Top Left Media Guru Likens Economic Growth to ‘Cancer’ — Says Actual ‘Goal of the Economy Should Be Happiness’
- Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:40am by
Benny Johnson
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The Blaze’s Kathleen D’Urso Contributed to this report.
A growing economy is like a cancer.
Jenifer Fernandez Ancona
This was the message from leftist organizer and ad man Colin Mutchler this weekend at the progressive Netroots Conference in Providence,RI. Mutchler, an Obama supporter, was responding to the question while on a featured panel entitled “Beyond Occupy: What Does a New Economic System Look Like?”
The moderator, Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, wanted the panel to probe the idea of “what a new economic system would look like.” Ancona began the conversation by obtusely defining how conservatives and liberals view the economy:
“The big insight was that on the conservative side when you really decode what they’re thinking the economy is and what they’re telling people it is, it’s a natural system, a natural force that is like beyond our control; it’s like the weather or ocean tide, it‘s like this force that we have to be afraid of that is basically taking it’s orders from God (laughs). So it’s like if you mess with it, you are, like, messing with the moral order of things.”
“The way that the left economists actually think about it is like a machine, or more specifically a vehicle. Like a thing that is supposed to take us to a destination. A thing that we built, that we actually know how it works. And we can tweak it, we can make it work for us. We know that it’s out of balance, or we know that the carburetor is broken, or whatever, I don’t know anything about cars. But, it’s like that. So we’re actually in charge of it, and we know that kind of instinctively.”
Ms. Ancona then asks what each panelist thinks the “purpose” of the economy is?
Colin Mutchler is the first to answer, defining his views first on economic growth:
“I think currently the goal seems to be, like, the unstated assumption is that the goal is growth, for the sake of growth. It’s like, we have to grow, and grow, and grow, and grow, and grow. Why? I don’t know, we just have to grow (laughs). The only thing that I know about [where] the definition is out of control growth, is cancer. Like literally…the definition of out of control growth is cancer.”
Mutchler wants economic 'happiness'
After comparing the economy to a disease that kills 7.6 million people a year, Mutchler answered the question:
”I would argue that the goal of the economy should be happiness. Like maximizing happiness.”
Gupta
Where does this system of economic happiness work in the world? Mutchler advises:
“Happiness in countries, Bhutan is literally measuring growth national happiness now as a measure of how they’re doing as a country. Its not like crazy people from the Bay area that are thinking about this anymore, it’s gaining more traction.”
Mutchler concludes:
“So that’s what my goal would be. Let’s actually refocus to measure the goal of the economy as happiness.”
Fellow panelist Sarita Gupta, the Executive Director of Jobs with Justice, immediately responded to Mutchler’s ideas in the affirmative (and sounded a lot like Frances Fox Piven).
“Often when we talk about the economy and the purpose of the economy we always say, ‘jobs, jobs, jobs.’ It always stresses me out a little bit because to me it’s not just about jobs, but about good jobs; jobs with justice.”
Watch the astonishing responses Below (quotes begin at 47 seconds):
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Comments (126)
broker0101
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:30amI love how The Blaze (Glenn Beck) seeks out the most obscure Leftist Loonies and then presents their (crazy) words as the Gospel of the Left. There are SOOOOOO many legitimate arrows in our philosophical quiver, it’s embarrassing that some on our side choose to use stuff like this instead.
Report Post »AnAppealToGod
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:45amDid you even read the article? She’s the one saying this ideology is from the left.
Your post was a FAIL
Report Post »edcoil
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:48amMy happiness is money – she can send me a check.
Report Post »Silversmith
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:58amBroker – not so sure that these folks are as small time fringe as you think. I was just at their site and they are being sponsored by Google, SEIU, AFSCME, Moveon.org, AFL-CIO, AFT, CWA, Planned Parenthood, Daily KOS- among others! It prompts me to suggest that the left you think you are, is not the left of today. You might be waking up to the poison of the progressive movement in all parties. But if not, and you do think that you are really left – these are your people.
