可持續國家：政府、經濟和社會的未來

可持續國家：政府、經濟和社會的未來

 

錢德蘭·奈爾（作者）2018年10月9日
https://www.amazon.ca/Sustainable-State-Government-Economy-Society/dp/1523095148

“本書提出了一些尖銳的問題，並給出了大膽且發人深省的答案……讓我們看到了人類麵臨的一些最緊迫的問題。必讀之作。”——莫伊塞斯·納伊姆，《權力的複仇》作者

自由市場、有限政府的發展模式對發展中國家來說是一場生態和社會災難。可持續和公平的發展隻有在強大的中央政府積極參與下才有可能實現，這個政府能夠引導經濟、保護環境，並優先滿足人民的基本需求。

在這本注定會引起爭議的書中，錢德蘭·奈爾指出，西方工業化國家所奉行的市場主導模式根本無法推廣。僅美國一國，其人口不到世界人口的5%，卻消耗了近四分之一的資源。如果擁有世界人口60%的亞洲國家效仿西方，後果將是災難性的。

相反，奈爾認為，發展必須由一個願意並能夠幹預經濟的國家來引導。企業本質上就是要求不斷擴大消費，因此需要引導它們滿足社會需求，否則就應該加以限製，而不是放任其發展。發展必須以最大的利益為導向——為大多數人提供清潔的飲用水，必須優先於為少數人提供遊泳池。他提供了三個令人信服的案例研究，展示了強有力國家治理的益處以及弱化國家治理的弊端。

這意味著我們需要重新思考“繁榮”、“自由”和“權利”等概念的含義，以及民主是否始終是確保政府響應的最佳方式——正如奈爾所寫：“一個無法改善公民生活的民主國家，並不比一個能夠真正改善生活質量的非民主國家更好。” 許多人會覺得這些想法頗具挑戰性，但奈爾提供的是一個適合發展中國家現實的模式，而非主流文化的預設。

可持續國家：政府、經濟和社會的未來

錢德蘭·奈爾

本書認為，當前的自由市場、有限政府模式不可持續且不公平，尤其對發展中國家而言。奈爾主張建立一個強大的中央政府來引導經濟、保護環境，並優先滿足人民的基本需求，因為西方奉行的市場主導模式並不適用於全世界。他認為，發展必須由一個願意並有能力幹預經濟的國家來引導，以確保更加公平和可持續的未來。

闡述：
現行模式的不可持續性：

奈爾認為，當前以自由市場和有限的政府幹預為主導的經濟模式，已導致發展中國家的生態和社會災難。他以美國為例，強調其人口僅占全球一小部分，卻消耗了不均衡的資源。

更強大國??家的必要性：

奈爾認為，一個強大而積極的國家對於引導發展、保護環境和確保滿足基本需求至關重要。他認為，市場驅動模式不適用於全球，需要采取更具幹預性的方式才能實現可持續和公平的發展。

主要論點：

可擴展性：奈爾認為，西方以市場為主導的模式不適用於全球，尤其是在考慮到亞洲龐大的人口的情況下。

資源消耗：他強調了美國等發達國家不均衡的資源消耗，並認為這對整個地球來說是不可持續的。

社會與生態影響：奈爾認為，當前的模式對社會和環境都產生了不利影響，尤其是在發展中國家。

國家的作用：他強調需要一個積極主動、幹預性強的國家來引導發展、保護環境，並確保滿足所有人的基本需求。

可持續發展：

本書符合聯合國對可持續性的定義，即在滿足當代人的需求的同時，不損害子孫後代滿足自身需求的能力。奈爾主張建立更強大的國家，以此作為實現更可持續、更公平發展的途徑。

The Sustainable State: The Future of Government, Economy, and Society

Chandran Nair (Author)  Oct. 9 2018
https://www.amazon.ca/Sustainable-State-Government-Economy-Society/dp/1523095148

“Asks difficult questions and offers bold, provocative answers . . . These pages open our eyes to some of the most urgent problemss facing humanity. A must-read.” —Moisés Naím, author of The Revenge of Power

The free-market, limited-government development model has been an ecological and social disaster for the developing world. Sustainable and equitable development is only possible with the active involvement of a strong central state that can guide the economy, protect the environment, and prioritize meeting people’s basic needs.

In this sure-to-be-controversial book, Chandran Nair shows that the market-dominated model followed by the industrialized West is simply not scalable. The US alone, with less than five percent of the world population, consumes nearly a quarter of its resources. If Asian countries, where sixty percent of the world lives, follow the Western lead, the results will be calamitous.

Instead, Nair argues that development must be directed by a state that is willing and able to intervene in the economy. Corporations, which by design demand ever-expanding consumption, need to be directed toward meeting societal needs or otherwise restrained, not unleashed. Development has to be oriented towards the greatest good—clean drinking water for the many has to take precedence over swimming pools for the few. He provides three compelling case studies demonstrating the benefits of such strong state governance and the findings of weak state governance.

This will mean rethinking the meaning of concepts like “prosperity,” “freedom,” and “rights,” and whether democracy is always the best way to ensure responsive government—as Nair writes, “A democracy that cannot work to improve the life of its citizens is not better than a non-democracy that can actually improve quality of life.” Many people will find these to be challenging ideas, but what Nair offers is a model suited to the realities of the developing world, not the assumptions of the dominant culture.

The Sustainable State: The Future of Government, Economy, and Society

Chandran Nair 

Book argues that the current free-market, limited-government model is unsustainable and inequitable, particularly for developing countries. Nair advocates for a strong central state to guide the economy, protect the environment, and prioritize meeting people's basic needs, as the market-dominated model followed by the West is not scalable for the entire world. He contends that development must be directed by a state willing and able to intervene in the economy to ensure a more equitable and sustainable future. 

Elaboration:
The Unsustainable Nature of the Current Model:

Nair argues that the current economic model, dominated by free markets and limited government intervention, has led to ecological and social disasters in the developing world. He points to the United States as an example, highlighting its disproportionate consumption of resources despite a small portion of the global population.
 
The Need for a Stronger State:

Nair believes that a strong, active state is necessary to guide development, protect the environment, and ensure that basic needs are met. He argues that the market-driven model is not scalable for the entire world and that a more interventionist approach is needed to achieve sustainable and equitable development.
 
Key Arguments:

Scalability: Nair argues that the market-dominated model of the West is not scalable to the entire world, particularly when considering the vast populations of Asia. 

Resource Consumption: He highlights the disproportionate resource consumption of developed nations like the United States, arguing that this is unsustainable for the planet as a whole. 

Social and Ecological Impacts: Nair contends that the current model has had detrimental effects on both society and the environment, particularly in developing countries. 

Role of the State: He emphasizes the need for a proactive and interventionist state to guide development, protect the environment, and ensure that basic needs are met for all. 

Sustainable Development:

The book aligns with the United Nations' definition of sustainability, which emphasizes meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Nair's argument for a stronger state is presented as a way to achieve more sustainable and equitable development.