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 A Global Perspective
By Jiri Polak
In 2005, Eng.Zdenêk Trinkewitz wrote a paper named Die Bedingungen einer dauerhaft erhaltenden Fortentwicklung (The Conditions of a Sustainable Growth), to be presented at a conference of the Liberal Institute, Prague. This is a subject broached by several other scholars and political commentators. However, Eng.Trinkewitz' analysis runs deeper and is more radical than most. I believe it deserves special attention. Eng.Trikewitz points out that there is a weakness in all mainstream political theories, namely the idea that economic processes take place in a sphere of unlimited natural resources and honest undertaking. In the first stage of the development of the capitalist system, grosso modo, these conditions did exist. This is hardly the case at present. "The current fully liberalized undertaking (laissez faire), as well as the maximization of profit, will result in unsustainable exhaustion of all natural resources, including the externalities which, so far, have not been fully included in the production costs of the undertaking subjects. " (p.3) "Environmental pessimists even believe that humanity has already crossed the boundary beyond which a global collapse can no longer be avoided.' .... "Economic science and politics, which today truly want to accept their share of responsibility for sustainable and improving life of mankind, must unconditionally take their point of departure in the limited resources of the Planet." (p.3.) "The civil society, including its responsibility for the fate of future generations, must push through and maintain a reasonable and permanently sustainable way of life against this untenable hedonistic "modus vivendi". (p.4) How to achieve that? "In the current situation, it is absolutely necessary to proclaim without delay a state of emergency for the whole Planet Earth, to establish a global crisis legislation, and begin to behave in a sustainable way. The chief task of theoretical economics must be to put forward and push through a new, ecological political system. A system assuring a sustainable and rational development of mankind, respecting human rights, and, to a maximum possible extent, based on free market and private property. " (p.5) To assure that, Eng.Trinkewitz puts forward the idea of a global system organized according to a few general principles: Regional organs operating on the basis of Direct Democracy; possession of weapons of mass destruction limited to the members of the Security Council of the UNO; global legislation and global executive power; birth control; regulation of migration. To achieve all that states must have democratic Constitutions, elected Parliaments, and independent Courts of Justice." (p.9) Who can disagree? Eng.Trinkewitz is not only an analyst and theorist. He has become one of prominent members of the Czech and European DD movements. Prague, 6 March 2010: Third DDEV Meeting  Left: Mgr.Milus Kotisová, Ph.D.Jiri Polak, Mrs.Kristyna Kocí (The Public Affairs Party), Eng.Zdenek Trinkewitz, Right: Mr Radek John, (Chairman, The Public Affairs Party), Eng. Federico Tonini, Italy, DDEV A Preliminary Discussion  From the left: Eng.Federico Tonini, Italy, entrepreneur, Chairman of Democrazia Federale, coordinator and theorist of the DDEV Eng.Zdenek Trinkewitz, former top-level manager, economist, DD theorist and activist, Ph.D. Jiri Polak, politologist, editor of this newsletter, international DDD activist |