70% of our GDP is due to americans buying stuff. Lets say they decide that shopping as entertainment is no longer fun, they chop spending in half. Spending more like the folks on the other side, buying necessities and splurging only on occasion. How do you think that will affect our economy. Obviously our trade deficit will drop in time as we import less.
or perhaps jobless rate will rise because there are allot of americans working at businesses that create nothing but worthless junk n services that are a complete waste of money and materials.
There is an enormous need for instant gratification in US . What do you thing will replace mindless shopping ?
More is Less and Less is More. Too many Americans have become "broken" by modern society. We use prescription drugs for everything, materialism to satisfy false needs, and many are suffering from affluenza or now even affluenza withdrawal due to the credit crunch. So what, we become less productive but happier as a society. It's been proven that a good social network of family and friends makes people happier and live longer. Have a beer, glass of wine, enjoy the simple outdoors, have your kids make things instead of playing video games.
when i first got here i remember playing outside and having a block full of kids...playing stickball, buying ice-cream, torturing cats, breaking apart shopping carts so we can use the bottom as a bob sled behind bikes, racing, jumping ramp and then when it was dinner time everyone would disapear back into their homes to eat with their families.......now you hardly see any young kids outside....only the ones riding skateboard on properties they shouldnt....