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The power/greed of the automobile industry is undeniable. But let's add in the other beneficiaries: Traffic court judges and their support staff, lawyers to help contest your moving violation tickets, the police, personal injury attorneys (and those they work hand-in-hand with: chiropractors), auto body shops, insurance companies, auto mechanics, the entire oil industry! What have I missed???
I am moving steadily towards my dream of retiring without a car next year. I will be greatly missed by many and one poor stimulant to the economy! Suffer! Suffer!
When GPD statistics come out, I think we rank high because of how much we MUST spend just to do very simple things.
I haven't had the patience to read every single message on this thread, but I see that the usual schools of thought are in competition again.
I will have to affiliate myself with the group that says that leisure, lack of stress, things of modest proportions and little interest in the pursuit of wealth are the way to go.
I would be curious to know where the other group got its values -- the group that says: work hard, get rich, buy as much stuff as possible, brag about your superiority.
I don't think that any of the world religions teach this philosophy, nor do any of the other humanistic thinkers. Depleting the resources of the world as fast as possible and entering a delusional competition to see who collects the most stuff, works hardest and "wins" really looks like it is rather suicidal and masochistic, leaving no time for pleasure and ensuring that one's health is ruined.
My father died 24 years ago of heart failure, he was only 55. He worked hard his whole life.
One of the last things he said to me was "don't end up like me." I did'nt listen. I carried on
working long hours. My marriage ended a few years after he died, everything I'd worked so
hard for was split up and sold. Had to start again nearly 40 years old. I saw a billboard about
that time. It said nice house? nice car? nice vacations? - still not happy? It was an advert for
some religious group, which did'nt interest me, but it still made me think. I have been at a
few deathbed scenes in my life, never heard one of these folks say "I wish I'd worked harder
and longer." I try now not to obsess about material things.
But America is the best place to make it on your own. Unparalleled entrepreneurial opportunity (esp for Americans lol)
My entrepreneurial brother opened up his auto mechanic business 5 years ago. He works 6 days a week, 12 hours a day, but he's a happy workaholic, just like his/my workaholic father, who was also an entrepreneur, except he worked 7 days a week. And as to be expected, I was a "father-less" child!
Workaholics and alcoholics wear the same clothes, and this country presents vast opportunities to be workaholics, as you need ever fear, like an alcoholic, family members are going to wrestle you to the ground, one day, and haul you off to a worker's rehabilitation hospital! And as to be expected in the U.S., with its being so spellbound with protestant work ethics, there's no Worker's Al Anon group as well!
But as the U.S. copies Mexico and become increasingly oligarchic, the entrepreneurial opportunties will increasingly diminish. And then? It will require a 90+-hour work week to thrash out a competitor!
Last edited by tijlover; 09-21-2011 at 01:55 AM..
Reason: edit
Entrepreneurs who want to work themselves to death can do it just about anywhere. Even in France with our 35 hour work week, the self employed can work 7 days a week, 18 hours a day if they want to, and some of them do.
By the same token, some of these people can close their business for a month or more and leave on holiday. I have heard countless times the incredulous American reaction when they visit France in July or August and see a lot of small shops closed for a month: "But they could make more money if they stayed open!"
Well, I'm sorry, but there are plenty of people, when given a choice between "more money" or "more life," who will choose the second option without regret.
I would be curious to know where the other group got its values -- the group that says: work hard, get rich, buy as much stuff as possible, brag about your superiority.
I don't think that any of the world religions teach this philosophy, nor do any of the other humanistic thinkers. Depleting the resources of the world as fast as possible and entering a delusional competition to see who collects the most stuff, works hardest and "wins" really looks like it is rather suicidal and masochistic, leaving no time for pleasure and ensuring that one's health is ruined.
Granted, I grew up Irish Catholic in the U.S. So, I think different than this...
But, I usually associate those values with the 'protestant work ethic' and tied into the Protestant Church. This concept that God rewards them through wealth. It seems very counterintuitive to the religion I learned through Catholicism.
But, when I reluctantly watch such protestant-based american tv shows like 'the 700 Club', they often tie wealth, republicanism, and God into one big ball, and even try to teach how to play at the Stock Market and follow all that stuff.
It runs very contrary to the type of religious teaching I've read everywhere else in the world, and even within my own Catholic upbringing. But for whatever reason, the American version of Protestantism is very tied in with wealth, increasing wealth, etc. God rewards you through wealth, etc.
Usually among the more conservative-voting republican religious right of the U.S., you'll often hear them quickly deny that the earth is going to be destroyed by mankind. I think they tend to believe that God created this earth for man, and that man can do whatever it wants, and the earth will continue to repair itself. So they'll often scoff at those 'wacko environmentalists' and those people who aren't pro-development and pro-wealth-creation.
I know, I know, contrary and counterintuitive to everything in every religion everywhere in the world...but I hear that type of thinking often among religious right, protestant, tele-evangelists, etc. within the United States.
... the American version of Protestantism is very tied in with wealth, increasing wealth, etc. God rewards you through wealth, etc.
Sort of. You have to distinguish between the mainline protestant denominations that evolved from Lutheranism and those that evolved from Calvinist thought.
This puzzles me about Europeans, the rioting and looting. You'd swear to God that Europe was the Home Of The Brave!
Many in this country run so scared today (is Big Brother listening?), they're not even brave enough to complain, even on forums!
Actually that's one of the things I admire about other countries, most recently Egypt. The fact that they're rioting & protesting makes me really wonder what it would take to wake up Americans, to fight for a better life, etc. Mostly Americans have been complacent, & the results are what they are
Actually that's one of the things I admire about other countries, most recently Egypt. The fact that they're rioting & protesting makes me really wonder what it would take to wake up Americans, to fight for a better life, etc. Mostly Americans have been complacent, & the results are what they are
There's no comparison between the Arab Spring and the economic/lifestyle issues facing the United States.
As to the protests/riots in Europe, how effective have they been? The austerity measures are still in place. Particularly in Greece's case, they had no choice.
There's no comparison between the Arab Spring and the economic/lifestyle issues facing the United States.
As to the protests/riots in Europe, how effective have they been? The austerity measures are still in place. Particularly in Greece's case, they had no choice.
Regardless of how effective they've been, they're not just sittinng back doing nothing. They're passionate enough & pissed off enough to try to fight for what they believe in. America has become complacent, possibly in part that there is a lot of fear, as an earlier poster stated, of "big brother."
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