RE: [pf] we took the wrong track, in the '50s and '60s

by David A

06 December 2000 23:40 UTC

prichter1@aol.com wrote:
> But economics as a discipline/theory base has only served one
> segment of the population well, those who hold on > to power/production.

Capitalism works mainly for the winners, yes. But a rising tide lifts 
most boats, too. The per-capita, inflation-adjusted GNP has increased 
106% (from $2,874 in 1960 to $33,390 in 1999 (=$5,932 in 1960-dollars). 
I don't know how this increase has been distributed--surely more to the 
upper- and upper-middle classes. But I'd be very surprised if all of 
that increase went only to them.

> I don't deny that many of the products that have come along as 
> a result of this long process have eased our lifestyles enormously. > I 
> certainly would not want to do without many of the basic comforts > that 
> you mention. But we do have to take into consideration the cost > of all 
> of the products that we use -- the impact on our ecosystem 
> and our lifestyle.  

I agree. But how do you take this cost into consideration given that you 
& me and most of us have decided by our actions that we want these basic 
comforts in our lives. Yes, as you and Betsy wrote, to a significant 
extent our culture determines how we must live if we want to live in 
"comfort" (itself a culturally dependent term). But we have a lot of 
choices too. I'm sure that if I put more priority in it, I could reduce 
my ecological footprint by a great deal -- get rid of my car and live in 
a city (though I'm not sure that's an net personal financial savings), I 
could reduce my electricity usage drastically by not owning a computer, 
television, using only one electric light or candles or going to bed 
when it gets dark. I could shower in cold water and hang all my wet 
clothes out to dry. But in the grand scheme of things I don't want to 
live like this, right now -- it's uncomfortable, in short, and very, 
very few of us do it. I lived somewhat like this for five months in 1996 
when I hiked part of the Appalachian Trail--it was not easy. We all make 
personal decisions as adults that we want to live in certain ways, for 
complex reasons. In this group we're probably more attuned than average 
to the cultural and societal pressures on us to consume, and while we 
probably do a better than average job of resisting it, most of us make 
specific decisions to live basic middle class lives, and I think we 
should take as much responsibility as we can for that instead of 
attributing it to higher economic powers.

David