可持续国家：政府、经济和社会的未来

可持续国家：政府、经济和社会的未来

 

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

“本书提出了一些尖锐的问题，并给出了大胆且发人深省的答案……让我们看到了人类面临的一些最紧迫的问题。必读之作。”——莫伊塞斯·纳伊姆，《权力的复仇》作者

自由市场、有限政府的发展模式对发展中国家来说是一场生态和社会灾难。可持续和公平的发展只有在强大的中央政府积极参与下才有可能实现，这个政府能够引导经济、保护环境，并优先满足人民的基本需求。

在这本注定会引起争议的书中，钱德兰·奈尔指出，西方工业化国家所奉行的市场主导模式根本无法推广。仅美国一国，其人口不到世界人口的5%，却消耗了近四分之一的资源。如果拥有世界人口60%的亚洲国家效仿西方，后果将是灾难性的。

相反，奈尔认为，发展必须由一个愿意并能够干预经济的国家来引导。企业本质上就是要求不断扩大消费，因此需要引导它们满足社会需求，否则就应该加以限制，而不是放任其发展。发展必须以最大的利益为导向——为大多数人提供清洁的饮用水，必须优先于为少数人提供游泳池。他提供了三个令人信服的案例研究，展示了强有力国家治理的益处以及弱化国家治理的弊端。

这意味着我们需要重新思考“繁荣”、“自由”和“权利”等概念的含义，以及民主是否始终是确保政府响应的最佳方式——正如奈尔所写：“一个无法改善公民生活的民主国家，并不比一个能够真正改善生活质量的非民主国家更好。” 许多人会觉得这些想法颇具挑战性，但奈尔提供的是一个适合发展中国家现实的模式，而非主流文化的预设。

可持续国家：政府、经济和社会的未来

钱德兰·奈尔

本书认为，当前的自由市场、有限政府模式不可持续且不公平，尤其对发展中国家而言。奈尔主张建立一个强大的中央政府来引导经济、保护环境，并优先满足人民的基本需求，因为西方奉行的市场主导模式并不适用于全世界。他认为，发展必须由一个愿意并有能力干预经济的国家来引导，以确保更加公平和可持续的未来。

阐述：
现行模式的不可持续性：

奈尔认为，当前以自由市场和有限的政府干预为主导的经济模式，已导致发展中国家的生态和社会灾难。他以美国为例，强调其人口仅占全球一小部分，却消耗了不均衡的资源。

更强大国??家的必要性：

奈尔认为，一个强大而积极的国家对于引导发展、保护环境和确保满足基本需求至关重要。他认为，市场驱动模式不适用于全球，需要采取更具干预性的方式才能实现可持续和公平的发展。

主要论点：

可扩展性：奈尔认为，西方以市场为主导的模式不适用于全球，尤其是在考虑到亚洲庞大的人口的情况下。

资源消耗：他强调了美国等发达国家不均衡的资源消耗，并认为这对整个地球来说是不可持续的。

社会与生态影响：奈尔认为，当前的模式对社会和环境都产生了不利影响，尤其是在发展中国家。

国家的作用：他强调需要一个积极主动、干预性强的国家来引导发展、保护环境，并确保满足所有人的基本需求。

可持续发展：

本书符合联合国对可持续性的定义，即在满足当代人的需求的同时，不损害子孙后代满足自身需求的能力。奈尔主张建立更强大的国家，以此作为实现更可持续、更公平发展的途径。

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.