How is the economic stimulus package supposed to work if most of the stuff we buy is Chinese? Why not give out coupons for American goods or services? Is this a Chinese-economy stimulus package?
Considering how their ramped-up factory production increases their incentive to dig coal out of the most dangerous and deadly mines on Earth, and burn it in inefficient power plants, polluting their atmosphere, the lungs of their own people and increasing global warming as a whole, shouldn't we reconsider this most-favored-nation trade status?
Sure, our standard of living has gone up by our ability to buy cheap goods, but is all this shoddy junk really improving the quality of our lives? Why not fewer things that are appreciated more? Why not quality items good enough to fix, or good enough not to break in the first place?
We need to look into our own culture for ways to improve the environment. For example, why do we need to buy children new toys? I know my small children were happy to get used toys from their older cousins. But there's a cultural taboo against wrapping up a already-played-with toy, even an already-read book (still in good condition!) and giving it to a child for a birthday. Even Christmas toy drives for needy children insist on brand new toys. That increases the amount of junk in our houses, our needlessly trashed items, the purchase of Chinese-made goods and ultimately global warming.
If you read stories of older times, you can see that this taboo didn't use to exist. It's like we're in the Brave New World where all are subscribed to the slogan 'Ending is Better than Mending'.
No comments:
Post a Comment