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We have been focusing on the social changes brought by the New Economy, and we have been explaining the undergoing state of confusion we are experiencing in every facet of our daily life. This state of confusion is ubiquitous among all of us, and in one way, this state of confusion is rooted in our inability to speak a common language, a language which allows us to understand each other, to prioritize our common concerns, and grow more intelligently individually and collectively.

Today, we don't speak a common language, and as long as we measure our social and economic growth in accordance to traditional assembly line economics, we are doomed to have a divided society. The assembly line economics should be re-dimensioned, and we must stop teaching it in our educational institutions.

The law of demand and supply characterizing the so called market economy is not existent anymore, because corporations have become bigger and bigger, because governments are serving these big corporations, and conceptually because knowledge is becoming the fundamental economic driver of our social growth, and therefore there is never an over abundance of knowledge!

In a knowledge economy, knowledge is not subject to the law of demand and supply, it is only in a regressive society that we find that knowledge is the inner sanctum of the few and privileged! And it is only in a regressive society that we must choose between growth of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for the few and privileged or a more equitable distribution of wealth. And it is only in a regressive society that we find the externalization of pollution costs caused by the big corporations.

Assembly line economics is obsolete, and as long as we don't change our way of thinking and don't realize that there is much more to the GDP to make our lives happier, we will continue to have a divided society and divided world.

Notes/References:

Quote by Donella Meadows "challenging a paradigm is not a part-time job. It is not sufficient to make your point once and then blame the world for not getting it. The world has a vested interest in, a commitment to, not getting it. The point has to be made patiently and repeatedly, day after day after day" ftp://sysdyn.mit.edu/ftp/sdep/Roadmaps/RM1/D-4143-1.pdf The Global Citizen, http://www.tidepool.org/gc/

Relevant social articles http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign

INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL, by Thomas Stewart, Currency Doubleday, 1997 http://members.aol.com/thosstew/

TRYING TO GRASP THE INTANGIBLE: The assets that really count are the ones accountants can't count--yet. Here's one way to put a dollar value on corporate knowledge, by Thomas Stewart. http://www.css.edu/users/dswenson/web/525ARTIC/CORPKNO3.HTM

ECONOMIC MYTHS, Excerpt from "When Corporations Rule the World" by David C. Korten, Kumarian Press and Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1995 http://iisd1.iisd.ca/pcdf/corprule/myths.htm

New Rules for the New Economy. Twelve dependable principles for thriving in a turbulent world. By Kevin Kelly, Executive Editor, Wired Magazine Group Inc., F E A T U R E S | Issue 5.09 - September 1997 http://www.wired.com/wired/5.09/newrules.html