On my way up to La Defense I was gently approached by two sweet but very smartly dressed jeune filles who tried to enjoin me to sign a petition to the local Maire or some other body entreating the powers that be to block the erection of a new tower between La Defense and Courbevoie. I did my little 'Desole Madamesiolle mais je suis presse , je ne habite pas ici' routine and sauntered on past the Occupy La Defense manifestation. Espousing the same nimby values couched in vastly different terms. Probably about 200 paces apart they were but these two groups of people are living in two different realities but sharing the same ignorance.
It's high noon mes amis.
Croisannce Economique ou Tombée Dans La Miserie.
That's the choice and it's side choosing time.
It's no good arresting economic development and then wailing when nothing comes from nothing. You can't have BIEN ETRE and have BEANS at the same time. You know the old 'guns or butter' thing. It's Bien Etre or Beans. Without the beans the bien etre will turn to la miserie. There is nothing for nothing. Yes capital is running wild and unpunished. Yes there is no accountability and visibility into the machinations of the markets. But that does not mean we can escape economic reality. If that tower does not go up then 1000 builders do not get to eat.And pay tax. And support the pension schemes. And the building suppliers do not get to eat and pay tax and support the health system. And the workers who would work in the building do not get to eat and pay tax and support the City.
What the world needs now is GROWTH and not nimbyism.
Whether that nimbysim is blatantly selfish focussed exclusively on local 'pwoperty pwices' or nibysim dressed as 'concern for the environment'. Unless of course we all actually want to go back to the stone age. The tower is not going to hurt anyone. The tower is not a health risk. The tower will not cause soil erosion or atmospheric pollution. Little children in Courbevoie will still breathe perfectly well. And eat well. The skyline will be re-arranged. So what ?. Property prices in Courbevoie may drop. So what ?. They are too high anyway. Artificially high property prices are at the heart of the economic crisis.If property prices go down rents will go down. Disposable incomes will rise. The economy will grow.And then property prices will rise again.No man can serve two masters. We all either serve self via the worship of mammon and ideology or we all work for the greater good.
But we must all work. There is no escaping that
. OK now it's back to work for me
It's high noon mes amis.
Croisannce Economique ou Tombée Dans La Miserie.
That's the choice and it's side choosing time.
It's no good arresting economic development and then wailing when nothing comes from nothing. You can't have BIEN ETRE and have BEANS at the same time. You know the old 'guns or butter' thing. It's Bien Etre or Beans. Without the beans the bien etre will turn to la miserie. There is nothing for nothing. Yes capital is running wild and unpunished. Yes there is no accountability and visibility into the machinations of the markets. But that does not mean we can escape economic reality. If that tower does not go up then 1000 builders do not get to eat.And pay tax. And support the pension schemes. And the building suppliers do not get to eat and pay tax and support the health system. And the workers who would work in the building do not get to eat and pay tax and support the City.
What the world needs now is GROWTH and not nimbyism.
Whether that nimbysim is blatantly selfish focussed exclusively on local 'pwoperty pwices' or nibysim dressed as 'concern for the environment'. Unless of course we all actually want to go back to the stone age. The tower is not going to hurt anyone. The tower is not a health risk. The tower will not cause soil erosion or atmospheric pollution. Little children in Courbevoie will still breathe perfectly well. And eat well. The skyline will be re-arranged. So what ?. Property prices in Courbevoie may drop. So what ?. They are too high anyway. Artificially high property prices are at the heart of the economic crisis.If property prices go down rents will go down. Disposable incomes will rise. The economy will grow.And then property prices will rise again.No man can serve two masters. We all either serve self via the worship of mammon and ideology or we all work for the greater good.
But we must all work. There is no escaping that
. OK now it's back to work for me
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