Silversmith
Report Post »Yoselahonda
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 12:06pmWith how much these people claim to love guys like Mao and his similar ideas of gleaning happiness from simply being a dutiful citizen, they sure do seam to fail to notice that those same economic ideas starved to death nearly 100 million people. Their words are the words of genocide. Unintentional maybe, but the dead are still dead and the intention means nothing after that.
Report Post »scootervanneuter
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 12:06pmNobody has to “seek out” liberals like this person – interview any “Occupy” ******
Report Post »slr4528
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 12:13pmBROKER-You sound like my Democratic grandmother who thinks the Democratic party is like the old Democratic party of yesterday. Guess what? It’s not. Your party has been hijacked by the Socialists and the Marxists, a mind set where government runs your life! The GOP under Bush acted like the old Democratic party…it is quite troubling to see these dramatic shifts.
Report Post »Breakthekneesoftheunions
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 12:30pmThe only problem with your analysis is that this piece is based off of the Netroots Convention. These people are hardly “obscure” leftists. The Netroots Convention the progressive Mecca where their brightest minds meet to discuss their actual agenda. To characterize these people as “obscure” suggests that the things discussed there are outside the progressive mainstream…they aren’t. This is exactly how the average progressive thinks. You cannot separate Netroots from progressivism…therefore, they are all loons.
Report Post »libsrparasites
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 12:33pmWann bet that about 90 – 100 years ago, broker0101′s relatives were describing Hitler, Lenin and Mao as “obscure Leftist Loonies” as well?
Report Post »Berbel73
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 12:43pmNice try broker; diminish, deflect, and minimize huh? Too bad your lefty jedi mind tricks don’t work here. We can see the whole picture and we know that there is no such thing as an “obscure leftist”. We know that you all believe that same things and that you put people like this on center stage so that you can do exactly what you did, deny that they speak for the whole. If they don‘t speak for the left then why the hell were they speaking at the progressive left’s premiere event of the year? We’ve read your playbook, we know what you’re up to, and we’re done allowing you to frame the argument in your terms.
Report Post »Dan_o
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 12:52pmBROKER0101 said: “There are SOOOOOO many legitimate arrows in our philosophical quiver…”
Name one. For a bonus, name one that produced a successful government agency, program, or endeavor.
Report Post »Dan_o
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 1:05pmBROKER101 said: “I love how The Blaze (Glenn Beck) seeks out the most obscure Leftist Loonies and then presents their (crazy) words as the Gospel of the Left.”
I love how the left is all about freedom of speech and diversity…as long as you agree with them and don’t embarrass them.
You should pay more attention to your bedfellows there, Broker: Frank, Schumer, Pelozi, Reid, Waters, Geitner…the list goes on and on. I’d be ashamed if I were you, too.
Report Post »Ne_FAL
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 1:18pmActually Netroots Nation is the “intellectual vanguard” of the political left with members from various labor organizations ,academia , media political think tanks .
These people are the true believers with the notion that they have a divine right to rule & it is set in theological concrete. These folks are utopians & they are truly dangerous because the 20th century’s history shows us that “utopians ” will use whatever means that they deem to be needed to achieve their goals .
And anyone who does not fit in with their idea of what is paradise will wind up standing at the edge of an open mass grave looking down at all the other bodies in absolute horror just before they themselves get a pistol shot in the back of the head.
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 1:52pmApollo 13 was shown on Encore this morning & I watched the movie for about the 100dreth time and it made me stop & think how it applies what is happening in our America today. We have been on a 3.5yr “Failed-Odyssey“ and now ”Houston-we-got-a-problem”. Team work & great minds threw items down on the table….including DUCT-TAPE & American ingenuity to correct a problem. Implemented, it worked. Re-entry from “The Failed Odyssey” will be rough/tough….(sign read: Apollo 13/Age of Aquarius)……proven path to going-back-home (Reagan February B/D). Before splash (to-get-back-home) the capsule was “gently-carried” BY THREE PARACHUTES. Before re-entry, Chet Huntley(started BigSky,Mt. resort/skiing) said the country needed “to pray”. Can‘t imagine how today’s PC police would have handled that comment.
Report Post »Jesus Christ was a Proud Liberal
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 2:06pm@Appeal to God – Your message is a great big FAIL! Maybe you should read the article again, possibly many times because I know that most Glen Beck “fans” have a hard time with comprehension and understanding things. These people who are referred to in the article are on the far left fringe as Broker0101 says and these people don’t represent the views of the majority of people who are not conservative wing-nuts.
