--from kate--I'm reading a good book that, though published in 2003, is very timely. I've checked "The Soul of Capitalism" out from the library 3 times now trying to get it finished!
The author's contention is basically that America reached the goal of capitalism sometime in the '50s, but didn't recognize it as such and continued on an upward assent when we should have, as a nation & as a culture, started tapering off and switching from "achieve & accumulate" mode into "sustain & maintain" mode.
I think that's the back-pedalling a lot of people are doing (not just us Compacters)...trying to take the emphasis off producing, or accumulating, or earning more. Instead, we're reusing, simplifying, requiring less. When I combine the ideas I've been reading about with the ideals of the Compact Project, they're a great fit. If enough of us work to reverse the upward trend of consumerism & material need, perhaps we can bring American society & economics back to a place where we can "live simply so others may simply live." It would seem that with our president-elect poised to promote some fundamental changes in this country, the time could not be more ripe!
The author's contention is basically that America reached the goal of capitalism sometime in the '50s, but didn't recognize it as such and continued on an upward assent when we should have, as a nation & as a culture, started tapering off and switching from "achieve & accumulate" mode into "sustain & maintain" mode.
I think that's the back-pedalling a lot of people are doing (not just us Compacters)...trying to take the emphasis off producing, or accumulating, or earning more. Instead, we're reusing, simplifying, requiring less. When I combine the ideas I've been reading about with the ideals of the Compact Project, they're a great fit. If enough of us work to reverse the upward trend of consumerism & material need, perhaps we can bring American society & economics back to a place where we can "live simply so others may simply live." It would seem that with our president-elect poised to promote some fundamental changes in this country, the time could not be more ripe!
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