What is a sustaiable economy

Here is a question for you. What is a sustainable economy? That is a question that I have been pondering of recent. Is it an economy that does not suffer from boom and bust cycles? Is it a global or local economy? This is what I am asking but I am not just asking but I have some ideals of my own. Ideals built on the concept of how many McMansions do we really need in our society to make it a viable economy.

One thing I keep hearing that bothers me a lot is that as soon as the housing market get back on track then all will be all right.  But it was overbuilding of over price homes and selling of unsustainable mortgages to finance them that got us where we are today. It would seem to me that to repeat what we were doing that got us into the pickle we are in now will only lead back into the depression we are in right now.

So instead of talking about loaning money to potential homeowners and financing more whatever then maybe we should instead talk about what we really need to get us back on to a even keel.

First I believe is to listen to what some of what president Obama has spoken of. Startups that realign our manufacturing sector with what society really needs that help meet our future energy needs and I don’t mean more drilling.  While natural gas meets some of our needs it doesn’t answer all of them particularly with the current drilling practice of fracturing that endanger our water supply. Rather let us delve into more efficient wind, solar and geo-thermal energy. But let us not leave it to the fat cats to do rather let us make energy a public own consortium. Own by the public and benefitting the public that uses this energy and needs this supply of energy. If left to the fat cats the elite then they well benefit and we will still pay for it and not have any say about it.

One of my history profs to help us understand the reason for boom and bust of 1929 said it broke down to this how many refrigerators do you need to build before you saturate the market. That overbuilding and overreaching and financing led to the 1929 crash. Bottom line every boom followed by a bust in the 19^th, 20^th  and 21^st century has been the result of over speculation of how many of anything we might need and the use of slavery of consumer debt to wring from us every last drop of our humanity.

It is time we question our priorities and as to what makes a sustainable economy.  To stop allowing ourselves to be manipulated for the benefit of the big corporations and the elite 1%.

Projects- reading-movies

I have not been physically able to spend much time in the shop due to problems with my arthritis. But even so I have been in the shop even if but for a short spurts of time. The one thing I have been reminded is how much I love the smell of fresh cut wood. Since I am using western red cedar for Reba’s planter the smell of cedar has been refreshing out in my shop.  One thing though is that I have decided to sell my little Delta band saw as it just not able to do what I need. So I think I will sell it and buy a used scroll saw with the money.

Reading still in progress Craig Johnson “The Cold Dish” and Joe Bagenat collection of essays “Waltzing at the Doomsday Ball” both excellent books in their own area of mystery and commentary.

Movies have been focused on AMC “The Killing’ 2^nd season and it has been riveting in it’s political intrigue. For fun though NBC series the “Grim” and Fox “Fringe” have been great. My youngest paid for his mother and I to accompany him and his kids to see “The Avengers” and I must say it was very good. Well worth the price.

Gear

Recently I bought a Rothco “military map bag” to hopefully use to carry my ipad. Well I am not disappointed. It fills the need nicely. With room to carry my ipad, book, and magazine as well assorted other items in a compact bag that doesn’t scream look at me. Well worth the $12 I paid.

Right now I also saving my nickels and dimes to see about buying a point and shoot range finder style camera. Amazon has a Olympus pen that appeals to me for less than $300 with the 14-40 kit lens. I will take me awhile but it will be worth it.

Well enough for now