A POSTCAPITALIST PARADIGM: THE COMMON GOOD OF ...

At the present time there is a new awareness about our relationship
with nature that has become increasingly central in the discussions.
Awareness that the earth is not an inexhaustible resource, especially as
concerns energy, is one of the new factors that question the human development
model that has prevailed over the last 500 years, together
with greater understanding of the irreversible damage that is being done
to eco-systems by industrial activities, the type of agriculture being promoted
and irrational consumerism.
Regulations versus alternatives
This being so, it is increasingly clear that regulations are not enough. It
is the logic of the system that is being challenged. It is true that an apocalyptic
discourse does not serve as a basis for action. But a rigorous
analysis can be a guide to us for the future and create the consciousness
that radical solutions are urgent. This is why we have worked on this
book to present a panorama of all the aspects of the crisis that, when
considered all together, are due to the logic of capitalism.
Many regulations have been put forward in international bodies like the
United Nations, but the system is still not capable of accepting them,
alternatives even less so. The Stiglitz Commission proposed a reform
of the international financial bodies (World Bank, International Monetary
Fund) and of the World Trade Organization, as well as the setting up of
an International Panel of Experts to prevent the crises (the only measure
accepted by the United Nations Conference). It also recommended the
creation of a Council for Global Economic Coordination on the same level
as the Security Council (with, however, a democratic function), the organization
of a global reserve system as against the hegemony of the
dollar as the reserve currency, the institution of international fiscalization,
the abolition of tax havens and the bank secret, and a reform of the rating
agencies.
However, the World Trade Organization and the European Union, like
many countries following the capitalist logic, have continued to promote
pro-cyclical measures (reduction of social policies, for example) that have
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