment food in such
a way that they benefit and
00:27:35.449 --> 00:27:40.549
prosper as does the sources
of those services which
00:27:40.550 --> 00:27:43.593
is living systems that\'s what
natural capitalism About
00:27:43.594 --> 00:27:47.628
oddly enough it turns out to be a
very powerful solution statement is
00:27:47.629 --> 00:27:51.199
probably in my opinion
00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:59.059
the most powerful solution statement that
has ever come out from environmentalists.
00:27:59.060 --> 00:28:03.678
About what we can do as
opposed to what\'s going
00:28:03.679 --> 00:28:07.714
wrong we need really to to change the
way we do business in four ways.
00:28:07.715 --> 00:28:10.444
The first is to ring a lot more work
00:28:10.445 --> 00:28:14.058
even ten or a 100 times
more work out of each unit
00:28:14.059 --> 00:28:18.033
of energy water minerals and
other resources that we use
00:28:18.034 --> 00:28:20.929
and through new methods
of integrative design
00:28:20.930 --> 00:28:23.704
and new technologies this
is actually very profitable
00:28:23.705 --> 00:28:29.943
to do right now Even when the resources
were saving are undervalued.
00:28:29.944 --> 00:28:37.203
Then we should also be redesigning production
on biological principles with closed loops.
00:28:37.204 --> 00:28:40.398
No waste no toxicity eliminating
the whole concept of
00:28:40.399 --> 00:28:44.929
ways this too is very
profitable because it captures
00:28:44.930 --> 00:28:49.608
back a lot of the roughly 99% waste
that\'s in the 0.5 trillion tons
00:28:49.609 --> 00:28:54.783
a year flow of stuff in the economy
and re captures it as profit.
00:28:54.784 --> 00:28:59.524
Third there are new business models which
we might call the solutions economy
00:28:59.525 --> 00:29:04.339
that deliver a continuous flow
of value and service rather than
00:29:04.340 --> 00:29:08.329
selling goods occasionally And this turns
the resource savings and loop closing from
00:29:08.330 --> 00:29:10.669
a reduced revenue integral reduce costs and
00:29:10.670 --> 00:29:14.178
increase profit for both the
provider and the customer.
00:29:14.179 --> 00:29:16.684
So it rewards the results we want.
00:29:16.685 --> 00:29:20.599
Finally the profits can be
very well reinvested in
00:29:20.600 --> 00:29:24.319
natural capital is any Putin capitalist
would do capitalism is about
00:29:24.320 --> 00:29:26.808
reinvestment and productive capital but
00:29:26.809 --> 00:29:29.448
the most productive thing
you can do is often to
00:29:29.449 --> 00:29:32.568
re-invest in in nature
and that\'s pretty easy
00:29:32.569 --> 00:29:34.818
because God does the production
all we need to do is get out of
00:29:34.819 --> 00:29:37.909
the way and allow life to
expand wherever it can
00:29:37.910 --> 00:29:40.909
the term globalization has
become the subject of
00:29:40.910 --> 00:29:45.438
much fiery debate starting with
its meaning in this program we\'re
00:29:45.439 --> 00:29:48.408
talking about corporate
globalization Meaning
00:29:48.409 --> 00:29:53.269
the power wealth and influence
of transnational corporations.
00:29:53.270 --> 00:29:56.494
These giants owe allegiance to no nation
00:29:56.495 --> 00:30:00.873
the decisions they make and the
multilateral agreements they broker.
00:30:00.874 --> 00:30:05.388
Allow these corporations to
wield unprecedented power over
00:30:05.389 --> 00:30:10.579
countries and individuals
people like you and me.
00:30:10.580 --> 00:30:16.878
We\'re seeing an increasingly clearly
defined struggle for the soul of humanity.
00:30:16.879 --> 00:30:24.879
Between two sharply contrasting
worldviews And social forces one of these
00:30:27.109 --> 00:30:28.963
is the worldview of
00:30:28.964 --> 00:30:36.738
the corporate globalist they see a world in
which through the deregulation of markets the
00:30:36.739 --> 00:30:43.818
elimination of national borders the
privatization of public assets we\'re freeing
00:30:43.819 --> 00:30:48.138
the restraints on wealth
creation and whatever
00:30:48.139 --> 00:30:52.939
problems the world experiences in terms
of environmental problems and poverty.