Report Post »VoteBushIn12
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 2:13pm@ANAPPEALTOGOD
If one person can claim to speak for an entire group and that group held accountable for the rhetoric of said individual, then allow me to take the next logical step.
“I speak for republicans and tea partiers and we hate America, worship the devil, and despise children’s laughter.”
Your turn.
Report Post »obamasacommie
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 2:13pmThis garbage was brodcast on every moronic leftist television, radio, and internet “news program” in this country I would hardly say its some obscure comment. Go troll some place for the indroctrinated, and stop telling us what is an issue and what is’nt.
Report Post »Patriot Z
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 5:44pmyeah alot of arrows in your “philisophical quiver”, but all of them are boken arrows. The problem with leftists is there is always an excuse. its never your fault. These ARE mainstream leftists, you n I both know this. Van jones, Obama, pelosi, Kos, piven, these speakers, oWS…etc etc represent fully and accuratly the modern progressive leftist. You all want to brag about how ‘diverse’ you are, until you get busted and then “uhh thats not left wing for real” The left/progressives are the epitome of child like mentality, they want everything, they want everything handed to them, they dont want anything ‘not fun’ when you dont give them what they want they throw a tantrum, call names and scream “NOT FAAAAIIIIIIIIRRRR!!!. perhaps your own statement is the best testament of why blind “diversity and tolerance’ do not work and are not good.
Report Post »Marnin
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 9:28pmThe obscure far left? You realize that NetRoots is like the CPAC for the left. Obama even recorded a speech that was played at the event.
Report Post »GETLIFE
Posted on June 13, 2012 at 3:15am“My happiness is money – she can send me a check.”
–EDCOIL
Made me chuckle, EDCOIL!
Then I thought “but you know, that really is the underlying principle of the left!”
Happiness is money!! Come an’ get it!
If we don’t have enough– hang on, the presses are warming up…..
May I tweak it just a bit?
Report Post »Happiness is making your own money doing something you like to do.
Leader1776
Posted on June 13, 2012 at 1:24pm@Jesus Christ was a Proud Liberal
Let’s test your assertion:
Fact: Obama has a czar that believes animals should have legal representation.
Question 1: Do YOU believe animals should have legal representation?
Question 2: How many degrees of separation from the NetRoot nuts is Sunstein?
I would argue this bunch in the video is not only not fringe, but mainstream (not NetRoots but NutJobs) left/Democrat operatives.
Report Post »MBA
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:28amIt hasn’t been that long ago that I finished my mba–we had many lectures discussing the “true” purpose of starting a business. Always: profit! Which leads to jobs, fulfillment, and eventually happiness. Unfortunately for the left, they’ve never had to actually hold a job and cannot appreciate creating a business that sustains not only itself but its employees. And, when is the last time anyone has met a happy liberal? All that constant b*tching has to be a bore.
Report Post »RLTW
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 12:06pmGreat post, it’s very clear the left just wants to skip all that working stuff and get right to happiness. I fear from a global standpoint they want Utopia NOW! But again by skipping the real work involved with mind, body and soul.
Report Post »michael48
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 12:28pmthe only time a lib-wit is happy..is when he’s NOT…
Report Post »dataweaver
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 1:03pmWell said. Yes, by all means let’s say that the goal of the economy is “happiness”; but let it be the _true_ happiness that comes from a job well done, and the satisfaction that comes from being rewarded for your accomplishments.
Report Post »obamasacommie
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 2:47pmThey want your work to not be to sustain their lives and to take care of their families but to bring them happiness. Makes me wonder who is going to dig the ditches and clean out the septic tanks when were all just going to work for our happiness and dignity. What level of burnout does it take to fall for this garbage.
Report Post »CMDR6
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:24amSounds a bit to me like they want it all without work!! Now that would make more people HAPPY. Just give them all the stuff they want, but not have to produce (i.e. a just job!!) and the will be Happy, really high HAPPY Scores!!
Report Post »What? they want more stuff? And more stuff……and they are not HAPPY?
