Choose Well: Economics is our Values, Not Math

Our choices determine our future.  What we choose shows what want and more importantly demonstrates what we value. In other words, as “For Better or For Worse Comic” comic shows:

Economics is a value system masquerading as mathematics

What we choose to buy tells others what we find most valuable because that is what we chose to use our limited resources to purchase.  This also sends  a message to those that supply that good.  Now it is estimated that 90% of the deforestation has been attributed to illegal logging.  This illegal logging happens because people buy goods made from illegally logged trees.  Lumber Liquidators was a most recent charged company for selling products obtained through illegal logging.

Those choices helped illegal logging exist. Choosing purchases that enrich and nourish the earth benefit ourselves and the planet an and exhibit selfish, selfless synergy because from those interaction everyone and everything benefits.  The forests are the earths lungs and like humans, the earth cannot function well without its lungs, our choices can reflect this value.

While these problems can be solved with better choices, it is hard to make these choices without the necessary information to know we are buying items that are contrary to our values.  Many problems have evolved, according to Dr. Richard Wolfe, because of systematic flaws in capitalism. To learn more about these flaws, I encourage you to listen to his discussion about Marxism 101.  So we are clear, I am not promoting Marxism, however Dr. Wolfe’s interview highlights some fatal flaws in capitalism.   Next weeks post will introduce a possible better economic system, the Collaborative Commons that some suggest is the new evolving economic system.  Enjoy Dr. Wolfe’s interview below. Please share your thoughts…

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