00:30:52.940 --> 00:30:57.618
They are absolutely convinced from
their worldview that the answer is to
00:30:57.619 --> 00:31:02.493
push ahead with this agenda of
deregulation privatization.
00:31:02.494 --> 00:31:05.724
Globalization So what we see is
00:31:05.725 --> 00:31:11.438
a clash year of two fundamentally
different cultures top-down globalization
00:31:11.439 --> 00:31:15.578
says it\'s about money bottom-up
globalization says it\'s about life
00:31:15.579 --> 00:31:20.379
and promoting the various life systems
that are threatened by that money cycle.
00:31:20.380 --> 00:31:24.923
Here\'s the problem for us in who
are promoting the lifecycle.
00:31:24.924 --> 00:31:29.723
They have so much money that
they can dominate the airwaves.
00:31:29.724 --> 00:31:33.458
And dominate the production of
magazines and newspapers and books and
00:31:33.459 --> 00:31:36.248
all these other communication
devices to keep
00:31:36.249 --> 00:31:39.999
pumping that message that
you are what you own.
00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:42.458
You know there\'s there\'s various ways of
00:31:42.459 --> 00:31:45.519
thinking about how we deal
with this problem with
00:31:45.520 --> 00:31:49.399
a corporation One is that we need to put
00:31:49.400 --> 00:31:54.454
rules around it to restrain it
so that it will operate in ways.
00:31:54.455 --> 00:31:58.534
Consistent with the actual needs of society
00:31:58.535 --> 00:32:02.839
but with time I\'ve come to realize that
that\'s only a very partial solution because
00:32:02.840 --> 00:32:05.209
the corporation with all its power is
00:32:05.210 --> 00:32:09.709
continuously working to dominate
the political system dominate
00:32:09.710 --> 00:32:12.528
the rulemaking system of
society to get rid of
00:32:12.529 --> 00:32:17.433
those constraints the most normal natural
thing for us to focus on as human beings.
00:32:17.434 --> 00:32:19.908
Is love and caring and compassion and
00:32:19.909 --> 00:32:23.539
community do you know your neighbors
do your children look up at you
00:32:23.540 --> 00:32:29.808
and say Daddy I love you right what\'s that
worth you can\'t put a dollar price Net.
00:32:29.809 --> 00:32:34.279
Yet we\'re being told a thousand times
a day No no forget that stuff buy
00:32:34.280 --> 00:32:40.608
commodities the corporations the
World Bank the IMF the WTO.
00:32:40.609 --> 00:32:43.593
These are all systems that are geared to
00:32:43.594 --> 00:32:47.704
the destruction of life to
create money they are engines of
00:32:47.705 --> 00:32:52.729
inequality the creation of inequality
and that we need to replace these with
00:32:52.730 --> 00:33:00.004
different different economic forms that that
honor the real principles of market economy.
00:33:00.005 --> 00:33:03.378
So rather than working to
develop the skills and
00:33:03.379 --> 00:33:07.699
the infrastructure of their communities
their their societies are doing exactly
00:33:07.700 --> 00:33:09.408
the opposite they\'re
dismantling him and they\'re
00:33:09.409 --> 00:33:12.858
creating What is now called oftentimes
an underclass people who are
00:33:12.859 --> 00:33:15.738
considered to be
unemployable for the rest of
00:33:15.739 --> 00:33:18.918
their lives it\'s a huge waste
of our natural resources are
00:33:18.919 --> 00:33:21.588
natural human resources of our knowledge
00:33:21.589 --> 00:33:25.999
our imagination our abilities to do things
those things are thrown out the window.
00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:29.538
Now here again is another one of the
myths that we\'ve been taught that
00:33:29.539 --> 00:33:33.079
our choices either between a socialist.
00:33:33.080 --> 00:33:36.588
Economic system in which all
power resides in the state and
00:33:36.589 --> 00:33:40.849
the state makes all the decisions or
a capitalist system where in effect
00:33:40.850 --> 00:33:44.748
the decisions are all made by huge
corporations that are unaccountable and
00:33:44.749 --> 00:33:49.474
distant and making those decisions
only for their own good.
