Capitalism Unmasked - Part 14: The Myth of Growth

Capitalism Unmasked 1 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 1: The Myth of the Free Market 2 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 2: The Shareholder Value Myth 3 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 3: The Trickle-Down Delusion 4 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 4: The Myth of the Lazy Poor 5 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 5: The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Distrust 6 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 6: The Education Myth 7 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 7: The Myth of Natural Inequality 8 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 8: The Myth of Capital Flight 9 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 9: The Myth of the Rational Consumer 10 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 10: The Hidden Costs of 'Free' Markets 11 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 11: The Myth of the Self-Made Man 12 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 12: The Myth of Efficient Financial Markets 13 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 13: The Myth of Corporate Social Responsibility 14 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 14: The Myth of Growth 15 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 15: Development Institutions - Help or Hindrance? 16 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 16: The Myth of Immigration Harm 17 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 17: The Myth of Flexible Labor Markets 18 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 18: The Myth of Shareholder Primacy 19 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 19: The Myth of Technological Unemployment 20 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 20: The Privatization Illusion 21 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 21: The Myth of Patent Protection 22 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 22: The Myth of Government Debt Crisis 23 Capitalism Unmasked - Part 23: Finance - Economy's Brain or Parasite? ← Series Home What They Tell You Economic growth is essential for prosperity. More growth means more jobs, higher living standards, and the ability to solve problems. GDP growth is the best measure of progress. Without growth, economies stagnate, unemployment rises, and societies become unstable. Growth allows us to have more without taking from others. ...

Contrasting imported consumption with local production and value creation

Reflections on Development - Part 2: Beyond GDP - Measuring Material Progress and Well-being

Reflections on Development 1 Reflections on Development - Part 1: What 'Development' Truly Means 2 Reflections on Development - Part 2: Beyond GDP - Measuring Material Progress and Well-being 3 Reflections on Development - Part 3: The Human Element - Investing in the 'Creativity of the Poor' 4 Reflections on Development - Part 4: The Cultural Context - Institutions, Values, and Sustainable Change 5 Reflections on Development - Part 5: The Synthesis - Turning Reflections into Collective Action ← Series Home Key Takeaways The Consumption Trap: A nation might appear “developed” because its citizens use modern technology, but if it can’t produce these tools, it’s merely a wealthy consumer. Technology Transfer Illusion: Buying a factory without the underlying knowledge makes it just a “metal box” we don’t truly own. Green Industrial Revolution: Shift from heavy, imported industry toward renewable local resources. Rural Industrialization: Build small-scale, high-tech industries in rural areas processing local materials. From Scarcity to Abundance: Stop feeling “poor” for lacking Western machinery; recognize the untapped richness in local resources. In our previous post, we discussed the need to redefine what “development” means philosophically. Now, we move to the hard numbers: The Economy. When we talk about a country’s success, we almost always point to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). If the number goes up, we celebrate. But Dr. Hamed El-Mously argues that for developing nations, this metric can be a dangerous mask. It often hides a reality of deep dependency rather than true strength. ...