How will we as a nation overcome the virus that led us to live larger than we can afford? Can you imagine anyone, in their right mind, developing and promoting the Hummer as a rational transportation option? Will we return to being a nation willing to throw away the future for the immediate gratification of a new kitchen or swimming pool? This can not be a recovery led by consumers, it can only be meaningful if it's driven by new technologies and new ideas. We must create a paradigm where saving has its rewards and conspicuous consumption is condemned. The sliver of our population who followed that mantra are sitting on the sidelines watching this collapse thankful that they didn't fall prey to the temptations. If you're generation doesn't fix this, we are doomed to be an aging nation without direction. We'll forever follow an undesirable course of short-term flurries of unsubstantiated growth only to be disappointed when they fail to sustain. We must become a nation that produces things again, that develops innovations and then nurtures them in our own backyard. The old market system has been corrupted and should be discarded, it lacks the means to stage recovery. The government must reacquaint us with an equitable system, plant the seeds for recovery, and then let American ingenuity take over. Anything less will seal our departure from world leadership.
unfortunatly our nation has a very selfish view of the world. always needing to have the newest, best, and fastest of everything. i dont think that this recession will do anything for the thinking of the nation. i dont think that the philosophy of the nation will be changed over night. i don't even know if this philosophy can be fixed. i guess only time will tell if this problem can be fixed.
ReplyDelete-blake roth
This is a horrible thing, but unfortunately its very true. People these days are so caught up in being flashy and looking like they live the most fabulous life. I see it all the time, especially living in Boca Raton. People are never happy with what they have. If they would stop spending their money on stupid, unnecessary things, maybe we could start helping out our economy!
ReplyDeleteAlthough the recession has caused people to be more conscious of their spending and lead them to decipher between "needs" and "wants", I strongly believe that once the economy is stable again, the US will return to its "throw away" lifestyle. While we all would like to believe that the state of the economy will cause us all to become "changed people", it is inevitable that our old lifestyles will once again become the norm.
ReplyDelete-sarah michaud