These people REALLY need to take some basic psychology, physiology and economics before they open their pie holes.
They really soud like they are from a different planet.
Wss25
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:21amSeeing everyone being polite is sort of refreshing. Sometimes, however, calling idiots what they are is the only way. This is the product of the Boomer generation raising a bunch of over-compensating wimps, who, in turn, have raised a cadre of participation-trophy morons.
While we are on the subject of happiness as economic principle, however, what would make me happy is all the leftwing, addled-brain spawn of my generation (the participation trophy group) would move to a deserted island with no communications to the outside world. We will drop in food until there is nothing left to drop to; we promise. That would make me happy.
Report Post »kaydeebeau
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 1:40pmGenerally the only impolite and / or hateful posts are from the lib troll posers that seek to inflame
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:20amsomeone put that moron out of his misery and ship him to venezuela.
Report Post »SageInWaiting
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:17amNetroots???? More like NUTroots to me. These people are truly dangerous because they, despite self proclaimed brilliance, haven’t a CLUE on how the world REALLY works.
Colin, now go play in the sandbox… share with your sister and DON’T EAT THE SAND! After you’ve played with the bucket loader and learn in theory how it works and what it can do, we’ll go down to the city street department and see how they use a REAL one to load gravel into a truck.
This poor kid was protected – not allowed to play in that dirty sand. He drew pictures with Crayola pens and imagined a beautiful world with pink sky and purple trees…. and now he thinks the world actually works like his World of Make Believe (sorry Mr. Rogers). This is a generation of damaged goods, who never played on a see-saw or got flung off a playground merry-go-round… all he ever knew was wood mulch and plastic “gym” sets and Teletubbies. We’ve sewn the wind and reaped a whirlwind.
Report Post »wakewiseone
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:14amhappiness?? try using that at the checkout lane in the grocery store. i think they’ll have you arrested.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 1:12pmThe ecomonmy “is like a machine”. “A thing that we built, that we actually know how it works. And we can tweak it, we can make it work for us”. OK then Obama, what are you waiting for? You‘ve had 4 years of tweaking and it’s still sputtering! You are one lousy mechanic! Time to find a new one.
Report Post »OTBoxer
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:13amThe main obstacle to the happiness, prosperity, peace,… of non-pols are pols (=parasitic monopolists of compulsion and coercion)! Instructions on how to make America, or any other place on earth, pol-free are in the book Democracy-The God That Failed.
Report Post »nkawtg
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:11amThat Mutchler is an idiot, Bhutan is not measuring happiness, it measures growth like every one else. Maybe Mutchler needs to move to Bhutan where median income is $1300 bucks and 80% of the population has to grow their own food.
Report Post »By the way, it was Business Week which rated Bhutan as the happiest country in Asia, not Bhutan.
biohazard23
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:53amWhat about that Gupta chick? “Jobs with justice”? What the fresh hell is that??
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:11amHappiness is a warm gun….
Report Post »trotula
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 12:12pmBang bang, shoot shoot!
Report Post »GreenMountainBoy
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 1:39pmAnd when I hold you in my arms,
and put my finger on your trigger,
I know I can do no wrong.
Happiness…
Report Post »mbriz
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 2:57pm,,,pressed to a beckians head.
Report Post »Lord_Frostwind
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 7:39pmSadly, that is the only chance you will actually be able to hit anything, even then I give you and others a 50/50 chance of hitting anything.
Make sure that first shot counts, you won’t get a second.
Report Post »SREGN
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:07amThe left’s economic gurus are the lazy pot-smoking never-had-a-real-job academics who have never bothered to read The Wealth Of Nations
Report Post »SLOWBIDEN
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:14amI,like,really don’t,like, like how many times she, like, uses the, like, word, like in, like , a sentence.
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 6:30pmLike, can I pay with happiness?
Report Post »Blazebanned
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:05amThe true “cancer” is commies like this idiot,and they should be treated as such……iradicated……
Report Post »Brad Wesselmann
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:02amHappy is a choice, not a result of something man does be that buy something, marry someone, build something, have children, have a good job, etc. They are using the language of the desperate in order to enslave them to a mythical beast with as many faces as people…only evil promises happy.
