Kate Raworth’s doughnut economic model claims that we can achieve a “safe and just space for humanity” by balancing development, resource management, and human wellbeing. However, her suggestions for achieving this balance may be too optimistic, or even utopian. For example, she promotes a move to digital services in tandem with the adoption of renewable energy. To the author, it’s against her goals, as she doesn’t seem to understand how much energy the digital world needs to run and how much human suffering is involved in powering it. Read full article here
Culture
The Priest in the Arena
The phrase “man in the arena” has been popularized in recent years, but a lesser known, more dangerous archetype is the “priest in the arena”. This figure is responsible for a process called theocratic capture, where an institution surrenders to a cult demanding unaccountable authority, fueled by claims to privileged knowledge. These cults often target powerful institutions and attempt to monopolize conversations with scaremongering tactics and hostile treatment of allies. It is important to identify and stop theocratic capture before it can gain control. Read full article here
Merv
May 29, 2023
