Funding the Future My word of the year
Dec 22, 2025
Explore the ancient Greek concept of pleonexia, the insatiable pursuit of more at others' expense. Discover how this idea is evident in today's big tech excesses, harmful bond markets, and government policies prioritizing balance sheets over human need. The discussion critiques the moral failures embedded in modern economics, linking them to 45 years of neoliberalism that glorifies selfishness and entitlement. Ultimately, there's a call for a shift towards an economy grounded in care and fairness, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and addressing these issues.
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Naming The Problem Reveals Hidden Patterns
- Pleonexia is an ancient Greek term for the insatiable desire to take more than your fair share.
- Recognising pleonexia reveals patterns of exploitation across modern institutions.
Big Tech As Pleonexia In Action
- Big tech exhibits pleonexia through excessive fees, data extraction, and political influence.
- These behaviours turn citizens into exploitable resources for profit and control.
Markets Extract At Human Cost
- Bond markets can demand high interest rates to protect returns even when this harms households and businesses.
- That choice is extraction by design, not an inevitable result of fiscal necessity.