Development cooperation
Club of Rome: Less growth, fewer children
The “Club of Rome” in his new book proposals to solve the problems of the world. Among other things, women in industrialized Nations should not have children. Development aid Minister, Gerd Müller, did PR help.
Thirteen – partly radical demands of the industrial countries in the new report of the “Club of Rome”, which was presented in Berlin and in the form of a book appears. The proposals do not come from the Unknown: in 1972 the book “limits to growth” made the think tank is world-famous. Its members include entrepreneurs, scientists, Industrialists and other celebrities: from Germany, Liz Mohn (Bertelsmann), Wolfgang Sachs (Greenpeace), Eberhard von Koerber (BMW) and the nature wissensw Ambassador and SPD-politician Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker. Since 2012 he has been President of the Club of Rome, with headquarters in Switzerland.
Brainwashed by neo-liberalism?
The two authors of the “Club of Rome”book, Jorgen Randers, and Graeme Maxton analyze: After 30 years of globalisation and growth, the situation had become worse, millions of people have lost their Jobs. The gap between rich and Poor has become greater.
Gerd Müller, Minister for economic cooperation and development: Not less, but a different growth
It had to be a change of system, called Maxton, Secretary General of the club. An economic system that put on more and more growth, is not the solution but the reason for the problems. For Maxton, the fault lies in the Adherence to neoliberalism, which have many totally brainwashed.
Such a system could exchange be designed to have combined all of the authors in a catalogue of demands. The programmatic title: “One percent growth is enough”. Not all the suggestions are in the matter, such as the call for a stimulus package, a higher retirement age, higher consumption tax or a basic income. Some of the proposals are radical: the requirement for a One-child policy and longer vacations.
The proposals in the Overview:
- green stimulus packages financed by a higher amount of money, or higher taxes, in order to promote measures against climate change,
- to promote more taxes on fossil fuels such as brown coal to alternative energies.
- during the ecological Transformation: subsidies for employees who move to a greener Job
- To reduce the size of restructuring of the tax system away from labour income to consumption of raw materials, especially to the ecological footprint of flights or Heating would be more expensive,
- massive increase in the estate tax to reduce inequality and increase government revenue.
- more vacation days for workers, in order to create more leisure time, and to distribute the work better,
- Basic income, especially for those who need it most: the Old, the Sick and the unemployed,
- Increase of the retirement age to 70 years so that the people can ensure a long time for yourself,
- higher taxes for the Rich and companies to distribute profits more fairly, especially in view of the robotization,
- a One-child policy to slow the growth of the world’s population,
- new Definition of “paid work”, also the care of relatives should include
- Unions strengthen to increase income and to reduce unemployment,
- Trade limit, where Jobs are threatened
Germany can help with technology and Innovation
One percent growth: The two authors, Jorgen Randers (left) and Graeme Maxton (right)
The German development aid Minister Gerd Müller (CSU) held at the book presentation, a kind of Eulogy. He said that, in his view, “not less growth, but of a different type of growth” had to go. In General, however, the Minister of the analysis, and the world was at a “global crossroads of the planet”. Controls, humanity is on a precipice, or can growth be made sustainable? Minister Müller was optimistic.
His reasoning: Germany – like Europe as a whole – a region of Excellence: There is enough Innovation and technology to solve the world hunger problem. In the world space for tens of billions of people, said Müller was finally, but only if the economy decouples growth from resource consumption.
The Western consumer model – “our cars, our Lifestyle” – could not be the future model for India or Africa, because there is smoke to many resources, such as energy consumption. A response to the audience question of why he wanted to the people there our good life withheld, the Minister guilty.
Less children in the world
Arguably the “Club of Rome”. Critics point to the fact that the economic system had not failed everywhere: millions of people had been freed from absolute poverty, some have managed to make the way into the middle class, as the examples of China or India showed.
Was criticised in Berlin, in particular the demand for a One-child policy, to be promoted to the ideas of the Club of Rome in Western countries. Jorgen Randers said that a child from an industrial state verb is about 30 times more resources smoke as a child in India. In this respect, the West would go on to lead by example, and fewer children in the world. Women get a maximum of one child should be rewarded with a monetary bonus.
Call for more discussions
And as Minister Müller wants to shrink the global gap between the rich and the poor countries? The development assistance should be doubled, he said, and there needed to be a change from a globalized free trade to fair Trade: fair wages and market access. Developing countries need more innovation and better education policy.
The report of the Club of Rome welcomed Müller. You always need a concrete solution, he said, about the need to discuss. The warning of an Apocalypse will not help.