Tomorrow, I have the honor of speaking to a very large group of high-school students in the UK. I only wish there was something exciting going on in the world of finance and economics over there. 😉
I was invited to talk about my book, which I will do, but obviously we have to do it in the context of recent events. Fortunately, I’ve been following things pretty closely, so I can draw on what I’ve written in these posts: September 22, September 23, September 25, September 26, September 28, October 1
Here’s the paperback version of the UK edition.
I suggest you mention that MMT has enlightened the fact that sovereign currency issuers need far less taxes from their people. That is a significant mental break through in economics. Then I suggest you offer the students the policy of a 50% Discount/Rebate at the point of retail sale that will immediately and forever end inflation by implementing beneficial MACRO-ECONOMIC price and asset deflation, thereby immediately doubling their purchasing power, greatly increases the actually available demand for every enterprise's goods and services which integrates their and consumer's self interests while isolating Finance whose monopolistic monetary paradigm of Debt Only has kept them on their knees for the last 5000 years. See if that doesn't light up their eyes a little. Afterall, this policy will be both a mental change and a complete temporal universe inversion of economic realities which are the cardinal signatures of all historic paradigm changes.
Ben Norton founder of MultiPolarista published an article and podcast about Bolivian President Arce's UN speech on his revolutionary 14-point socialist program to transform Bolivia and the world. This is the most comprehensive & pragmatic plan I've ever read from either an elected official or economist, & as y'all probably know, he's both. The article and 45-min podcast of Ben's can be found here
https://multipolarista.com/2022/09/27/luis-arce-un-bolivia-14-point-program/
Stephanie, it would be great for you to evaluate & explain how MMT could be used to successfully implement this proposal or something comparable to it; And of course any flaws & improvements you'd recommend.
1. Declare the world to be a zone of peace
2. Substitute the manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction with just compensation for the poor people of the world
3. Against the commercialization of health care, systems of universal health care
4. Global program of food sovereignty, in harmony with Mother Earth
5. Rebuild the productive and economic capacities of the country of the periphery hurt by the logic of the unrestrained concentration of capital
6. The climate crisis requires responsibility, solidarity, and harmony between human beings and nature, not usury
7. The industrialization of lithium, for the benefit of the peoples and a fundamental pillar for the energy transition
8. From nationalization to regionalization of the struggle against drug trafficking
9. Strengthen international mechanisms for preferential treatment for landlocked countries
10. Widen our restricted vision of human rights and democracy
11. Intergenerational solidarity
12. Declare the decade of depatriarchalization to struggle against all forms of violence against women and girls
13. Reject unilateral sanctions
14. Guarantee the full validity of the UN charter and the principle of multilateralism