Quality life over quantity life

[scourge]

The problem that we are seemingly unable to countenance is the end of growth. Today's system is predicated on the progressive conversion of nature into products, people into consumers, cultures into markets and time into money. We could perhaps extend that growth for a few more years by fracking, deep-sea oil drilling, deforestation, land grabs from indigenous people and so on, but only at a higher and higher cost to future generations. Sooner or later – hopefully sooner – we will have to transition towards a steady-state or degrowth economy.

Does that sound scary? Today it is: degrowth means recession, with its unemployment, inequality and desperation. But it need not be that way. Unemployment could translate into greater leisure for all. Lower consumption could translate into reclaiming life from money, reskilling, reconnecting, sharing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/03/debt-federal-reserve-fixation-on-growth

[lafindumonde]

I'm assuming Global Warming is real, in some form, despite mainstream dissent. Mainstream seeks justification for continuing the status quo even in the face of imminent death.

That so: we probably can expect more droughts and trouble growing crops in the future. This will help grow stock in "drought resistant crop" promoted by producers of GMO crops (investment opportunity?), but it may nevertheless be interesting to see where it leads. Will the government force wealth redistribution? Will most people simply reduce their meat consumption and rely solely on GMO corn products?

The politically friendly thing to do is print free money and hand it out, but this is making everything more expensive. It would be interesting to hear some short to long-term predictions from really high-IQ types.

[scourge]

All of these strategies share a few key assumptions: that demand for cars within the Millennial generation is just waiting to be unlocked; that as the economy slowly recovers, today’s young people will eventually want to buy cars as much as their parents and grandparents did; that a finer-tuned appeal to Millennial values can coax them into dealerships.

 Perhaps. But what if these assumptions are simply wrong? What if Millennials’ aversion to car-buying isn’t a temporary side effect of the recession, but part of a permanent generational shift in tastes and spending habits? It’s a question that applies not only to cars, but to several other traditional categories of big spending—most notably, housing. And its answer has large implications for the future shape of the economy—and for the speed of recovery.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/09/the-cheapest-generation/309060/?single_page=true

[Roman Legion 666]

Oddly enough, my father and I were talking about this same subject, in one form of another. He remembers watching sci fi movies from the 70's, and recalling that such themes were way out there. But now those same themes are becoming reality.

Case in point, regardless of agenda, political or religious, the earth is becoming over populated. We need to realize that if we continue this way, we will end the human race as we know it. For example: if there is only food for 3000 deer, but there is 10000 deer, the total deer populate will consume the food it needs. Same as humans, we will extinct ourselves to death, unless we face reality. Soylent  Green!