The Myth of Sustainability and the Quadrillion Dollar Economy: Why Must the Economy Grow

From the text: In this paper we will argue that the problem is not with the market or with capitalism, however defined;we argue that the market, as envisioned by classic writers such as Adam Smith and John Stuart Milbeen severely distorted by a financial structure that is culturally-specific. We will argue that the problem is not unbridled consumption (which we view as a symptom, not a cause of the problem), but rather debt, savings and investments, that is the requirement of our financial system for continuing return on capital, or the making of money with money. Furthermore, we suggest that the structure of the modern financial system can and must be altered. But to demonstrate this, we must address the question, rarely dealt with by economists, or others for that matter, of what is it about the modern market economy that requires it to perpetually grow?