Why you should care about The Power of Economics and Public Policy

"Atlanta (CNN)-Under increasing pressure from major corporations that do business in Georgia, Gov. Nathan Deal announced Monday he will veto a bill that critics say would have curtailed the rights of Georgia's LGBT community.

House Bill 757 would have given faith-based organizations in Georgia the option to deny services and jobs to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Supporters said the measure was meant to protect religious freedom, while opponents have described it as "anti-LGBT" and "appalling.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said the company "can't have a program in Georgia" if the bill were to become law. Disney said it would stop filming in the state, and Unilever said it would "reconsider investment" if the legislation were signed. Coca-Cola spoke out against the bill, as did Home Depot and several other Fortune 500 companies based in Atlanta.

The NFL said the bill could cost Atlanta the opportunity to host the Super Bowl. Time-Warner, the parent company of CNN, also opposed the legislation." 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/28/us/georgia-north-carolina-lgbt-bills/

So what's the big deal? What's key here is that major corporations used the threat of what is paramount to state economic sanctions to affect public policy. While business interests and their paid lobbyists have a long history of controlling public policy, often for just their own special interests, this is one of those moments where such influence was used for a more positive, depending on your politics, purpose. Is this just because that such an action was perhaps the right thing to do? Doubt it. Or, was this done because of the potential consumer backlash if they didn't do it? Something to consider.

Money talks is an old cliche but it is true. Look at the change in copmanies now willing to label, and support the mandatory labeling, of GMO ingredients in foods. How about Campbell's Soup announcement that they were eliminating BPA in their cans and General Mills eliminating artificial ingredients from their cereal products. Is this happening because corporations have suddenly developed a conscious--a sense of social responsibility? No, it's because, you, the consumer, have flexed your spending muscles and demanded change with your purchases.

Important is the fact that people can greatly affect public policy, not just by voting, demonstrating, petitioning, or lobbying, but by how they spend their money. This is, perhaps, the most effective way to make your voice heard.

How to Spend (or not spend) Your Holiday Dollars

 
Most of you will be spending extra money on the holidays as spending has trumped the message. Be that as it may, where and on what you spend can be used as a social, environmental, political, and economic statement.

Here's my list on how to spend your hard earned money:

-Don't buy junk. If you know it will hit the landfills in a few short weeks, don't buy it.
-Buy quality and not quantity.
-Buy local. Avoid the chain stores if at all possible. If you must buy from the chains, buy only what you really need and what will last. Avoid trends and what's hot as they will be quickly tossed. Local may well be more expensive for the same item, so search for unique local items of high quality. Who wants to receive what every one else gets.
-Buy green. Yes, it's hard to tell these days what that means. Read labels carefully and pass on those that are a clear environmental threat. Beware of the "all natural" label. Mercury and lead are all natural. There are gifts that can be had from environmental organizations. Buy things of lasting value that won't soon hit the trash bins.

As a consumer, you have the power to determine what products will be offered in the future. Buy crap, and crap is what you'll continue to get. Use your dollars to help protect the environment; to tell businesses that you no longer buy all the hype of useless products; that you'll no longer support products built by child labor or workers subject to intolerable conditions; that quality, durable and useful items will attract your attention, not the junk.

You have the power, use it.

BLACK FRIDAY: ALL THAT'S WRONG

If you want to know why the world is in such a mess, just consider Black Friday. Have you ever heard a an ad like this:

We know it's the holidays and that you all would like to give gifts to loved ones and friends.  The look on a child's face on Christmas morning is priceless. However, please don't buy something that won't last. Don't buy clothing filled with toxic chemicals, or toys laced with lead paint. Just because something is 0.5 seconds faster than the item you already have doesn't mean it's better. Don't buy products that have contributed to global warming, rainforest destruction, or that has been made on the backs of slave labor. Buy natural, buy green. Our landfills are overflowing with the junk from past holidays. Find presents that will get your child to think, that will get them outside the home. And above all, try not to use credit cards. Those bills come due and at a high rate of interest. Can you afford it. Return to the joys of family and being together and not just the idea that you have to spend lots of money for items no one really needs or wants.

