A bit off-topic here, but how is it, generally (philosophically or whatever), that increasing consumption can make people better of?
If I increase my consumption I definitely am not better off. I just have less savings, feel less secure and have more junk around to organize or throw away. I'd be working harder and spending less time with my loved ones. As my good friend says - 'stupidly industrious'.
Why would increasing consumption produce 'better off' for a nation, or a world, that already has more than it needs?
Environmentally, does this mean that we would be better off if we all drove Checy Suburbans and got 8 miles per gallon? Or consumed lots more plastic stuff, etc?
Socially, does this mean that I should consume more, raising the prices of goods and making necessities less attainable for the poorer people around?
Some of these thoughts may be in the Japanese psyche - no doubt, a more advanced one than mine. After all, they've been living on an 'small' island for centuries. In America, we've just dug up some more land if we needed something and are only now coming to grips with the concept of 'limits'.
Maybe we need to get some new ideas going here, not just the old 'consume and produce and consume one's way out of economic problems' idea. Hey, maybe the Japanese need to start a war! Or maybe the Japanese have more in their heads than most of us give them credit for, and there are reasons (that we don't understand) that they don't want to stimulate consumption.
The world needs to find a way to become better off without consuming more.
Am I making sense to anyone but myself?
peter |
