Possible Readings for
F. Economic Systems

“History of economics — Modern Economic Thought,” by Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 p.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_economics#Modern_economic_thought

Various ideas about economics since 1776.

“Defending the Commons, Defending Life,” by Jonathan Rowe, Yes! A Journal of Positive Futures, Spring 2006.

http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1526

The commons is emerging in the issues lexicon. We Americans own together our air and water, our public lands, our Main Streets and public spaces, and our public domain of culture and knowledge.

“Complementary currencies for $ocial change,” an interview with Bernard Lietaer by Ravi Dykema, Nexus, July-August 2003, 19 p.

http://www.nexuspub.com/articles/2003/july2003/interview.htm

Lietaer, who implemented the convergence mechanism to the single European currency system (the Euro), shares his views on the shortcomings of our conventional currency system, the benefits of creating a complementary currency, and ways to effect lasting social change.

“Toward A Nonviolent Economics,” by Chuck Matthei and Joanne Sheehan, Nonviolent Activist, May-June 2001, 8 p.

http://www.warresisters.org/nva0501-2.htm

How can we interject the transformative force of nonviolence into the circumstances of economic conflict and injustice?

“There Is An Alternative,” by Michael Albert, ZNet, July 27, 2005, 4 p.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=26&ItemID=8385

Participatory economics (parecon) is an alternative way to organize economic life that adheres to progressive values of solidarity, diversity, equity, and self-management.

“The GDP Myth: Why ‘growth’ isn’t always a good thing,” by Jonathan Rowe and Judith Silverstein, Washington Monthly, Volume 31, Issue 3, March 1999, 16 p.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/1999/9903.rowe.growth.html

A generic look at our current economy and the impact of valuing growth above other values.