You’ve probably missed it because it’s on a more obscure post, but there’s been a long and heated discussion about Make Wealth History on this post. We’ve gone back and forth on climate change and growth and all sorts. It’s been a helpful discussion, and it’s reminded me of a couple of things.
One of them is that Make Wealth History is a provocative title and easily misunderstood, and it needs a good strapline that explains what it’s about. Paul and I chose ‘because the earth cannot afford our lifestyle’ when we started, but it’s not quite complete. We write about development, poverty and justice as well as climate change and the environment, and I wouldn’t want to suggest that the earth matters more than people. I’d also like a strapline that suggest building something new rather than just critiquing a current way of life.
But what do you think? Have you got a favourite from the options below, or another idea?
I’d just change ‘earth’ to ‘world’ which feels more inclusive of people than earth which has a much more environmental feel to it
Well, Jeremy, paying attention to your comments on that “more obscure post”, I’ve already suggested that you might consider changing the blog’s overall title to:
“Make Nasty (Western) Wealth History (unless, that is, it helps or may help the poor), but it’s OK to encourage Nice Wealth elsewhere (until, that is, it’s done its job when it too should be made history).”
Amendments just added.
You’re getting there Robin, although a neater paraphrase might be “grow until you have enough, and then stop”
Yes, that summarises your views pretty well. However, it would be meaningless to anyone reading it without prior knowledge of the background. That’s not true of the slogan “Make Wealth History”. The problem of course is that it’s clear from our remarkable interesting discussion ( BTW I recommend anyone who hasn’t done so to follow the link in the first paragraph above) that you don’t actually subscribe to that slogan. Hence my suggested redraft.
Just thought I’d take this moment to mention how much I appreciate this blog. Great work guys, keep it up!
I’m assuming ‘strapline’ is what we Americans call ‘masthead.’ Strapline sounds somehow kinky to my American ears. At any rate, I think the current masthead is perfect as-is. I think it is the perfect antidote to the worldview behind the slogan ‘make poverty history,’ particularly the assumption that ‘wealth creation’ is an absolute prerequisite to the amelioration of poverty and other forms of humyn misery. I got my RSS subscription on the strength of the ‘strapline’ alone. Any ‘strapline’ that would further clarify the meaning of the message of the present blog would be too many syllables, but my candidate would be ‘Make wealth no longer the measure of man [sic].’
Not that he’s on the same wavelength, but David Brin makes powerful use of the word ‘satiability;’ practically equating it with maturity.
Hmm, perhaps ‘tagline’ is a better term?
Yes, we were riffing on Make Poverty History with the title, because it’s not possible under the current paradigm. Unless we reduce our consumption in the west, we run out of atmosphere and resources long before poverty is ended.
‘Satiability’ is an interesting idea. I’ll look that up.
I wonder whether something along the lines of “smarter than GDP” might come close? GDP is a bit of a blunt instrument and, as far as I know, was never meant to address such matters as human happiness or environmental concerns. It’s like the balance sheet of a company, in a way – the company could be a great or an awful employer but we won’t know if all we’re aware of is the bottom line (but it will need to have a bottom line, otherwise it will not have survived, and the happiness or unhappiness of its employees will be a moot point.)
Well, ‘alternative’ sorts of businesses have invented various sorts of ‘multiple bottom line’ accounting methods. I’m skeptical as to whether they measure anything meaningful, either, but I think it’s a start because they call into question whether economic utility can be modeled as a ‘scalar’ quantity. That, I think, is the logical first step.
Shameless plug for some of my thoughts on the subject:
http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/Pubwan