00:33:49.475 --> 00:33:53.074
Now if it comes down to
those two lousy choices And
00:33:53.075 --> 00:33:55.459
the whole situation looks
hopeless until we realized
00:33:55.460 --> 00:33:58.128
no there isn\'t the option
of a real market economy
00:33:58.129 --> 00:34:02.388
which distributes ownership
and power and which is being
00:34:02.389 --> 00:34:07.069
responsive to real needs of real
people how do we get from where we
00:34:07.070 --> 00:34:10.578
are today David cartons real market economy
00:34:10.579 --> 00:34:14.658
what changes do we have to make to
begin achieving an economy that
00:34:14.659 --> 00:34:18.904
functions for the real needs
of everyone in society
00:34:18.905 --> 00:34:24.108
for me the future lies in building
a movement a political civil
00:34:24.109 --> 00:34:28.578
society not-for-profit
movement that starts to take
00:34:28.579 --> 00:34:33.258
itself really seriously There\'s a man
named Lester Salamon who teaches at
00:34:33.259 --> 00:34:35.149
Johns Hopkins University and he\'s done
00:34:35.150 --> 00:34:38.898
a mini country multi-year study on
00:34:38.899 --> 00:34:43.458
not-for-profits in the world and
he says Where the untold story
00:34:43.459 --> 00:34:46.398
of the century he says
We are as important to
00:34:46.399 --> 00:34:49.878
political movement as the creation of the
nation-state was in the latter part of
00:34:49.879 --> 00:34:52.969
the 19th century that he says
nothing is important has
00:34:52.970 --> 00:34:56.238
happened in terms of shifting the
political power I would argue
00:34:56.239 --> 00:34:59.689
that first of all corporations got a
hold of that political power but in
00:34:59.690 --> 00:35:03.469
any case and his early findings
he\'s found that we\'re growing so
00:35:03.470 --> 00:35:04.879
fast that we\'re growing faster than
00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:07.519
the economy in some countries
at four times the rate of
00:35:07.520 --> 00:35:11.988
the economy that we are And
we employ now more people
00:35:11.989 --> 00:35:15.228
than the private sector which is a
stat I love that if you were to put us
00:35:15.229 --> 00:35:18.588
all in one country we would now
be the eighth largest country
00:35:18.589 --> 00:35:21.619
in the world are eighth
largest economy and that
00:35:21.620 --> 00:35:24.918
we have enormous power if we would just
start to understand that we have and
00:35:24.919 --> 00:35:28.308
we\'ll start taking advantage
of it where we\'re seeing is
00:35:28.309 --> 00:35:32.718
an aggregation of power
is widely distributed and
00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:36.498
decentralized and very very different than
00:35:36.499 --> 00:35:41.073
the models of change that we have
grown up to understand and that\'s why
00:35:41.074 --> 00:35:44.779
we see it sort of flying under
the radar of the media and
00:35:44.780 --> 00:35:48.799
existing perceptions of change
and don\'t recognize that
00:35:48.800 --> 00:35:53.419
we are in this broader sense
of the term We are going to be
00:35:53.420 --> 00:35:58.789
a part of evey Pavel transformation
and we should recognize that and
00:35:58.790 --> 00:36:01.594
know that we don\'t know when
00:36:01.595 --> 00:36:06.289
this transformation will occur but I
suspect I could be wrong and that
00:36:06.290 --> 00:36:10.728
precipitating events will cause
rather sudden shifts in perception
00:36:10.729 --> 00:36:15.918
sudden shifts in people\'s
understanding even when change
00:36:15.919 --> 00:36:20.268
happens it can occur in a remarkably
fast and rapid way Davis I\'m
00:36:20.269 --> 00:36:24.769
predicted by all of us and of
course the focal point here in
00:36:24.770 --> 00:36:27.079
terms of women when this
new force really announced
00:36:27.080 --> 00:36:29.839
itself to the world where the the protests
00:36:29.840 --> 00:36:36.570
demonstrations and Seattle and
for number 39,099 Organization.
00:36:39.070 --> 00:36:43.368
This was a backlash against
corporate globalization that
00:36:43.369 --> 00:36:47.299
grew out of a realization
of ordinary people and it\'s
00:36:47.300 --> 00:36:50.898
a realization an awakening of
consciousness that is occurring
00:36:50.899 --> 00:36:54.859
throughout the world to the
fact that the arguments for
00:36:54.860 --> 00:36:56.958
the corporate globalist are absolutely
00:36:56.959 --> 00:36:59.704
wrong they\'re absolutely turned
on their head that in fact
00:36:59.705 --> 00:37:04.084
this juggernaut system of
corporate globalization
00:37:04.085 --> 00:37:09.779
is destroying life to make
money for the very wealthy.