No, you will never see such an ad, at least not now. But let's face it, this constant pressure to spend, spend, spend, is not about the spirit of the holidays, it is about corporate profits. It is about rampant consumerism that is destroying the planet and wreaking personal economic havoc.

Give gifts that matter, that will last, that will change the direction of buying patterns forever. Just don't buy crap that does nothing but make the rich even richer. Support the small business that sells quality products. Support the craftsmen and women that put their heart and soul into the things they make.

Above, fill your holiday with gifts that you can't buy: LOVE, PEACE, AND LIGHT. Those are gifts that simply never end up in the trash heap.

THE POWER OF CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

Despite all of the power of mega-corporations like Exxon, Citibank and the barons of Wall Street, they cannot turn the economy around. Despite all of the trillions of dollars that governments are pouring into bailouts, they cannot jump start the economy. All fingers are pointing to one ‘savior,’ consumer confidence.

For generations, consumers have been told, and they believed, that they were at the mercy of the rich and powerful. They created products and told the consumers it was what they needed and the consumer, like lambs led to the slaughter, followed their dictates and spent untold billions. When the cash ran out, the powerful created their own money, called credit, and enabled the consumer to spend money they did not have, thus indebting them to an endless cycle of ‘buy now, pay later.’ When the bills finally came due, the system collapsed because credit is not real money. Using what money is left in the system; governments have given billions to help Wall Street recover their losses. They have also promised billions to extend more credit to the consumer, using consumer money to cover the bill. To the surprise of economic pundits, consumers are still not spending. Why, because they lack confidence. The implications of this one simple fact are astounding.

The simple truth is this, consumers have always had the power to control the economy and their future, and they were simply convinced otherwise. Those in power knew the “Secret,” while the consumer believed that there was no secret. It was simply the way things worked. Power and money, so they were convinced, were invincible. As the consumer believed, it was given unto them. Form, followed thought and the reality created was the result of accepting the beliefs of others. Books such as THE SECRET, JESUS TAUGHT IT, TOO: THE EALY ROOTS OF THE LAW OF ATTRACTION, THE MASTER KEY SYSTEM, THINK AND GROW RICH, WAKING GOD and many others have been hammering the message of the Law of Attraction and the fundamental truth as taught by Jesus and Buddha and Mohammad and all great spiritual leaders, …”as thou hast believed, so it be done unto thee.”

So what does it mean, as implied at the Davos Economic Conference, that “consumer confidence” is the real power behind the throne? Consumer confidence is merely a state of mind in which the consumer believes that all is well. It means that the consumer believes that there is a reasonable expectation that the economic system is functioning properly; that bills will get paid; that products are worth buying; and, that they will be able to pay for purchases without any undue hardship. This is why all of the bailout will not work. Consumers are no longer confident in the system and as they believe, so it follows that the system will not work. Let’s face it, for decades consumers have bought poor quality products; products that were dangerous; products that were destroying the planet; products made for slave wages and by child labor; and, products it really did not at all need. It was foretold that “all that is hidden, will be revealed.” This prophecy is coming true as the consumer now has a clearer understanding of an economic system that has kept in financial bondage.

What does this all mean? Quite simply, the consumer can now create a new economic reality. Here is my list that will renew my consumer confidence and get me buying again:
1) Produce products that are safe and totally environmentally friendly.
2) Produce products of high quality and workmanship.
3) Produce products in which fair wages are paid for the work and which are not produced at the expense of children, woman or minorities.
4) Produce products that are necessary and truly useful and not just a bunch of junk.
5) End the practice of charging usurious interest rates for credit and stop those ridiculous fees if you are a day late.
6) Help people get caught up with bills rather than trying to drive them deeper into debt. We have forgiven billions in debt of foreign nations; why not do the same for consumers?
7) Make products that are safe and that are healthy. Stop adding addictive substances to food and chemicals that that are poisoning out children.
8) Stop brainwashing consumers with the endless barrage of misleading commercials.
9) Be honest!
This is my short list and each could be turned into a book. But what must be understood is that consumers have the power. No matter what news you listen to it should be quite evident that the words, “consumer confidence” are the key to economic recovery. However, the economic powers would like you to return to ‘business as usual.’ I do not believe that this will happen; it cannot happen if we want our children to have a planet to live on.

THE BABY BOOMER LEGACY

Many have said that the election of Barack Obama represents the end of the era
of the baby-boomer generation. I beg to differ. In fact, the election of Obama is the fulfillment of the baby boomer generation.

As we pass the torch of power, boomers can feel a sense of redemption when Obama takes the oath of office. In truth, our moment in history will be recorded as the one that most altered the course of history. Arising from the ashes of World War II, boomers literally rocked the world in the 60's and 70's. Rejecting the ideology of those who came before us, we declared that LOVE' is the answer to all of our questions. We institutionalized our historic commitment to equality for all. From civil rights to gender rights, we broke the back of hatred and bigotry. We said 'no' to separate but equal' and proclaimed that no topic is sacred and beyond question. We raised
the 'red flag’ on environmental destruction. We 'caught a glimpse' of the true nature of our relationship to each other and the world in which we live; but, our failing was that we became consumed by consumption.

As the 'age of technology' took hold we were fascinated by all things new. Gadgets and gizmos, a speeding lifestyle, and life on the go with fast food and fast cars were as enticing to us as it was reported to be to the Atlanteans of ancient lore. We thought we could do both; conspicuously consume and erase our sin by pushing for bottle bills. Money flowed like water from a garden hose as we were enticed to buy more, toss away, and then buy some more. Gold cards, Platinum cards, and equity lines of credit enabled us to spend double, triple our wages. And so what, government was doing it, why not us? To fight rising prices we sent our production to foreign workers who received pennies a day in sweat shops. As long as the gadgets and the credit kept flowing, we could ignore the cries of child labor in remote places of the world. Our money was the standard for the world and our military kept it that way. Mess with us and the newest technology and super weapons would set you straight.

But, in the deep recesses of our memory, we felt the growing pains of the seeds that we planted in the 60’s and 70’s. Something was not quite right. We were haunted by the memories of ‘love-ins,’ the toppling of a president that had gotten out of control, civil rights marches and the recurring dream of Camelot. And even though the never really free market system continued its daily barrage on our senses to spend, spend, and spend – deep down inside – we began to question. What was with all of the new diseases? Why do our children not want to learn? What is happening to all of those species that once populated our lakes, forests and jungles? Why is the weather acting so strange? What is happening to our culture? Why are crime rates getting out of control? What is that spilled oil really doing to our environment? Are you sure those materials are safe? Who really did make that sweater? Where are all of the jobs going? Why is it getting more difficult to pay all of those credit cards?

Our peaceful but shaky world shattered on 9/11. Our attention and questioning was diverted and we rallied to fight the new enemy. But who where the enemy? We could not find them. In a state of fear and paranoia, we gave away freedoms, money and lives. And, as my good friend Marvin Wilson would say, Owen Fiddler came to town. It was time to pay the fiddler, the piper and the ferryman. Stretched beyond our means to a level that only the bankers knew and even encouraged, the money tree was chopped down. We all know the story; it plays out in the news every day. We, the “baby boomers,” brought ourselves to a state of collapse. We made thing so bad that only the most ignorant would say we could stay the course. Had all of this not happened, we would have awakened one morning to find that our ecosystem had collapsed and that there was nothing we could do to alter the continuation of the “Sixth Great Extinction” that would soon include the human species. By bringing our lifestyle to an abrupt halt, we had to take notice.

Barack Obama’s election was our crowning achievement. Not because he is some super human savior that will solve all of our problems, but because he represents the re-emergence and manifestation of the dreams of those aged ‘flower children.’ Because of our errors and our ignorance, we have allowed the Lady of the Lake to return Excalibur. Not to President Obama, but to us. But we are not yet finished. We must still lead our children to the Promised Land, even if many of us will not enter it. This is not in any religious sense, but rather in the sense that we must continue to teach and remind the new generations not to repeat our mistakes. This is our parting gift,our legacy; we have shown the world how not to live.

HOW TO ALTER THE AMERICAN ECONOMY!

Despite the economic slowdown, layoffs, mortgage foreclosures and a generally depressed economy, the American consumer is still the most powerful economic force on the planet. With selected use of its holiday spending, the consumer can forever alter the American and world economy. Solace should be taken in the fact that billions of dollars are still being spent to get you to buy, buy and buy this holiday season. How you spend your money and what you spend your money on can forever alter what and how products are produced.

With great sadness I heard the story of the death at a Wal-Mart store where hoards of consumers trampled a person to death just to get a shot at holiday bargains. Those that did this represent all that has been wrong with our economy and the consumer. With the promise of ‘big savings,’ throngs of frenzied shoppers did just what large corporations want the consumer to do; spend their money mindlessly! If we are to come out this emerging depression and if we are to save the planet from increasing risks of environmental collapse, the consumer must use its spending power to alter the way business does business.

Image this as headline news on December 26th. “While holiday retail spending was the worst in recent memory, the American consumer sent a clear message to businesses; they want change and will use their hard earned dollars to get it. Americans abandoned their traditional habit of buying anything that carried a ‘sale tag’ and sought out products that were natural, eco-friendly, lasting and American made. While almost all retail sectors were down, there were sharp rises in natural health and beauty products, small scale solar products, items made with glass and steel instead of plastic, crafted toys, natural fiber clothing and durable goods that have a sound history of actually being durable. Store owners, dismayed with all of the products still left on the shelves said that next year, they will abide by consumer wishes and stock those items that that meet changing consumer preferences.”

This type of story does not have to be a fairytale. It can happen and it can happen now. As a consumer, you can buy non-plastic item. Stainless steel water bottles, glass baby bottles, and toys made from safe materials can be found. Yes, these may cost a little more but once this type of spending habit is developed, costs will come down. If need be, look on the internet and shop on-line for natural products and stop trampling people to death. If internet sales of such companies sky rocket, businesses will get the hint. Find clothing that is made of natural fibers. If it costs a lot, buy fewer items. At least you know that the gift will not give people skin disease from petro-chemicals in the fibers. There are all types of natural health and beauty aids. Buying these products will tell companies to stop putting carcinogens in make-up. There are hundreds of solar and other alternative energy products that you can buy on the internet. From outdoor solar lights, wind-up radios and flash lights, to solar powered chargers for laptops, cell phones and IPods, spending on these items will let industry know that you are serious about alternative energy products. It is said that form follows thought. Know also that products follow dollars. Instead of cheep particle board furniture, but those made of solid wood. If it costs too much, get one piece at a time rather than buying a whole set. At least what you get will last and will not contain chemicals used to make pressboard.

And you know, you can always buy books! Instead of just the big names from the big chain stores, visit the smaller independent bookstores and buy some unknown authors. Buy books from small presses instead of the Big Six publishers that have controlled 90% of what they offer you to read. Save some trees and buy a Kindle reader from Amazon and download books in seconds. Find books that not just entertain but that also inspire others to help create a new way of life and a new way of doing business. Check out authors like Jack canfield, Juna Jinsei, Susan Shumsky, Marvin Wilson, Linda Walker, Joyce Moore, Brian Doe and yours truly, Philip F. Harris.

The point of all of this is that you, the consumer, stand at a crossroad. You can continue to spend money on poorly designed sometimes dangerous and useless non-lasting items. These items will all end up in the overflowing landfills in weeks and will add to climate degradation. Alternatively, you can choose the path that creates a more sustainable world and buy products that have meaning and durability. You can choose to trample or you can choose to alter out economic system. Tell businesses what you want and do it with your dollars. You have the power. Don’t continue to put that power in the hands of others.

THE WALL STREET THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS

History has proven that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” While many understand this concept with respect to political systems, it is also true in other areas of human activity. Absolute power over anything is a corrupting influence that casts its pall over religion, economics, news, education, economics and most other aspects of society.

