The Green Global Keynesianism of Susan George

. . . recipe for an alternative world((-)system) by Susan George  (source: Doug Henwood, "Terrorism and Globalization", in the "The Nation" (U.S. magazine), November 2001, online at: http://www.thenation.com )

 

[start quote]
"Susan George, the writer and activist on development and global poverty, . . .  laid out a
"planetary contract" for "hope and renewal"--an end to our "foolish dependency" on oil, cancellation of poor countries' debts, a program to meet the basic needs of the world's poorest (which would cost $50 billion to $90 billion a year) and new global taxes on financial transactions and multinational corporations. George offered this as worthy of doing in itself, but also as a way of lowering the levels of despair in which terrorists thrive . . ." [end quote]

 

Henwood's comment:
"A fine idea, but it would mean taking on the most powerful interest groups in the world . . ."(ibid.)

 

GK comment:
. . .  global democracy? Why not?
Theological angle - Susan George's "planeteray contract" for "hope and renewal" sounds like another "covenant" (like in the bible, talmud) - a rainbow which promises survival, life and happiness for all the world's people, here in a secularized form.
    By the way, George's view is in line with Robert Heilbroner's "Global Vision" (book, approx. 1995) and Chase-Dunn's "Collectively Rational and Democratic Global Commonwealth" (in Kohler/Chaves, Globalization, forthcoming).