00:37:13.420 --> 00:37:18.348
We are seeing witnessing
And resurgence or a
00:37:18.349 --> 00:37:23.298
surgeon\'s in direct action politics
particularly by young people who say as
00:37:23.299 --> 00:37:26.028
far as we\'re concerned our governments
are siding so totally with
00:37:26.029 --> 00:37:29.208
the corporate sector that they\'ve
become part of the problem we\'re
00:37:29.209 --> 00:37:31.698
no longer going to try to go
through them to change them we\'re
00:37:31.699 --> 00:37:35.178
going to directly speak out against
00:37:35.179 --> 00:37:39.559
these transnational corporations
and financial institutions and
00:37:39.560 --> 00:37:44.403
more and more people of all ages have to
make the decision to try to change it in
00:37:44.404 --> 00:37:51.678
the most profound and fundamental way
We\'re saying that this system is
00:37:51.679 --> 00:37:55.158
Destroying Democracy by
buying out our politicians
00:37:55.159 --> 00:37:59.388
by changing the rules so that our
elections become meaningless.
00:37:59.389 --> 00:38:03.378
That it is a system that is
geared to holding down wages
00:38:03.379 --> 00:38:07.159
to suppressing labor
unions to doing away with
00:38:07.160 --> 00:38:10.068
health and safety standards and favor of
00:38:10.069 --> 00:38:13.519
allowing corporations to sell
whatever they find it profitable to
00:38:13.520 --> 00:38:16.668
sell and people are
saying you know we\'ve had
00:38:16.669 --> 00:38:20.268
enough of this where we\'re not
going to we\'re not simply
00:38:20.269 --> 00:38:23.628
going to be led down the path
to our own destruction of
00:38:23.629 --> 00:38:27.789
our values and the future
of our children we\'re
00:38:27.790 --> 00:38:30.724
going to start exposing these
myths we\'re going to start saying
00:38:30.725 --> 00:38:35.629
no We are going to start
working for alternatives.
00:38:35.630 --> 00:38:39.093
So that we restore democracy read to read.
00:38:39.094 --> 00:38:42.273
We restore or local communities
00:38:42.274 --> 00:38:46.924
the beauty of the movement that we\'re
building is that you\'ll bring together people
00:38:46.925 --> 00:38:50.179
very specifically working
on say nuclear phase out
00:38:50.180 --> 00:38:55.279
over here or homeless children in a
particular community over here whatever.
00:38:55.280 --> 00:38:57.934
What have they got in common
with each other lots.
00:38:57.935 --> 00:39:01.758
You know or church groups fighting
to have the the third world
00:39:01.759 --> 00:39:05.479
debt cancelled or you know all
the variety the rich variety
00:39:05.480 --> 00:39:09.439
of work that\'s being done around the
world the most one I one of the
00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:13.819
most if not the most important thing
that this movement must do is to make
00:39:13.820 --> 00:39:17.899
All those disparate groups feel
part of something larger so that we
00:39:17.900 --> 00:39:22.399
become a true movement
and I are very diversity
00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:29.299
are very are very cultural
and age and geographic
00:39:29.300 --> 00:39:33.288
diversity and even our diversity in terms
of our backgrounds comes together to
00:39:33.289 --> 00:39:34.938
build something bigger than the sum of
00:39:34.939 --> 00:39:37.579
its parts that\'s the movement
we\'re trying to build.