Report Post »Wildblue3
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:51amVery well said!! As a military person, you had to chose to be happy where they sent you. There were good and bad about every assignment, every location, every job. You chose your mindset to make the most of a situation
Report Post »Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:59amBecause as long as the POPULATION of human beings within a given economy is growing, and it always will be until we get another Bubonic Plague or Black Death that sweeps through and decimates the population, then without an economy that is also growing, which is to say, growing FASTER than the rate of population growth, then it’s true that not only can the average participant never get ahead anymore, but the average person actually has to LOSE as time goes on. An economy that is not growing is not building houses to house the additional population, is not manufacturing clothes to clothe the additional population, is not growing food to feed the additional population, is not creating jobs to employ the additional population. The housing, clothing, food, and jobs for the additional population will have to come from those who already have housing, clothing, food, and jobs. Without a growing economy, everyone loses. When everyone loses, is anyone happy? I think not.
As soon as the Zero Population Growth idjits get their way and the net change in the number of meat puppets walking the face of the Earth stabilizes at 0 people per year, THEN and ONLY then will these Leftist idjits have found any validity to the idea that growth doesn’t matter for the health of an economy.
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:15amThe problem is not the economy. The problem is that the non-producing government is stealing from that economy. The parasite is becoming larger than the host. The host will die.
Report Post »paperpushermj
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:57amGood Leftist…..
Report Post ».
THEY HAVEN’T A CLUE!
.
They Watched to Much Star Trek in Their Formative Years
RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:10amPAPERPUSHERMJ, as much as I have always enjoyed the science fiction tales of Star Trek, I have often said the same thing. They need to learn to get over it, science fiction is just that….fiction. The real world works as it does, and not in a dream world.
Report Post »paperpushermj
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:32amYeah their Utopians Living in the Fantasy World when Replicators in every home Set Humanity Free from material Want. No need for money therefore everyones goal was to Self Actualize.
Report Post »randy
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:55amHey you Obama voting idiots, without growth, you would not be able to afford those $1000.00 sneakers you’re waiting in line for, Oh wait! Yes you would! Because the rest of us are paying for them with your welfare checks.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:55amhttp://www.c-span.org/Events/Atty-Gen-Holder-Back-on-Capitol-Hill/10737431427/ HOLDER again testifying LIVE.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:55amYeah, because growth national happiness is the way to putting food on people’s plates.
Where do these idiots come from?? And since when is Bhutan a global leader in anything???
Report Post »NHwinter
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:54amWell, like really happiness like success comes from, well, like working hard and feeling good about your achievements. You know, like really. Is she a valley girl, like, I mean, who talks like that? How do these people even get a like platform to like speak on and who cares?
Report Post »dsm
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:52amComplete morons!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:50amHappiness..Really. If that‘s the case then you’ve really FAILED. There aren’t enough BIG RED “F” world wide to attached to the work done by this administration for one’s personal happiness!
Report Post »chameleonx
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:48amSometimes I can’t believe what comes out of the mouths of people. The economy should be strong and influence various people to make profit. I do not see what is wrong with wanting a economy that works. With a strong economy we can meet the demands of population and as a result better the country.
Report Post »3katmomma
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:47amThe real problem is when people believe the misquote: ‘Money is the root of all evil.’
Report Post »The real, biblical quote is “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
The_Jerk
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:47amThe ultimate goal of capitalism is happiness, happiness for the deserving individual.
Socialism/communism/kibbutz-ism, is theft of that individual’s happiness by others possessing the power to steal that which they do not deserve. Group theft brings them happiness.
Report Post »Link8on
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 5:30pmThe challenge for this group of panelists is the
“good jobs; jobs with justice”
and creating them without taxing anyone else to do so.
Let us hope that the leaders in North Korea, Cuba, or Venezuela will get them off to a good start in their respective countries.
Report Post »Impenitent
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:45ammaximum happiness … the definition of happiness is the trick…
Report Post »paperpushermj
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 10:58amBingo
Report Post »Blazebanned
Posted on June 12, 2012 at 11:06amHappiness for a lefty is, free stuff, and being able to rule over everone else,its the commie way.
Report Post »