tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20480185.post3158484273176161869..comments2023-12-23T10:18:58.321+00:00Comments on The Extra Bold Blog: Greenpartywatch: the manifestoJoe Ottenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18380362092159905533noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20480185.post-28617526374608287252010-05-01T12:50:41.663+01:002010-05-01T12:50:41.663+01:00the issue the Greens have with growth is that it i...the issue the Greens have with growth is that it is environmentally unsustainable. On a planet with finite resources, it's asburd to assume that growth can continue indefinitely. <br />Yea RIGHT but <br />a more pertinent issue with Rosa's comment and with the Green Party Manifesto this election, is:<br />If they still find economic growth unsustainable (rightly,<br />as it uses up the Earths finite resources,) why has the Green's party not really made this a theme of their 2010 manifesto? <br />In the eighies I recall the Green Party were for decentralisation of power, rather than a smaller state. But this would not have to be dispersing the state to the regions. Behind it was the objective of maximising conservation of finite resources by<br />promoting local production for local needs;~local and regional economic self reliance <br />(so our homeland no longer will keep reaching to take from around the globe and have us consume 14 times as much Per head as the two thirds of the world population living in the Third World)<br />It is to be mourned that the themes of decentralisation and the<br />green economic motives for it are no longer running through the 'Green' election manifesto. So it may be questionable whether the Party still has its purpose of opposing an economic growth which is spending the earths limited resources as soon as possible.limestone_cowboynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20480185.post-82148602104007930142010-04-30T13:05:06.164+01:002010-04-30T13:05:06.164+01:00Rosa, thanks for your comments. I think there are ...Rosa, thanks for your comments. I think there are problems with your analysis of growth but that is for another occasion. My point here is that without growth, you need much bigger spending cuts and tax rises to balance the budget, compared to what the other parties need.<br /><br />Also I remember in the 80s the Greens being in favour of a smaller state. What happened to that?Joe Ottenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18380362092159905533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20480185.post-73843654041148046152010-04-30T13:01:15.763+01:002010-04-30T13:01:15.763+01:00The issue the Greens have with growth is that it i...The issue the Greens have with growth is that it is environmentally unsustainable. On a planet with finite resources, it's asburd to assume that growth can continue indefinitely. As far as I know, the Green policy on this is to consider the possibility of having a working economy that provides jobs etc on a zero growth basis. All the other parties (and most economists) won't even consider this, instead they bury their heads in the sand and hope that science will make everything OK. This 'disdain for growth' you refer to isn't dogmatic, it's entirely sensible given the reality of the environment and its resources. Aiming for growth in itself is absurd. It's just a number on a piece of paper. Aiming for full employment on the other hand is, of course, the right thing to do, but growth for its own sake is not really worth that much for most people.<br /><br />If the Greens are in favour of a large state, it's not because they WANT a large state, its because they believe that it is through their policies that their aims will be met, i.e. greater equality and environmental sustainability. You may disagree with these aims, or that these policies will be effective, but don't try and argue the Greens are any more dogmatic or ideological than the Lib Dems.Rosanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20480185.post-40113899973135371362010-04-19T23:26:06.218+01:002010-04-19T23:26:06.218+01:00I'm in favour of lib dem policy: fairer taxes,...I'm in favour of lib dem policy: fairer taxes, not deliberately thwarting economic growth, and a deficit reduction timetable driven by economic indicators rather than dogma.Joe Ottenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18380362092159905533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20480185.post-86505405093935950472010-04-19T17:49:11.434+01:002010-04-19T17:49:11.434+01:00but what are you in favour of, then, Joe?but what are you in favour of, then, Joe?limestone cowboynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20480185.post-21821542010178794772010-04-17T01:56:03.405+01:002010-04-17T01:56:03.405+01:00#iagreewithnick tshirt available here: http://bit....#iagreewithnick tshirt available here: http://bit.ly/aFX9NnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com