00:39:37.580 --> 00:39:40.488
So you bring that together and
you have the you have the term
00:39:40.489 --> 00:39:43.474
living democracy and that\'s
what I think of it as
00:39:43.475 --> 00:39:47.208
it\'s the mobile movement for a
living democracy and all the
00:39:47.209 --> 00:39:51.079
fullest sense of that word
it\'s about life but it\'s also
00:39:51.080 --> 00:39:54.349
about the fact that democracy is
not something that you have it
00:39:54.350 --> 00:39:57.889
as a way of life that is
a Mode of participation
00:39:57.890 --> 00:40:02.284
emotive relating to community
to your fellow citizens and to
00:40:02.285 --> 00:40:07.789
power and using the instruments
of collective power in
00:40:07.790 --> 00:40:12.048
ways that serve the life of the
individual the community and
00:40:12.049 --> 00:40:17.239
the planet there is about 30 thousand
NGOs non-governmental organizations in
00:40:17.240 --> 00:40:20.749
Canada and the United States who are
working on these issues there\'s probably
00:40:20.750 --> 00:40:24.498
100 thousand organizations
in the world as a
00:40:24.499 --> 00:40:26.299
whole almost all of them with
00:40:26.300 --> 00:40:29.749
very few exceptions feel they\'re
under funded at their marginal.
00:40:29.750 --> 00:40:32.838
They could go out of business
and next year people under paid
00:40:32.839 --> 00:40:39.378
their insert conditions there
basically You never know when
00:40:39.379 --> 00:40:42.409
the next dollar is coming from their badly
00:40:42.410 --> 00:40:46.458
compensated and yet it is growing
and it is fibrin and it\'s
00:40:46.459 --> 00:40:50.089
alive and what I say and
propose is that this movement
00:40:50.090 --> 00:40:53.748
she start to realize one very important
thing which is that it\'s going to
00:40:53.749 --> 00:40:58.909
prevail and start to think
that way it looks like often
00:40:58.910 --> 00:41:04.354
a an incredibly confusing diversity
of issues and people and so forth.
00:41:04.355 --> 00:41:08.599
With no coherence in fact if you
look behind it you see there are
00:41:08.600 --> 00:41:13.218
two very powerful unifying themes
that bring together all of
00:41:13.219 --> 00:41:17.718
these groups one is life
the values of life versus
00:41:17.719 --> 00:41:23.064
the financial values And the second
is democracy the rule of people.
00:41:23.065 --> 00:41:27.428
Human participants participation in
decisions that affect their lives
00:41:27.429 --> 00:41:31.808
versus corporate rule consolidating
power over our lives in
00:41:31.809 --> 00:41:35.319
global corporations many of
us live in a country that
00:41:35.320 --> 00:41:39.158
is envied by millions because
we have wealth and we have
00:41:39.159 --> 00:41:43.778
choices the lucky among us could
choose how to live our lives and
00:41:43.779 --> 00:41:49.298
because we live in a consumer culture we
make choices every day with our wallets.
00:41:49.299 --> 00:41:51.923
We take for granted the availability of
00:41:51.924 --> 00:41:56.919
inexpensive food and clothing if
automobiles appliances electronics.
00:41:56.920 --> 00:42:00.998
We make claim to the math that we
acquire all these things without
00:42:00.999 --> 00:42:06.348
hidden cost But somewhere in the
back of our minds we know that
00:42:06.349 --> 00:42:10.519
cheap consumer goods for us are
produced on the backs of the
00:42:10.520 --> 00:42:15.229
poor worldwide and are gobbling
up Earth\'s resources at
00:42:15.230 --> 00:42:18.979
a catastrophic rate much of the impetus for
00:42:18.980 --> 00:42:24.453
the destructive aspects of globalization
come from the United States both the the the
00:42:24.454 --> 00:42:28.548
materialistic consumer culture that
we project out to the world as the
00:42:28.549 --> 00:42:33.438
as the ideal the ultimate of human
accomplishment but also the
00:42:33.439 --> 00:42:37.729
policies of free trade guarantee
00:42:37.730 --> 00:42:42.198
of investment rights of privatization
and so forth We push out through
00:42:42.199 --> 00:42:45.708
the US dominance of the
IMF the World Bank and
00:42:45.709 --> 00:42:48.829
the World Trade Organization imposing
00:42:48.830 --> 00:42:53.869
destructive policies on the rest of
the world that are fundamentally.
00:42:53.870 --> 00:42:57.559
To the advantage of global
corporations there are also
00:42:57.560 --> 00:43:01.759
policies that help allow the United
States to continue to consume
00:43:01.760 --> 00:43:05.089
way beyond its means by
expropriating the resources and
00:43:05.090 --> 00:43:09.258
the labor of the rest of the world
we should be thinking about
00:43:09.259 --> 00:43:13.534
using prices to signal
what the real costs of
00:43:13.535 --> 00:43:18.724
goods and activities are to give us
some straightforward feedback on
00:43:18.725 --> 00:43:23.299
a lot of things are cheap
right now And only
00:43:23.300 --> 00:43:28.968
because the costs of their
use in the world is
00:43:28.969 --> 00:43:33.483
deflected and passed on in
health problems elsewhere in
00:43:33.484 --> 00:43:38.868
the loss of habitat somewhere
else the provision of
00:43:38.869 --> 00:43:43.099
convenience for some people at
the cost of convenience and
00:43:43.100 --> 00:43:47.719
time of other people you know
we have a we have people who
00:43:47.720 --> 00:43:52.368
go and poach ivory tusks of
elephants right they kill
00:43:52.369 --> 00:43:54.798
an elephant they take the
tests they don\'t use
00:43:54.799 --> 00:43:57.934
any of the other part they leave
it there an elephant to rot.
00:43:57.935 --> 00:44:00.888
Right you\'d think that if you are going
to use it off and properly you\'d have
00:44:00.889 --> 00:44:04.039
a whole lot of other uses for
its skin and it\'s meeting It\'s
00:44:04.040 --> 00:44:06.709
bones and all that not just the
IV but that\'s all they want and
00:44:06.710 --> 00:44:09.604
they take it and sell it you
know the people who are
00:44:09.605 --> 00:44:15.138
ivory brokers which is mostly an illegal
business these days would very much like to see
00:44:15.139 --> 00:44:18.409
the ivory trade come to an end
they\'d like to see the last elephant
00:44:18.410 --> 00:44:20.359
extincted because the value of
00:44:20.360 --> 00:44:22.908
the ivory that they already
have it go through the ceiling.
00:44:22.909 --> 00:44:25.998
Yet the poacher will be out
of work and the people who
00:44:25.999 --> 00:44:29.178
rely on elephants for being
beast a burdens are going
00:44:29.179 --> 00:44:32.418
to be in deep trouble and the
people who use elephants as part of
00:44:32.419 --> 00:44:35.988
the natural economy to bring
tourism men are going to be out of
00:44:35.989 --> 00:44:40.459
business but the one group sees greed
and the destruction of elephants as
00:44:40.460 --> 00:44:44.044
a purely great moment in time
where everyone else loses
00:44:44.045 --> 00:44:48.633
that\'s the kind of economy We\'re
living in now is not sustainable.
00:44:48.634 --> 00:44:52.788
The ideology that\'s put out by the
same people that are putting out
00:44:52.789 --> 00:44:56.718
this official economics is one
that stresses individualism it\'s
00:44:56.719 --> 00:45:00.619
saying that if you as an individual
have a big enough savings
00:45:00.620 --> 00:45:04.818
account or enough stocks in the stock
market or you own your own home
00:45:04.819 --> 00:45:07.999
or you have a high enough
paying job You\'re OK. That\'s
00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:11.449
success you\'re taken care of well
that\'s like saying you\'re on the bus
00:45:11.450 --> 00:45:14.659
with a drunken bus driver about to go
over the cliff and as long as you have
00:45:14.660 --> 00:45:18.979
mink seats and a nice foot rest and a
good set of headphones in your seat.
00:45:18.980 --> 00:45:22.099
You\'re okay no you\'re not okay
because when that bus goes over
00:45:22.100 --> 00:45:26.434
the edge we all go with it first class
second class third class seats.
00:45:26.435 --> 00:45:29.089
All go over if we acknowledged that
00:45:29.090 --> 00:45:32.764
the economic Buspar on right
now is headed for a cliff.
00:45:32.765 --> 00:45:36.288
What can you or I possibly
do about it when you look at
00:45:36.289 --> 00:45:38.839
the astounding power of
the corporate giants
00:45:38.840 --> 00:45:41.479
in the driver\'s seat the
task of turning things
00:45:41.480 --> 00:45:45.709
around seems daunting if
not impossible and there\'s
00:45:45.710 --> 00:45:50.253
the uncomfortable question of our
own complicity Easy enough to blame
00:45:50.254 --> 00:45:54.168
faceless corporations or bone head
politicians you didn\'t even vote
00:45:54.169 --> 00:45:59.673
for but not so easy to be as ruthless
with our own individual values
00:45:59.674 --> 00:46:04.593
and priorities to admit but
my comfortable lifestyle
00:46:04.594 --> 00:46:11.599
contributes to the problem one of the
difficulties in making that clear.
