SNEAK PEAK Chapter 12!

A Sneak Peak from Screwnomics*, Chapter 12...

           "The real world economy is very different than that described in standard economic theory, writes economist Sabine O’Hara in her article “Everything Needs Care: An Economy in Context” from a book I’ll revisit in the next chapter. She explains,  there is only so much arable land to grow human food and so much water to be polluted or used up. By concentrating only on output and ignoring the biological sources for that output—human and ecological inputs—we are using up non-renewable resources and harming nature’s ability to renew life. That is the ultimate inefficiency.

            O’Hara writes, “As restorative and reproductive capacities are impaired, efficiency levels cannot be sustained without ever increasing investments. The results are self-evident. Half of the world’s wetlands, temperate and tropical forests are gone; more than half of all arable land is suffering some degree of deterioration and desertification; oceans are dying and 75 percent of marine fisheries are either over-fished or fished to capacity.”

            Without care and attention, earthly communities that support our human ones will come unraveled, and so will we.  A rise in human poverty in exhausted environments where people formerly sustained their lives is another marker of our threatened future.

            EconoMan finds competition unerringly good. By contrast, biologists find competition a state that brings harm to species. If two species compete for water or a particular food, natural selection requires that one species ultimately dies out—or else adapts. Equilibrium within an ecology results when species efficiently interrelate and reproduce only enough offspring to sustain numbers.

            I learned more about adaption when I went to Cape Cod for a field trip seminar on the horseshoe crab..."

What readers are saying on Goodreads...

We're getting new reviews on Goodreads every day...check them out!

“Screwnomics is just what the Econo-Doctor ordered! With candor, humor, and a bit of smut that befits the boorish, loutish nature of the current and historical economic system, Gard Diamond provides an eye-opening education for American women of all ages on what goes on ‘behind that curtain.’" 

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“No one but Rickey Gard Diamond can take a dry subject like Economics and bring it to life, make it sexy, and over the top readable! I dare to say this book is for women! All women, all ages.”

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“This book is a real eye-opener even for those of us who thought we knew something about the financial system in this country. Rickey Gard Diamond explains how we women get screwed by the system and also shows us that when women are in charge of economic policy, they work for the well being of all rather than the 1%.”

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“Part college textbook, part “a peek behind the curtain”, and part casual conversation; Screwnomics is a must read for anyone who’s every thought “the economy” was a vague term encompassing complex concepts beyond their comprehension.”

Gross National Happiness: Ginny and Paula's Long Haul Pursuit!

I've been writing about Gross National Happiness for years. It's exciting to see women and men working together to challenge old measures of money-only, the GDP, to evaluate how our economy is REALLY doing. Especially inspiring to me are the women who remain so committed to the long haul.

Ginny Sassaman's kitchen in Maple Corners Vermont was the site of early organizing of GNH-USA, and Linda Wheatley became its first president. In 2010 the new organization organized the first American conference, which was attended by officials from Bhutan, where GNH originated. I served on its board a short while. But Linda, Ginny, and Paula Francis, another early GNH leader, went the second mile, and then some. They committed to a Happiness Walk across the US. They are spreading the word and engaging people in conversations about their pursuits of happiness—and have walked 5000 miles to do it!  

Here's a link to their recent interview about GNH and why it matters, with Thomas Rosenberg, host of "Envision" on https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/106465/encore-beyond-gdp-new-metrics-for-a-more-inclusive-future

What if the nation weren't so divided in its values as we are told daily by our media? What if our community and family connections were counted in our economy? This interview introduces other accounting methods, like the Genuine Progress Indicators (GPI) and (GNH) and....

Interested? Check out Screwnomics' Chapter 13, a history of EconoMan's accounts and new, sexier accounting that just might save the world. Also see the GNH website here:  http://gnhusa.org/

Next week, I'll post a video from another important woman leader, Riane Eisler, looking at measures of caring—and their economic results. This stuff matters! 

—Rickey Gard Diamond

Midwest Book Review "Recommended Read!"

Take a read through this review: "INVIGORATING—Even Empowering"

Screwnomics
Rickey Gard Diamond
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
Print ISBN: 9781631523182 $19.95
E-ISBN: 9781631523199 $ 9.95

One might expect a serious political discussion packed with dense figures and demanding perspectives from Screwnomics: How Our Economy Works Against Women and Real Ways to Make Lasting Change; but while this work is filled with information, it's by no means inaccessible to the average woman without a degree in economics. It pairs personal stories with graphic illustrations and easily-understood economic definitions to create a survey that assumes no prior knowledge of either economics or women's history.

The first strength to note is that Screwnomics doesn't alienate male readers who may be curious to learn how economic forces are stacked against women. Introductory chapters outline these forces in a way either male and female readers can readily understand, examining how masculine forces have measured and defined money and success in such a way as to stack the deck against female participants in economic and business prosperity.

The coverage is specifically tailored to prove accessible to economically disadvantaged women, but it doesn't 'dumb down' its technical considerations and it maintains a clear perspective on what it will and won't do: "Screwnomics isn't intended to help you manage your personal finances, but it will explain the larger assumptions of a system that makes managing impossible for so many. Screwnomics is my word for the unspoken but widely applied economic theory that women should always work for less, or better, for free...I translate economic history, terms, and definitions that especially disadvantage women, here and around the world. I introduce you to new, countering ideas and solutions that don't require a PhD, and may even inspire you to broach an economic subject with your friends. As designed now, economic theory devalues family, love, young children, music and art, nature's splendiferous beauty, and the faithful devotions, the loyal commitments, that make any life worthwhile. A glut of fiscal verbiage can put you to sleep, or convince you it's too hard to comprehend or too boring. Yet its rules have made money the central story of our time."

By blending judgments, values, and personal insights into this story of economic processes, Rickey Gard Diamond succeeds in turning a potentially dull subject into an invigorating—even empowering—read, connecting the subject of money to the playing field of personal goals, human values, and aspirations that go beyond fair wages and amassing wealth at all costs.

Another satisfying surprise is the discussion of moral and ethical hazards involved in making money. Most economics primers omit these important guideposts to personal achievement or any mention of toxic people and their threat to economic pursuits and personal satisfaction.

The specifics of money management, federal and business control processes, and why women are inherently at a consistent disadvantage are clearly explained and paired with facts that are clearly explained: "Everything about the dollar trumpets the United States, proclaiming our nation's money. It is, but the devil is in the details. Our national eagle and the Great Seal, that giant eyeball atop a pyramid, have both been on the dollar since Benjamin Franklin helped design the original bills. Only when you look at the very top in the border do you see what's really going on in small type, the words Federal Reserve Note."

The result is a powerfully accessible women's economics primer that covers not just economics, but the reasons why women consistently struggle to get ahead in a male-dominated world of money, why they are often stymied in their attempts to educate themselves about the subject, and how to overcome many of these barriers to understanding to not just gain a semblance of equality, but an understanding of the force and role of money in their lives.

Very, very highly recommended for the average woman who seeks a better understanding of how the American financial system works, why it's so often stacked against females, and what to do about it.

—Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Donovan's Bookshelf of Recommended Reads
 

The Lions and Lambs of March

March began by roaring in like a righteous she-lion with #MeToo at the Oscars, and Oprah's speech about the loud collapse of dozens of male bullies. These included two at the White House who resigned when a photo of an ex-wife with a black eye punctured their collective male denial of their crimes against women. Yet March showed no sign of leaving like a lamb.

All month we endured more stories of women’s bodies claimed as sexual property, bought and paid for—sued and countersued over then-candidate Trump’s affairs.  Pay-off money and unkept business deals to silence women before the election is part of that news-roar. A Playboy bunny and a porn star, young enough to be Trump’s daughter, both alleged that before sex he admired them for being as smart and beautiful as his daughter—ee-yew! http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/stormy-trump-compared-daughter-sex-article-1.3895543

NBC’s Heidi Przbyla and other women journalists have lately brought to the forefront a lamb that hasn’t gotten as much attention. Quieter, it bleats another tale of young female bodies treated as property. In mid-February, Planned Parenthood joined with eight local government, healthcare, and advocacy groups to sue Trump’s HHS (Health & Human Services). The Washington Post reported $220 million in sudden cuts to a reauthorized national Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, despite evidence it was working. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/02/15/planned-parenthood-sues-trump-administration-for-ending-grants-to-teen-pregnancy-programs/?utm_term=.0ed6cb57010b

Reporter Przbyla found the program, begun in 2010, had bipartisan support in Congress and had trained more than 7,000 health professionals and supported 3,000 community-based organizations. The result, reported most recently in 2017, was record lows in US teen pregnancy and birth rates.  http://time.com/4843652/teen-birth-rates-record-low/

Damningly, and in keeping with Trump cuts in other programs benefiting women and children, she reported that experienced female administrators at HHS had been kept out of the decision-making loop and were told to “get in line.” Cuts came down by command from Steven Valentine, an anti-abortion abstinence activist put in charge of HHS family planning.  One administrator said she was “so rattled” that “my reaction when I got on the phone was to cry.”

But now picture her singing along with that old song of Helen Reddy’s: I am woman, hear me roar! Because a week after Przbyla’s story came out, HHS withdrew some of its cuts. And I suspect women aren’t done yet with evidence-based programs that work to prevent teenaged pregnancies. We're just done with protection of outdated male claims on women’s bodies and decisions. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/hhs-agrees-protect-some-funds-teen-pregnancy-prevention-program-n860581

Red and Blue Both Fly in America's Flag

E Pluribus Unum

Out of many, one. That motto was first put on an American coin in 1795, and by the late 19th century was standard.

Maybe we citizens have seen it so often by now, we've stopped thinking about its importance. Our divisions grow more polarized, with name-calling and rejection becoming more common than listening, respecting, reasoning and compromising. Pew Research has been looking at our political polarization, our many shades of red, blue, purple, fuschia, etc., at their research site, and even has a "quiz" to take if you're curious where you are on the spectrum. http://www.people-press.org/quiz/political-typology/

Now an organization calls on our higher selves. Calling on our Better Angels, this organization is actually holding workshops to help "the reds" and "the blues" sit down together and talk. Only this isn't just a photo op. They get results. They teach skills and help each side reach clear positions, teach how to fact check and agree on what is real and what is "fake." 

Their idea is that it's important to understand one another's position, be able to talk about facts and differences, and discover what you and "they" have  in common so you can reach a compromise and move forward. No one says this is easy. But this is how politics works, when it does—and lately it mostly doesn't. Better Angels is working to help E Pluribus, our very diverse America, to unite again.

Our shared money is at stake in every budget decision. What we decide together affects the economy. For appealing to our higher American selves, and our tradition of unity, statecraft and compromise, we applaud and recommend them. You can check out what they're doing, and talking about here:  https://www.better-angels.org/bam