banner
LightNews
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn
@ausmmt.bsky.social
740 followers 260 following 790 posts
MMT | Sustainable Sufficiency | Mental Health | Precariat | Torrens Uni | Aussie Experience with unemployment and self-study of MMT to advocate for social justice reforms. https://darrenquinn.substack.com/
darrenquinn.substack.com
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 8d
1/10 (🎣)

Why do some movements for a better world struggle to gain support?

It might come down to a single word.

For years, advocates for a sustainable economy have used the word "degrowth." What if that word itself is a trap? 🧵

#Degrowth
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 10h
8/8 📞:

My full post, which is the first in a new series, explores this framework in detail. I'm keen to hear thoughts from this community on the concept of vulnerability-based sovereignty. Read it here:

buff.ly/dxTgAFS

#MMT
The Economic Complexity Paradox: Why Australia Is Both Brilliant and Vulnerable
Why Australia Is Both Brilliant and Vulnerable
darrenquinn.substack.com
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 10h
7/8:

The gap between our knowledge and our action is not technical; it's institutional and political. Current arrangements benefit powerful constituencies who can block change while displacing the costs.

#AusPol
1 1 2
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 10h
6/8:

This isn't an argument for less complexity. It's an argument for leveraging our analytical strengths to address these vulnerabilities head-on through targeted fiscal and industrial policy. The goal is to build resilience, not just manage crises.

#Economics
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 10h
5/8:

These three factors create channels through which global shocks are transmitted directly into our domestic economy, constraining the RBA's ability to act without causing significant distributional pain. Blunt monetary policy becomes a tool for managing displacement.

#Inequality #HousingCrisis
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 10h
4/8:

For Australia, these vulnerabilities are clear:

1️⃣ Sectoral: Extreme dependence on commodity exports.

2️⃣ Balance Sheet: A massive private debt overhang.

3️⃣ Supply-Side: Increasing exposure to climate-driven shocks.

#ClimateAction
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 10h
3/8:

I propose a new framework: "Vulnerability-Based Sovereignty." It argues that a nation's practical policy space is defined not by its formal powers, but by its structural vulnerabilities.
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 10h
2/8:

My argument is that we need to move beyond a simple understanding of monetary sovereignty. The fact that Australia issues its own currency is the starting point, not the end of the analysis.
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 10h
🧵 1/8 🎣:

Let's discuss a core paradox in Australian political economy. We have world-leading analytical capacity (CSIRO, RBA, etc.), yet we seem incapable of building institutions resilient enough to protect our most vulnerable communities. Why?
1 1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 1d
You can't build a strong analysis with a broken toolkit. The standard explanation of the Complexity Paradox is incomplete. My new article provides the correct, foundational framework you need to actually understand it. Build your understanding here: buff.ly/peKn3di #complexity #auspol #econ
The Economic Complexity Paradox: Why Australia Is Both Brilliant and Vulnerable
Why Australia Is Both Brilliant and Vulnerable
buff.ly
3 5
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 1d
Australia has a paradox at its heart.

We have top economists and scientists who understand our problems well, yet we struggle to implement solutions.

I explore this #complexity paradox and why it leaves so many Australians vulnerable.

buff.ly/Lu9RYpv

#MMT #AusPol
The Economic Complexity Paradox: Why Australia Is Both Brilliant and Vulnerable
Why Australia Is Both Brilliant and Vulnerable
buff.ly
2
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 2d
Did you read www.sufficiencywellbeing.com/p/from-degro... in its full context?
From Degrowth to Directed Prosperity
A Journey in Reframing
www.sufficiencywellbeing.com
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 2d
No, that's not the reasoning. You're viewing it just through a neoliberal, capitalist lens. Decoupling can harm children if it means divorce. The key is understanding the context. Why do people stop watching the news because it's mostly negative? Where is the positivity and hope?
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 2d
Is DPF essentially Munis rebadged?
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
Why do people stop watching the news? Because it is nothing but bad news, negativity. Where is the positivity? The hope? Lead with the benefits, not the operational feature.
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
It's a word that is framed as a negative that limits appeal. You'll note I didn't disagree with the idea, just the presentation of the idea.
1 1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
No, we are talking about a singular word that can be interpreted in multiple ways. Do you also want to stop growing as a person? Degrowth, the very word is framed as a negative, it limits appeal.
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
DARVO
1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
You can't fix a problem you misdiagnose. The dominant inflation narrative is flawed at its foundation. I expose these core errors and establish the proper analytical starting points in my new article. Read the breakdown here: buff.ly/a3dgex5 #inflation
1 1 2
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
7/7 (📞):
The Coalition's real problem isn't that they're losing the argument. It's that they're arguing with a reality the rest of the country now lives in.

I break down the entire fictional history in my new post. Read the full MMT Autopsy here:
buff.ly/ZWUfn6s
Fighting Ghosts: Why the Right is Arguing with a Fictional Past
An MMT Autopsy of Australian History
darrenquinn.substack.com
2
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
6/7 (😱):
The real threat to the old guard isn't "leftism." It's economic literacy.

It's the fear that ordinary Australians will grasp that a currency issuer is not a household and start asking why we can fund bank bailouts but not social housing.
1 1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
5/7 (🤼):
The structural shift to the left that @kossamaras.bsky.social identifies isn't ideological whimsy. It's a rational response from generations who've inherited the consequences of this flawed model: precarious work & unaffordable housing. They know the old story failed them.
1 1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
4/7 (🧝‍♂️):
The famed Costello surpluses weren't a result of fiscal discipline. They were a function of a mining boom and, crucially, a massive explosion in private household debt.

The government wasn't "saving"; it was forcing families to become the economy's credit card.
1 1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
3/7 (📌):
The Accord wasn't a free-market deal; it was centrally planned coordination. Wage restraint was traded for a massive expansion of the "social wage"—Medicare, education, super.

That's not small government. That's strategic fiscal policy.
1 1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
2/7 (⚠):
For decades, we've been sold a myth: that the Hawke/Keating/Howard years were a "free market" triumph. It’s a comforting story for the establishment. It's also operationally false.

The real question isn't political labels, but: How did the money actually flow?
1 1
ausmmt.bsky.social
Darren Quinn @ausmmt.bsky.social · 3d
1/7 (🎣):
@kossamaras.bsky.social's data on Australia's structural realignment is the most important analysis of the year.

The establishment's panic masks a deeper economic story.

My new post is an MMT Autopsy of the 'centre-right miracle' that never was. 🧵👇 #auspol #ausecon
1 1