While all desire a totally free society, we have found that human frailty and perceived imperfection has not permitted such a system. Even in the early dawn of civilization, it was evident that those with the biggest clubs and the strong would prey upon the weak. Big men stole from the small, big nations raped and pillaged the meek, and a concentration of power and wealth with accompanying abuse is the subject of World History I. From the Mongols and the Romans, the absolute monarchies of the 17th/18th centuries to Hitler and Stalin and Burma, it has been clear that absolute political power leads to abuse and atrocities.

The same soon appeared with regard to religious power. Those who did not follow the dogma and dictates of state religions were burned, fed to the lions and cast out. Even the modern religious institutions are rife with historical terrorism. Under the banner of “onward Christian soldiers” religions of cultures like the American Indians and those of Africa were systematically destroyed. The term Inquisition is well documented in the annals of theological abuses.

During the era of the great monarchies, economic systems were also subject to abuse and corruption. The supply of goods and services served one purpose; to increase the wealth of the king or queen. Under the system of mercantilism, lands were conquered for colonies, resources were stolen for the mother country and gold and silver were stashed in the king’s vaults. However, the growth of a middle class and increased agricultural technology gave rise to a new line of economic thought; CAPITALISM.

Out of the ashes of the absolute power of kings grew an economic system that called for no government interference in the affairs of business. Thinkers like Malthus and Smith said that an economy free of government intervention would grow and prosper. The Industrial Revolution had begun! With the movement of population to the city factories blossomed and society and business planted the seeds that have ripened in the 21st century. With absolute control over money, goods and services, industry created the highest standard of living in the world. But in keeping with the problem of absolute power, the system became corrupt as sweat shops, poverty wages, unsafe conditions, company stores, child labor, monopolies and other abuses demanded government intervention. Anti-trust legislation, safety regulations, child labor laws and other government regulations were enacted to save the public from the devouring mouth of unfettered capitalism.

Bring the history to modern times and we have Reaganomics once again de-regulating industry in order to free them to pursue globalization. Up until now, all appeared well,
but the ugly head of absolute power reared its head. It has been all about making more money regardless of how it was made. Profit became the new monarch and abuse has now brought the American and maybe even the world economy to its knees. If you have watched the news you must know that our financial institutions are collapsing. Congress and the White House have been trying to undo in one week what has taken years to create. Sides have been taken and the “free marketers” have lined up against the “regulators.” While it is clear that lack of oversight and regulation created an economic monster gone amok, there are those who still think that less regulation, tax breaks and guarantees. This is money for the rich and the few at the expense of the many. After all, it is the lack of regulation that has created the current crisis. The questions are: how much regulation is needed; how much will it cost to fix the problem and, who will pay the ferryman?


There is one thing that is certain, our economy is in very deep trouble and the blame has washed up on the shores of Wall Street. New house construction is at a recent history low, unemployment is up, job creation down, credit is tight, retail is down, durable goods are way off and the near future has the lights on dim. There is another certainty; the age-old top down fix will not work. Actually, it has never worked. While greed, corruption and misuse of economic power may be causal in the current crisis, the solution is at the bottom of this power pyramid in the hands of the people. I, for one, favor putting the “bail out” money in the hands of the consumer so they can pay their mortgages, pay down credit cards, buy alternative energy products and stimulate jobs. I also favor reducing absurd interest rates on credit purchases, putting a mandatory low interest on mortgages, banning flexible rates and closely regulating financial institutions. Democracy and a controlled economy are not antithetical.

Like the Grinch, Wall Street is in the process of stealing this Christmas and perhaps others. We can also take another Grinch lesson, the true meaning of most holidays’ lies not in things, but in the spirit of why the holiday even exists. The real way to reduce the power of the wealthy and Wall Street is not to want what they have, but rather to redefine the very concept of wealth. If money is the most important thing, then it, and those who control it, have power over your life. But if what they have is not valued, then they have no power to control your life. Be of good cheer, be informed, let your feelings be known and vote your conscious in the upcoming election and let the Wall Street Grinch get what it deserves.

$4.90/GALLON!

