The next 'Public Money. Public Good.' Workshop is in Canberra.

How we can afford a better world now - and why we must demand it.

Our fundamental human rights of free healthcare, free education, public housing, meaningful employment, and protection from the climate crisis are well within our reach.

Join us for an afternoon of brief talks and interactive workshops for a refreshing look at modern economic policy perspectives that debunk cruel austerity regimes and instead put our wellbeing and the planet first.

Sat, 1 Nov, 1pm - 4pm
Free Event, registrations essential.

http://events.humanitix.com/pmpg-act2025

#MMT #Economics #Canberra

Scientist Who Taught Rats How To Drive Explains Why She Did It

"Although cars made for rats are far from anything they would encounter in the wild, we believed that driving represented an interesting way to study how rodents acquire new skills," Dr Kelly Lambert, study author and professor of Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Richmond, explained in a piece for The Conversation.

Not mentioned: My experience suggests that these rats had fun with driving. They enjoyed it for more than the treats provided.

#animals #learning #neuroscience #rats #fun

https://www.iflscience.com/scientist-who-taught-rats-how-to-drive-explains-why-she-did-it-76741

Some thoughts about living as a settler on stolen land.

Most people can now recognise the damage done to the Palestinian people by placing people en mass onto occupied land, but often don’t connect the dots to realising that settlers on the australian continent, on Turtle Island, or any of the other occupations are used as loaded weapons against Indigenous populations.

We can’t choose not to be settlers by having the ‘right politics’ but we can divorce our identity from the occupation, and recognise that any form of resistance is justified.

Land Back is not just a slogan, it’s the only path to justice and a soul not shattered by contradiction. An end to capitalism, colonialism, imperialism, and ecocide is the first step towards our collective living salvation.

i don't really have time to rant today, but one's cooking about the presumption that #degrowth means some kind of miserable sepia-toned dustbowl future for Reasonable Western Citizens or whatever.

for now i'll just wonder aloud, what structures and institutions would benefit from this total conflation of growth with comfort and happiness? Would a system that profits from influencing all our beliefs and behaviors *dare* to position itself in our imaginations as the Only Good Thing?  

“It is possible for everybody on Earth to have their needs met and live a good life with only 30% of current global resource and energy use. That might sound unbelievable, right? Well, that’s capitalist realism for you. Because not only is it believable—it’s based on solid research and empirical data. It would, however, require ending capitalism and moving towards #ecosocialism.“

#degrowth #podcast #endCapitalism

Better Lives for All w/ @jasonhickel on #UpstreamPodcast
https://pca.st/episode/c7e5d597-cad4-48db-b965-9da7dc213bfa