‘Darwinomics’ is a term apparently invented by the script-writers of the ‘West-Wing’ TV show. Immediately I heard the term I thought of the scramble for money at the expense (pardon the pun) of everything else. It turns out that Darwinomics doesn’t have an official definition but was used in such a way as to suggest fundamentalist economic policy based on ’survival of the fittest’.

The term brings up the old debate about competition and cooperation, and which is the most useful for our species / communities / businesses etc. , right now.

The recent dramatic rise in food prices forces us to think about grabbing or sharing. Depending upon our world-view we will be reaching out our hands to snatch a scarce commodity or stretching out to share what we already have. With 5% of the worlds population residing in N. America and consuming 30% of the world’s resources we face a stark dilemma.

John Renesch describes this dilemma as a ‘maturity’ issue. Renesch compares the short-term desires and wants of a child with the delayed-gratification and long-term consequences considered by an adult. I can’t agree with him more. The world is shrinking and if we can’t find a way to get along and ‘play nice’ as a global community, then we must expect to have problems.

Here is John Renesch talking very briefly about the need for us to ‘grow up’ as a species: