Joseph Stiglitz Sees Terrifying Future for America If We Don't Reverse Inequality

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36. I'm a little less discouraged.

I think we still have the capability of being great again.

I believe our biggest problem is that a small group of people have defined for all of us; the only thing of value: money.

I get emails from democrats all the time saying "we're losing, send money". All that means is that the other side has more money.

We have accepted that the only thing that has any value is money. A piece of real estate is only valuable if it has the ability to produce money. It's like mass hypnosis. If you're hungry; you need food. If you're cold; you need shelter (or clothing, or a blanket).

Not here: if you're hungry,you need money, thirsty; money. Cold; money. To get elected; you need money.

Obviously, if the solution to all of your problems is money; whoever controls the money, controls you.

Granted, we have built our entire American culture around affordable energy; this causes us problems because now a huge number of people who can't even get to work, or buy food at the store; without buying gasoline. If you dont mow your lawn; most places will fine you. How many of you would complain if your neighbor went all summer without mowing his/her lawn? If you complain; you're part of the problem. With that one act (complaining) you are joining the masses in saying: you WILL consume the products of the oil companies, or I will make you.

We aren't going to get out of this by marching lock step politically, and we aren't going to get out of this by picketing (at least not exclusively). We are only going to get out of this if we evaluate every action that we take, and see how we can change the world by making changes. A lot of the changes can be small changes.

Ride a bike (if it's realistic), plant food where you can, get a milk producing goat to mow your lawn, or use a non-powered mower (you could probably use the exercise anyway). Any action that you take isn't going to change the world, but it begins to open your mind to just how dependent we are on money. Which is odd because we send things to the landfill that have intrinsic value every day. Money, however, has no intrinsic value.

I have the utmost respect for this administration because they (or at least the first lady) have their own vegetable garden. We should take this and use it as an example of what the future could look like. There is nothing dirty or degrading about growing your own food. This isn't something only the lowest peasants do. This is what people do when they want to eat, especially those who want to eat healthy.

If more people were locavores; Wal-mart would lose its edge. Oil companies would sell less gasoline/diesel and everyone would be healthier. That's a lot of fighting back against big corporations for just one little action by a few people.