Partisan politics has become the order of the day—but it is literally strangling us from getting anything done. But Partisan politics is intricately tied to the rules of the current 3 sector economy as measured by the GDP where only the markets, government and illegal sectors are counted in our economy. The limitations of our current economy force politicians into aligning with either the government or the private markets. We’re watching this as the Republicans scream ‘markets, markets, markets’ will take care of the economy and the stimulus is a government interruption and stealing your money. Then the Democrats are screaming “we need more government balance” and the stimulus is necessary because the markets have failed and left us in a depression. This either/or game is so yesterday!
Its time to get our heads out of the sand and recognize what is staring us in the face—that the current 3 sector economy is no longer meeting our needs and it is time to redesign it—not as an either/or system but a Full Spectrum, 6 sector economy that measures and monetizes the full spectrum of work that is necessary to sustain our lives. A Full Spectrum economy starts a whole new dialogue—instead of the either/or of government vs.markets, it’s the ‘and/both’ focus of enabling all 6 sectors to have their part in this new, vibrant economic system. Once we do this, the old either/or arguments of government vs. markets dissolve. Partisan politics become old news and those who want to continue to perpetuate partisan politics show their true colors—that they aren’t interested in creating a world that works, they’re interested only in maintaining status quo and the old power games.
A Full Spectrum economy is a 6 sector economy—
Markets—goods and services sold for profit/financial wealth generation
Government—services for the common good/financed through taxes on profits
Illegal—people create wealth outside traditional markets through illegal activities (we might not want this sector—but its very real)
Household enterprise—paying for the human capacity building in our homes which produces the adults available for the other sectors
Volunteer service—caring activities that support the community and build social wealth/social safety net
Natural environment—valuing the resources that enable the markets to produce goods and factoring this cost into the product/profit balance.
When we measure and monetize all of these activities in our economy ‘financial wealth creation’ goes beyond the sole reliance on the markets, This is necessary because the markets can no longer singularly carry that burden since the 70% consumer economy is coming to a halt whether we likeit or not. In fact, ‘wealth accumulation’ doesn't need to be limited strictly to financial wealth but can also include social wealth as can be measured in the volunteer sector as an example.
A Full Spectrum economy frees politicians to focus on building policies that are inclusive of all six sectors with the realization that in doing this it leads us out of the current chaos and into a vibrant new economy. And that’s a heck of a lot more fun than the old either/or world where nothing gets done by squabbling.
We don’t have time for partisan politics and these ridiculous, wasteful power games. The world’s economy is in collapse, neither the markets and the government can get us completely out of this mess, but a Full Spectrum Economy can. Let’s get to work on it.
For more information:Ann@partnershipway.org
A Full Spectrum Economy is based on the work by Riane Eisler, “A Real Wealth of Nations…creating a caring economics.
