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Admittedly, I know next to nothing about economics. I've just been thinking lately about how our economy is driven by people buying things. This goes against my basic values (though I can be a bad shopper along with a lot of people). Many people are starting to embrace frugality and simple living principles. If more people do this, which I think is admirable, what will happen to our economic system? How does it need to change in order to support better principles as well as thrive?
In other words, what is an alternative type of economy that would be healthy and based on better personal principles rather than just buying stuff all the time?
Quote:
Originally Posted by chattypatty
No, that's not what I want. But part of my question asked, if more people DO become frugal voluntarily, or adopt a simple living lifestyle voluntarily, what would that do to our economy? Would it result in more production of necessary quality items that such people would want to buy? Or would the economy collapse because not enough buying is going on in general. ?
our economy, in fact all economies, are consumer driven. you can produce anything you want, but unless someone comes along and buys what you are making, all you are doing is spending money for basically nothing. what you are seeing right now is what happened during the great depression, that is the consumer was paying off debt, and saving their money, and making the things they had work for as long as possible, and only buying the things they truly needed. this happens when economic times turn south.
when world war two was over, the economy bounced back due to pent up consumer demand for new products, and the ability for the consumer to actually afford to buy the things they wanted and needed. our current economy is starting to turn around now, and with proper incentive, the consumers will be buying things again.
economies turn south usually due to rampant consumerism, where consumer debt piles up to unsustainable levels, and when something happens to trigger the downturn, it happens quickly. the recovery is what takes time.
so dare I ask? what is the op's defination of a simple living lifestyle? Because IMHO your always going to have to buy and sell no matter the economy is based on.....Unless your back to the cave simple....
The problem with consumerism is that it assumes infinate growth in consumption is possible, yet we live on a finite planet with limited resources- clearly the model is unsustainable. We're already starting to see the limits being approached with the recent peak in oil production and subsequent price spikes. The next 20 years are not going to be pretty. Is there a solution? I can't think of one. :-(
Admittedly, I know next to nothing about economics. I've just been thinking lately about how our economy is driven by people buying things. This goes against my basic values (though I can be a bad shopper along with a lot of people). Many people are starting to embrace frugality and simple living principles. If more people do this, which I think is admirable, what will happen to our economic system? How does it need to change in order to support better principles as well as thrive?
In other words, what is an alternative type of economy that would be healthy and based on better personal principles rather than just buying stuff all the time?
It would be a non-economy or the un-economy. It would be characterized, by starvation, filth and disease.
Admittedly, I know next to nothing about economics. I've just been thinking lately about how our economy is driven by people buying things. This goes against my basic values (though I can be a bad shopper along with a lot of people). Many people are starting to embrace frugality and simple living principles. If more people do this, which I think is admirable, what will happen to our economic system? How does it need to change in order to support better principles as well as thrive?
In other words, what is an alternative type of economy that would be healthy and based on better personal principles rather than just buying stuff all the time?
Read the book How an Economy Grows and Why it Crashes by Peter Schiff to understand how Economics works.
The answer to how we have to fix the economy is to end the incentives that the so called "free trade" agreements created for manufacturers to leave this country and locate in other countries and bring them back to this country.
Think about it. We produce next to NOTHING in this country anymore. Even FOOD is mostly imported. All we do is spend dollars printed on worthless paper to buy real goods. We don't make anything to sell to anyone anymore. All we need is for creditor nations where we import stuff from to stop accepting our dollars for their goods and we will REALLY be in trouble!
Don't believe a WORD of what the major media says that we need to spend $$ to stimulate the economy. When you have no $$$ do you go out and max out your credit card to improve your finances??? Of Course not. However, that is EXACTLY what the Obama administration has been doing BIG TIME since day ONE. They are making what was a shaky economy under Bush 100 times WORSE! The only people who benefit are the crooked government elites, corporate elites and banksters who get all this free money first before it has a chance to lose more purchasing power.
Guess who pays for all the largess of Ben Bernanke? We do when inflation goes through the roof to pay for all the free $$$ he gives out to he New World Order elite buddies.
Location: planet octupulous is nearing earths atmosphere
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cheap clean renewable energy, is the key to a prosperous consuming populus..and remember to try, i say try to buy american if you can, i know it's hard to find something thats made in this country anymore.. but give it a try,, you will lose hair in the process but "hay" >>we can live without hair. we better hurry up and start buying american before it's all gone.. remember the crap coming from china is fueling their military build up,,!! and is just that crap, i would rather pay more money for something that is built with quality materials that last longer, than a piece of crap manufactured with inferior materials by countries using slave wage labor..
Read the book How an Economy Grows and Why it Crashes by Peter Schiff to understand how Economics works.
The answer to how we have to fix the economy is to end the incentives that the so called "free trade" agreements created for manufacturers to leave this country and locate in other countries and bring them back to this country.
Think about it. We produce next to NOTHING in this country anymore. Even FOOD is mostly imported. All we do is spend dollars printed on worthless paper to buy real goods. We don't make anything to sell to anyone anymore. All we need is for creditor nations where we import stuff from to stop accepting our dollars for their goods and we will REALLY be in trouble!
Don't believe a WORD of what the major media says that we need to spend $$ to stimulate the economy. When you have no $$$ do you go out and max out your credit card to improve your finances??? Of Course not. However, that is EXACTLY what the Obama administration has been doing BIG TIME since day ONE. They are making what was a shaky economy under Bush 100 times WORSE! The only people who benefit are the crooked government elites, corporate elites and banksters who get all this free money first before it has a chance to lose more purchasing power.
Guess who pays for all the largess of Ben Bernanke? We do when inflation goes through the roof to pay for all the free $$$ he gives out to he New World Order elite buddies.
This country is up a creek without a paddle.
Thank you for the book rec! I am going to the bookstore this week and will be sure to look that one up.
The problem with consumerism is that it assumes infinate growth in consumption is possible, yet we live on a finite planet with limited resources- clearly the model is unsustainable. We're already starting to see the limits being approached with the recent peak in oil production and subsequent price spikes. The next 20 years are not going to be pretty. Is there a solution? I can't think of one. :-(
so dare I ask? what is the op's defination of a simple living lifestyle? Because IMHO your always going to have to buy and sell no matter the economy is based on.....Unless your back to the cave simple....
Yeah, you have to read through the comments to see where I corrected my misuse of the term. I meant "consumerism."
A simple living lifestyle would, of course, mean different things to different people. I think Americans are prone to excess, so just trimming the excesses would probably make a huge difference. Just as an example, we have one tv. Some people have a tv in every room. We don't have a stereo system, just an old boom box. We don't have a lot of electronic gadgets, just laptops. We have two used cars. We live in a very small home. We have simple clothing, only a few pairs of shoes, etc.
cheap clean renewable energy, is the key to a prosperous consuming populus..and remember to try, i say try to buy american if you can, i know it's hard to find something thats made in this country anymore.. but give it a try,, you will lose hair in the process but "hay" >>we can live without hair. we better hurry up and start buying american before it's all gone.. remember the crap coming from china is fueling their military build up,,!! and is just that crap, i would rather pay more money for something that is built with quality materials that last longer, than a piece of crap manufactured with inferior materials by countries using slave wage labor..
Yeah, agreed.
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we better hurry up and start buying american before it's all gone.. remember the crap coming from china is fueling their military build up,,!! and is just that crap, i would rather pay more money for something that is built with quality materials that last longer, than a piece of crap manufactured with inferior materials by countries using slave wage labor..
