ANVIL Session Holds a Lively Discussion on Unsustainable Economics
Steve Mandel on Unsustainable Economics
Steve Mandel, a retired development economist and researcher in economic theory, was the speaker at our second meeting on Wednesday 12th Feb. We are a structured discussion group which anyone is free to join and this session attracted sixteen members. No doubt this was because our rather special speaker had been researching a topic that attracted substantial interest.
He was putting forward the case that conventional economic theory is driving us towards unsustainability, i.e. a very dangerous economic situation, or even economic collapse.
The Anvil approach to discussion – Think the Unthinkable
Our approach is to put notes from the speaker online before the meeting so everyone can come prepared, having thought about the topic and having had a chance to look at the speaker's main points. In this case we saw how well this approach works. It was also particularly necessary in Steve's case as only two of us had any familiarity with economics. There was a lot to get one's head around.
A fun evening, actually
The Quaker Barn is certainly a very pleasant venue for our meetings, and with two breaks for refreshments and socialising the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, even while the discussion was challenging. People left saying they had found the session "interesting and enjoyable."
Visit our website
If you would like to find out more, go to our website www.johnbaxter.org where you can read more about ANVIL, see Steve's paper, a report on the meeting, a summary of what he said and a list of other websites exploring sustainable economic theory.
Join Us
If you are interested in an evening of challenging thought and discussion all you need do is send your name, email and telephone number to . Joining is free, attending a session is £4.00.
Our next session is on Wednesday 2nd April and the subject Freedom of Expression. Where do we draw the line? We live in a strange world where the need for free and open expression and media is vital to uncover political, religious and economic corruption, but where such freedom can also be used to promote dangerous and violent ideas and the gross sexual exploitation of children.
Our speaker will be Gillian Cleverley. Gill has been a member of Amnesty International for over 30 years and has spoken at school, adult and university groups about Human Rights and Women's Rights all over the country. This should be a very lively session.
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