00:46:11.600 --> 00:46:16.609
He\'s living in a country that
because of the strength of
00:46:16.610 --> 00:46:22.323
its economy has access to the resources
of every other corner of the planet.
00:46:22.324 --> 00:46:27.453
So it all strings in here and
we enjoy it in our lives.
00:46:27.454 --> 00:46:29.088
Feel more comfortable for
00:46:29.089 --> 00:46:35.539
it And increasingly we don\'t want
to know what\'s going on elsewhere.
00:46:35.540 --> 00:46:39.184
All of us are participating
willingly and unwillingly.
00:46:39.185 --> 00:46:46.023
And assist them where we think well if I just
take what I can have now and we rationalize
00:46:46.024 --> 00:46:49.369
our relationship because everyone
else is doing it the same time we
00:46:49.370 --> 00:46:53.239
produced a culture of fear we
produced a culture of competition.
00:46:53.240 --> 00:46:56.658
We\'ve produced a culture
where we have so much in
00:46:56.659 --> 00:47:00.198
yet everybody is like in Buddhist
terms a hungry ghost walk you around
00:47:00.199 --> 00:47:03.349
thinking they don\'t have
enough are we building toward
00:47:03.350 --> 00:47:06.678
a fundamentally different Notion of what
00:47:06.679 --> 00:47:08.808
the economy is and what it
should be and what it should
00:47:08.809 --> 00:47:11.403
serve and if we are then there\'s hope.
00:47:11.404 --> 00:47:14.148
If we\'re just tinkering around
the edges and bringing in
00:47:14.149 --> 00:47:19.309
some modifications to the WTO or
you know a little bit of attacks
00:47:19.310 --> 00:47:22.249
on international investment but
really everything else can remain the
00:47:22.250 --> 00:47:26.419
same it\'s not subcube enough you know it\'s
00:47:26.420 --> 00:47:29.509
something much bigger that we have
to do in the questions are we
00:47:29.510 --> 00:47:32.658
moving in a direction of
reform or real fundamental
00:47:32.659 --> 00:47:35.479
and profound change and if that\'s
the answer is the second is
00:47:35.480 --> 00:47:40.038
the answer that I think there\'s
tremendous hope for the world we are
00:47:40.039 --> 00:47:45.739
better than we\'re acting and I
think we have to find ways to be
00:47:45.740 --> 00:47:53.049
that There\'s a lot of evidence
you know pretty much daily.
00:47:53.050 --> 00:48:00.080
That the forces arrayed against our best
selves are much stronger than we are
00:48:02.790 --> 00:48:06.099
I believe that we\'re stronger than they
00:48:06.100 --> 00:48:11.798
are we launched this exploration
00:48:11.799 --> 00:48:16.568
of economics from its Greek roots
meaning household management.
00:48:16.569 --> 00:48:20.169
Initially it may have seemed that
you\'re a household or mine had
00:48:20.170 --> 00:48:23.799
very little real connection
with the Byzantine world of
00:48:23.800 --> 00:48:28.329
global economics and yet we\'ve
come full circle to realize
00:48:28.330 --> 00:48:33.109
that how we each live our lives
We evaluate true wealth.
00:48:33.110 --> 00:48:37.068
What we each choose to purchase
or not purchase how we
00:48:37.069 --> 00:48:41.344
invest our meager savings
whom we elect to represent us
00:48:41.345 --> 00:48:44.928
what social movements we
choose to support all of
00:48:44.929 --> 00:48:51.304
these individual household decisions are
the fuel that runs the economic engine
00:48:51.305 --> 00:48:54.588
we can keep on spring from
mosquitoes and ending up with
00:48:54.589 --> 00:48:58.009
rats and are collapsing
rooves if we want or
00:48:58.010 --> 00:49:06.010
we can as Joanne says do better be stronger
and set about reinventing the world
00:49:15.820 --> 00:49:23.394
I\'m going to do do do do
00:49:23.395 --> 00:49:31.395
do do do do do do do do do do do
00:49:43.730 --> 00:49:51.730
do do do do do do do do
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 50 minutes
Date: 2001
Genre: Expository
Language: English
Grade: 10-12, College, Adult
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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