8 ways the great recession has changed Americans

[IndigoSkies 168]

This would be true if people saved by putting bank-notes under their beds (if this were happening, though, the government would likely start printing more money to prevent deflation). But saving for most people means putting money in banks or buying stocks, bonds, or other liquid assets. It's not consumerism that drives the economy but production and ingenuity. People saving means that it's easier to get capital which leads to economic growth.

Without consumption, production and ingenuity will not serve the purpose. Why produce if nobody's consuming? They reason many American car plants closed because people weren't consuming American made cars anymore. They had to close or scale back. But I get what you are saying. It's all connection. You need demand for supply. You need supply for demand. Real elementary stuff.

[IndigoSkies 168]

-omigaaad, why do I always get double posts-

Edited July 1, 2010 by IndigoSkies

[Dan J 277]

This would be true if people saved by putting bank-notes under their beds (if this were happening, though, the government would likely start printing more money to prevent deflation). But saving for most people means putting money in banks or buying stocks, bonds, or other liquid assets. It's not consumerism that drives the economy but production and ingenuity. People saving means that it's easier to get capital which leads to economic growth.

You can invest all you want in production or invention. But what are you going to do with all your widgets if no one wants to buy them because they are busy saving?

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Call it a double dip recession or the second great depression, which ever you like. As we out west would say: "It may be time to circle the wagons, load the ammo & shoot anyone who comes on the property."

I have. It's good. Your introductory comments were, as is your style, retarded.

That is the intention.

Sorry you don't get the humor partner.

[SMR 368]

You can invest all you want in production or invention. But what are you going to do with all your widgets if no one wants to buy them because they are busy saving?

You make a fine point. But unless you're good at mind control, it's a theoretical distinction that is meaningless in practice. Spending more in order to help the economy is a good way to make yourself a pariah but won't come back to help you. You need other people to spend. You can do this through industry and innovation, supplying other people's needs and wants more efficiently and better than the competition.

Unless something attractive is being offered, it's very difficult to get other people to spend and it's probably a bad idea to spend yourself. Obviously, as economies become tighter, people focus more on basic needs and thus economic growth focuses more there as well. But people will always have needs and wants. So if you create a good product at a good price, people will spend.

Especially in an international economy, the only way to economic growth is focusing on production, innovation, and fiscal thrift. Profligate spending is a good way to stimulate someone else's economy.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

You make a fine point. But unless you're good at mind control, it's a theoretical distinction that is meaningless in practice. Spending more in order to help the economy is a good way to make yourself a pariah but won't come back to help you. You need other people to spend. You can do this through industry and innovation, supplying other people's needs and wants more efficiently and better than the competition.

Unless something attractive is being offered, it's very difficult to get other people to spend and it's probably a bad idea to spend yourself. Obviously, as economies become tighter, people focus more on basic needs and thus economic growth focuses more there as well. But people will always have needs and wants. So if you create a good product at a good price, people will spend.

Especially in an international economy, the only way to economic growth is focusing on production, innovation, and fiscal thrift. Profligate spending is a good way to stimulate someone else's economy.

Here is an example. The Federal government relaxing environmental laws on windfarms, then subsidizes wind turbine production within the US so that manufacturing of US turbines can out compete Chinese units.

[alienlovechild 75]

If weren't for your consumerism, we'd still be watching regular TV. Not HDTV. This one item provides millions of jobs around the world and billions of dollars to not only American GDP but to rest of the world's GDP also. It can be argued that noone needs an HDTV over a regular TV. Indeed a lot of people can't really tell the difference when they're watching regular or HD television. So don't blame consumerism.

There's a distimction between spending wisely as an individual and people indulging in impluse spending. We do need people to buy goods and services to provide the demand for the economy to run but just buying junk is not a good idea especially if you can't afford the goodies. I manage to live without a HDTV and none of them are made in this country to my knowledge (no TVs period) so they don't create jobs here except for shipping and retail sales jobs.

I wouldn't worry about a lack of consumerism in America as we have the collective tendency to spend rather than save compared to many other countries.

Edited July 2, 2010 by alienlovechild

[Dan J 277]

There's a distimction between spending wisely as an individual and people indulging in impluse spending. We do need people to buy goods and services to provide the demand for the economy to run but just buying junk is not a good idea especially if you can't afford the goodies. I manage to live without a HDTV and none of them are made in this country to my knowledge (no TVs period) so they don't create jobs here except for shipping and retail sales jobs.

I wouldn't worry about a lack of consumerism in America as we have the collective tendency to spend rather than save compared to many other countries.

Manufacturing jobs are getting replaced due to automation as much as outsourcing.