One-World Economy
This journal was begun by Christopher Houghton Budd in May 1980, initially on an occasional basis (May 1980 – December 1989), then bi-monthly (1990 – 2004), then monthly (2005 onwards). Its main purpose has been to travel back and forth between the ideas of Rudolf Steiner as these underpin the school of economic thought known as associative economics, and the conceptual, policy and practical realities of finance and economics today.
The hope has been to create a bridge in this way that is two-way, but finding ways to locate associative economics in today’s debates, but to do so in a modest, pragmatic way.
That said, the idea has been to visit as many schools of economic thought as possible, to walk around the tree of economics, as it were, in order to synthesise what might become the next ‘wall paper’, a backgrounding able to take us beyond banking and beyond the market. In the long history of economic thought, both have their justification. But both have in a sense passed their ‘sell by’ date. It is time to reground economics, but to do so in link with accounting – that being the special characteristic of associative economics.
Christopher Houghton Budd is now approaching 67 and would like to take a back seat. To mark this change we are devoting the next 4 issues (June to September 2015) to the content of a series of exhibitions he is currently curating at the Mini Money Museum in Folkestone, England (folkestonefinance.com).
The idea of these exhibitions is to distil the last 35 years of this journal’s research into aphoristic, even axiomatic statements representative of associative economics, and citing Rudolf Steiner where a debt to him is owed. In that this work has been one of synthesising the views of colleagues and correspondents, the content will be presented anonymously.
June – Dunlop, Keynes, Steiner: Architects of world economy
July – Beyond Gold: Goodbye gold standard!
August – Edge Funding: Rethinking the real and financial economies
September – Keynes, Money and the Arts: The economics of imagination
In the final article, exploring the Accounting Backdrop of this issue’s theme, Stephen Torr turns his attention towards a possible One World Ledger, by way of a single set of accounting standards, multiple currencies, and the emerging world of crypto-currencies.
Any one of these ideas could provide a jumping off point for future themes of the journal, however, if the exclamation mark included within the journal’s title is to mean anything, then surely it is a call to action. For those with the ears to hear it, maybe it is time to Associate! their economic affairs, and if needs be, answer its call with pertinent questions as to how.
In light of this, during the summer we will be looking at ways to widen the readership and involve more contributors, but also to tighten the focus with regard to today’s current affairs by looking at practical and conceptual examples of how associative economics responds to the demands of the times.
We would like to involve readers’ thoughts in all these regards.