William Junger on 12/09/2012 7:07pm

Ben misses a huge point in Gilles switching chair metaphor, he switched the chairs to direct the audience in favor to his point, that is an act of selfishness and in turn not cooperative.

Gerald Mires on 24/08/2012 2:53pm

After capitalism? More like Future Capitalism...

David Morey on 19/08/2012 7:42pm

Surely developed countries are going to have to learn to live with less or even zero growth, and surely this will result in a growing demand and eventual realisation of greater equality, unless we want to live with more discontent and security measure to maintain unfair and unnecessary levels of inequality. And are there not gains to be had from less growth, if we can do less paid work and find ways to make the cost of living more sustainable and fair? Lower levels of paid work and consumption may allow better levels of art, political participation and community care/activities to flourish. Or must we compete to distribute our considerable resources unfairly rather cooperatively than share them more equally? Inequality seems like a societal goal only able to work if there is growth to promise a better tomorrow. A post-growth society may prove to be a more enjoyable and civilised one.

Cameron Freer on 15/08/2012 1:38pm

Haha look at 11:14 - capitalism cures itself with crises?? if it works for Capitalism, maybe it'll work for me. Work through that self interest, all the way down. Won't there then be another kind of crisis, then? Sounds like it.

Dr B Carl on 15/08/2012 1:32pm

Oh, imagine, to be diagnosed with 'Accumulitis'. Don't you think that it's spread farther than jsut the West? Nations who are only now gaining Capitalism are the ones we need to look out for. The ones without debates like this.

Maria Furne on 15/08/2012 1:29pm

I think that Ben is entirely correct to note that accummulation is inevitable, and that all species have this going on to some extent. It's just that at the same time we can have other values - as Meghnad says, fairness, for example, which can improve these systems. We're humans! We're capable of doing more than JUST accumulate, and viciously compete... It's almost a mass Western disease, though, the idea that we've never got 'enough'.