Why any Stimulus Package isn't Enough. Why we should be focusing on killing hyperconsumerism.
I was reading through CNNMoney.com today and I saw a headline with this quote, "Saving more might sound like a good plan, but if everyone does that, it'll only make matters worse." This one quote expresses all that is currently wrong with the US economy. The US economy is too heavily dependent on consumer spending. The levels of consumption are unsustainable, both in volume and the speed of wealth transfer.
The US, especially big business, has become "lazy" and has marketed products aimed squarely at a small minority of the world's population that currently controls much of the world's wealth. In theory this is the ideal market to target; however, this market is almost completely saturated.
As I see it there are two paths out of this hole that the modern world finds itself in. The first is to begin R&D on more sustainable and truly beneficial technologies. I'm not talking about faster processors or cars. I'm not even talking about single or multistage carbon dioxide scrubbers for automobiles that have to be refreshed every six months to a year (although they would be helpful). I'm talking about the real desire to build technologies that will drastically reshape the way we use energy and food. These technologies may reshape the corporate landscape but its not an excuse to hold off on them any longer. Real development needs to go into things like sustainable and cost effective fusion (this isn't a fantasy anymore, the processing power and technological leaps in lasers and capacitors make fusion something we need to focus on). Technologies such as these can help us pull our way out of this current depression.
The second way we can get out of this downturn is to start targeting the vast majority of people who have the least amount of money. We should stop paying farmers to not grow food but rather start hammering out new distribution methods and models to pay farmers to grow this food for consumption in impoverished areas. Modular home builders should consider building ultra-low cost modular and/or kit homes that can be delivered to these same areas.
We need to evaluate the current meltdown in terms of the goals of currency and of humanity as a whole. I'm not against being wealthy or capitalism; however, I feel that the market has been slow to realize it has been targeting oversaturated markets. At the same time, many people in the world go hungry.
As the CEO and Co-Founder of NinjaTickets.com, I might be throwing stones from a glass house. I do feel that we are providing an altruistic role as a consumer advocate in an industry that is all too often dominated by monopolistic practices. Additionally I have strived to ensure that NinjaTickets.com is a responsible citizen of the world even from its inception. Our first marketing materials also shared space with information about various charities. NinjaTickets.com also donates a portion of profits to charities, such as Heifer, which focus on sustainable giving. NinjaTickets.com is a carbon-neutral company.
I encourage all of our users to use NinjaTickets.com to find the best seats they can at the price point they can truly afford. It is my goal (and the goal of NinjaTickets.com) to continue to provide real solutions to help consumers find the best tickets at the best prices.
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