We just received our contract price for fuel oil for next heating season and the price was $4.90/gallon. Our contract price for the 2007-2008 heating was $2.79/gallon. We used around 1,000 gallons to heat our home. We are not going to pay it! We have purchased a wood pellet furnace and bought 5 tons of pellets which should cover the majority of the heating season. Our pellet furnace, which is listed as carbon free, will be paid for in savings in one season! The pellets, at current prices, will save us some $3700/year. Assuming costs will rise proportionately, the pellets will always save us thousands of heating dollars every year while at the same time adding basically 0 carbon to the atmosphere.

Consumers are going to have to change their spending habits. Since the pellets are produced in Maine, it makes sense to alter our spending and use what makes sense for our region. This same approach would be wise to follow elsewhere. We have become so accustomed to mega-solutions that we have ignored a more rational regional approach to meeting our energy needs. While solar is certainly viable just about anywhere, at least as back-up power, it would seem to make sense to use it as a primary power source in sunnier regions. Wind turbine generators may be more viable in certain regions as would hydro in others.

It is no longer a question of being weaned off of oil imports. That option has passed. We have been hit upside the head by the oil rig 2x4 and the consumers must respond accordingly. While we can hope that a new administration will help our transition to more viable and environmentally friendly power supplies, don’t hold your breath. It could take years before the politicians, regardless of who is elected November, to make any kind of transitional financial support available. The power of oil is too entrenched to think that all will be right when we have a new president. Time is not on our side. If we wait for Washington to act, we will have lost the planet to the cockroaches. Smart money says bite the bullet and find alternative energy sources now. Buy high fuel efficient cars now-unfortunately they will probably have to be foreign since Detroit is still in its own dream world. And, while auto-makers are cutting back on making the big gas eaters, along with job losses, they do not get high marks for coming out with an affordable line of fuel efficient cars. Some of their hybrids to not get as good fuel economy as regular foreign imports and as usual; they will lag behind in innovation. Not sure what will come of it but the BBC had a report of a British auto-maker producing a gas vehicle that gets 80mpg. Apparently this is done by drastically reducing weight by using carbon fibers for the body work. Perhaps this is what we can do with all of the excess carbon, make cars with it.

On another front, the soaring cost of food has at least partly been attributed to the rise in the use of bio-fuels. “The food price index of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) rose by a steep but manageable 8% in 2006, but then much more sharply - by 24% - in 2007, and 53% in the first three months of this year alone - an unprecedented rise.” If you have shopped recently it is clear that prices are going up and as you know, once they are up, they tend not to come down too far. With gasoline basically at $4.00/gallon and a forecast of $5.00/gallon by September, it is clear that the consumer must act now to head off their own demise.

According to Michigan Business (5/31/08) “The steepest run-ups in food prices since 1990 are hurting grocery shoppers, restaurants and school cafeterias, but they're making others rich.
The winners in the new food economy include crop farmers selling corn and wheat for near-record highs after years of crushingly low prices. Ingredient makers like Cargill and ADM are rife with profits. Fertilizer and tractor companies are cashing in. Hedge funds who made big bets on rising wheat, soy and corn were spectacularly correct. Oil and gas companies, too - it takes natural gas to cook those Wheaties and diesel to haul them around the country.” Rising food and fuel prices are here to stay and there may even be spells of shortages. The American consumer will feel the bite, but they do not have to take the pain. Prudent and wise spending decisions now can soften the economic blow that lurks very large around the corner. Australian wheat is suffering under drought conditions and who knows what calamities are in store this summer.

Remember, you cannot rely on government to deal with these issues effectively. Just look at Louisiana and the toxic homes FEMA gave to those poor residents as housing. The recent NPR report about formaldehyde poisoning in the FEMA trailers should be a heads up regarding reliance on government. In my book, RAPING LOUISIANA: A DIARY OF DECEIT, government incompetence in dealing with disaster is well documented. Between energy and food issues, it would be wise to plan on how you will get through a not so short term period of economic contraction and transformation. With the power of the purse, the consumer can drive the changes in a way that makes sense. Time to wake up, read the signs of the times and take control of your life.

