A Peaceable Economy

The same dynamic drives all kinds of economies and wars: it is cumulative causation, along the lines of "Those who have will receive more and they will have more than enough; but as for those who don't have, even the little they have will be taken away from them." Violence is rooted in the workings of both economies and war. The purpose of war is to compel others to do our will, and it is the outcome of many kinds of economic activities. War and economies are intimately related. The key to an alternative vision is the injunction, "Love your neighbor as yourself." However, while sermons are easy, there is no conclusive evidence that humanity has made moral progress over time. The struggle for a peaceable economy must be ceaseless, repeated again and again, to counterbalance the inertia of cumulative causation. As William the Silent said, "One need not hope in order to undertake, nor succeed in order to persevere." This book is a rethinking of the foundational elements of economics, taking a critical look at the basic assumptions about economic life. It offers a hopeful vision of economic possibilities rooted in peace, while critiquing the affinities between economics and war. Contents include: (Part One - Economies and Violence) Economies and Economics
• Cumulative Causation: War and Economy
• The Economy and the Law
• Violence in War and Economy
• Characteristics of Peaceable Economies *** (Part Two - Finding a Peaceable Economy) Models of Ideal Economy
• Can We Get There from Here?
• Alternatives to Violence. (Series: Visions & Voices)