In a recent BBC interview, Alan Greenspan said that the roots of the financial crisis "are global and geo-political": such a statement suggests that this aspect of modern economic life is ready for more open discussion than before. While it is our view that economic questions can be most fruitfully considered in a depoliticised context, the current issue of Associate! nevertheless alludes to discussions currently being had as to the background of recent events.

The material chosen is illuminated by the lead piece, 'The Case of Goldman Sachs', by D'Arcy Mackenzie, who argues that the problem is humanity's refusal to write off excess capital, suggesting that the behaviour of organisations such as Goldman Sachs is as much opportunistic symptom as anything else. 'Shadow Banking' is this month's Sign of our Time, in which Norman Gall corroborates the information to which Matt Taibbi reacts so forcefully in his stinging critique of Goldman Sachs, 'The Bubble Machine'. This latter is reprinted more for the evidence it provides than for the sentiment it expresses, understandable though that is. The Archive, 'Permanent Jubilee', focuses on Rudolf Steiner's idea of 'gift money', considered as a modern version of such things as jubilee, the building of cathedrals, and so on. From this perspective, such 'negatives' as shadow banking and Goldman Sachs's behaviour can look very different in that they occur in a context because there is no concept of debt remission. Some important historical backgrounding to what amounts to macro-economic balancing is then provided by the AE Hero, Michael Hudson's piece on debt cancellation. Accounting Corner completes the issue with a reflection on 'bad' debts.

The October issue of Associate! is available here.

Air Beneath Your Wings! / Finance and Education / The Colours of Money

Air Beneath Your Wings!

USA: 30-31 Oct 09
Financial Literacy for Free Initiative: A practical response to the global financial crisis

The Threefold Educational Centre - Spring Valley NY, USA

See here for details
An evening presentation and all-day workshop with Arthur Edwards of The Centre for Associative Economics. This double event focuses on how Rudolf Steiner's economic thinking can be given practical effect today. A special emphasis is on whether and how economics, as financial literacy, is taught in schools. Educational initiatives arising today will have profound consequences for tomorrow's thinking if, in both the form and content of their economics, they can embody an approach that is coherent from idea to practice. In the cultural life of one generation the economic life of the next is born. Nothing less than a new economic paradigm is now needed.

Finance and Education
UK: Oct-Dec 09
A short but comprehensive course concerning finance and education, with particular reference to the Waldorf movement and Rudolf Steiner's insights in this regard.

See here for details.

25 October | Spiritual Sovereignty

15 November | Financial Literacy

13 December | Public Benefit

The Colours of Money Seminar
UK: 5-7 February 2010
In the Bristol area, see here for details