THE "MOTHER OF ALL COURSE CORRECTIONS?"

The world economy may well be headed for the “Mother of all course corrections.” Economists use the term “course correction” to talk about things like the overall direction of the economy, changes in economic policy, changes in the specific plans of a major corporation, or a group of businesses forming a segment of the economy. Think of a corporation deciding to focus its marketing on the aging ‘baby boomers’ as a course correction. A nation trying to create a more favorable balance of trade by reducing or increasing tariffs would be a policy course correction. These are conscious decisions aimed at affecting some part of the economy or market.

The term, “course correction” is rarely used regarding consumers. You will hear reports of consumer spending, consumer confidence or consumer preferences, but not “consumer course correction.” The implication is that while consumers might respond to economic conditions by either spending or saving more, consumers are not thought of in terms have having any kind of unified consciousness like a corporation. Their decisions are seen as a reaction to something, rather than a planned and coordinated response to direct a change in the economy. According to standard economics, if credit is tight, the consumer spends less and if credit is loose, the consumer racks up their credit card balances. The consumer is seen as sheep who are led by their collective noses by mass advertising and they will buy just about anything if the marketing is done right.


Historically, this has been true. Consumers have jumped at the latest fads, fashions and gadgets in a system designed for perpetual consumption. Credit has flowed freely and the consumer has almost enjoyed its courtship with corporations. Awards for best commercials attest to this marriage and ads for new products and ‘sales’ are read religiously. The shopping frenzy around holidays is an embarrassment. The consumer is the follower that has been led by the nose by big corporations.

We are all familiar with the status of the current economy. The sub-prime mortgage crisis is playing havoc with businesses and consumers. Oil prices have and will continue to climb robbing precious dollars from the already precarious economy. Food prices are rising and banks and lending institutions are scrambling for survival. The Dow, which is really based on only 30 companies, is trying desperately to stabilize. All in all, not a pretty picture as consumer confidence wanes and retail sales decline. Keep one thing in mind, all of this economic uproar is because you, the consumer, are not buying as much as ‘they’ want you to. Our economy is based upon buy, break and throw away and buy again. It is here that a “consumer course correction” may occur.

Could this be the end of the Age of Consumption? Is it possible that the light at the end of this economic tunnel is that the consumer will finally ‘decide’ what it wants rather


than being ‘told’ what it wants? As prices for the basic, food, clothing and shelter continue to skyrocket, reckless consumption will have to come to an end. This is a positive event. The planet is hurting. We are raping it of its resources, destroying the natural balance and web of life and altering its climate. In the wake of growing natural disasters, the time of reckless use of resources to feed an insatiable business appetite must come to an end. Remember, the bottom line of business is to get you to consume for the sake of consumption. It has nothing to do with socially conscious or ‘green’ buying. However, the consumer will soon find itself in a position to dictate what it wants for products. Consumers will have to make choices between disposable garbage and products of true and lasting value. The consumer can demand quality and chemical free food. The consumer can demand high mpg, non-polluting vehicles. The consumer can demand the elimination of poisonous plastic food containers. The consumer can demand products that last and that are made according to high safety standards. The consumer can demand a rapid change to alternative, clean and renewable energy resources.

How does the consumer cause a course correction? It merely spends it money on those items that meet socially responsible goals. The consumer can only buy those products packaged in glass. They can buy the higher, albeit foreign, mileage cars. They can stop wasting money on poor quality fast foods. It can stop taking their children to worthy events and activities and save gas. After a while, pressure will build for change.

They can stop attending social functions and meeting and hearings. By using their spending and their time in a socially conscious way, the consumer can take control of the economy.

All of this may sound like wishful thinking. But as the dollar is reduced in value and as travel becomes too costly, decisions will have to be made. The economy will never again be ‘business as usual.’ The consumer cannot afford it and the planet cannot afford it. Does this mean suffering and sacrifice? No, it means that the consumer will soon be in a position to do what politicians and businesses have been unwilling to do, to create a sane and rational world where humanity and nature live in harmony and balance.