Change Agent | Alexander Lee
Send Story to a FriendWhat is Wrong with the Economy
What is wrong with the American economy? In part, I think it is a nearly religious belief that technology and/or hard work will deliver us from the evils of climate change.
In fact, this is a debilitating myth. In 1945, Ronald Reagan, GE, and a host of other corporations and politicians foisted on the American public an idea that we could have more leisure time if we only participated more robustly in the consumer economy. Buy a dryer and a vaccuum, you will be liberated from the drudgery of housework! Work 40 hours a week and some overtime and you will be able to afford all of things you need for a happy life for you and your family. Your industriousness will be rewarded not just in Calvin's Heaven, but here in America where pioneers and immigrants, slaves and cowboys built our nation by working hard.
There was no downward adjustment to work hours after WWII when women finally started competing, albeit not for the same pay, with men for good jobs. There was no major shift in our economy or means of working. Now we find our households dependent on two incomes, working more and vacationing less than any other industrialized nation.
What we need is a fundamental shift in the way that we live. We need to recognize the excesses of our prolifigate lifetsyles and mimic the people in the world who find themselves both happy and healthy. There must be more quiet, unconnected time. There must be more sunshine on the brow and more time in the contemplative darkness of the woods.
Thoughts?
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Judith
March 17, 2009 - 7:21pm
March 17, 2009 - 7:21pm
I totally agree with you. Being an"older person" I have a perspective to share. As a young kid growing up in Africa, the family returned to London in the -50's. Post-war mentality was still very much apparent. People saved items for use later, etc. Modern life has forgotten this principle - now it is consume and zoom! Once married in the 70's, my new husband and I went to live in Sweden, where a very different perspective was prevalent. High standard of living and usually, two incomes. But care was taken to maintain certain core values - high among them being a clean environment and, guess what, hand-work or crafts. Next we move to the UK where, except for a few craft-nicks, consuming is the name of the game. Now we live in the US, and society is facing a depression much like the war-years. People ARE becoming more thrifty, but there are no role-models. A rule-of-thumb I use frequently in conversations like this is "Do you wash out, dry and recycle your zip-lock bags?" Usually, the answer is NO. Quiet time in the sunshine or in the woods is important, but if push comes to shove, can you make sausage? can you cook a ham from scratch? can you turn a shirt-collar or a sheet? can you unpick and reknit a woollen garment? can you make soap? These skills are gradually slipping from our skill-set...
Cheyl King Fischer
March 22, 2009 - 9:52am
March 22, 2009 - 9:52am
tried to tell the story of Alex's first grant. See it was flagged as spam. Guess my computer is sick. Sorry alex...Cheryl
Green Pole Solutions
April 4, 2009 - 8:33pm
April 4, 2009 - 8:33pm
Yes, the old adage "money makes the world go round" has spun our society out of control and created such a vortex of need and greed that it will take the whole world a counter turn in unison to stop it.
Brought up in this generation of acceleration we were given the electric power to extract more from time, get more bang for our buck, and rapidly accumulate knowledge. Among the things I have today and value most are: a clothesline …..and the knowledge that we have to slow down, equalize our need for power, share our resources, clean up our act, and brace ourselves together.
Angela
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March 17, 2009 - 1:28pm