The stupid economy

James Carvelle said … “It’s the economy, stupid…” when he strategized for Bill Clinton’s election campaign… And as I said during check-in (this was written and shared at a writing group) – my diet is data-driven and that means it measures and records numbers and the dismal science that is economics… is a matter of numerical data…. And so when you ask me this question today I am inclined to say – the economy is most important and I would demonstrate relative to the economy – whatever that is…  The questions today are… what economy and who’s economy?

I am not a great participant in today’s economy whatever that economy is since I don’t really behave routinely as the consumer our capitalist system requires. While I do buy things I also hold onto and re-use things a lot longer then, I think, others do. I keep my automobile for 10 to 14 years. I am not a fashionista and changing the style of clothing I wear is, I think, a very fundamental aspect of the consumer economy. I only subscribe to Amazon Prime to watch movies and tv shows even as I know of many interesting shows on Netflix and Hulu and CBS Express, etc… The books I read come from the public libraries (I was a professional librarian and I have always used public libraries). I live in a house bought in 1980 … and I don’t go into debt, essentially. SO – I am not the greatest participant in the economy.

Yet I believe the economy is the basis for how many police we put on the streets with what training, what kind of health care we have for whom, what shelter is available to most people, etc.  When all these things are in short supply the result is racism and genderism and other prejudices resulting in all kinds of group competitions.

So – it is the economy.. or some new economy … which I would demonstrate for as it is a new economic order which can address and hopefully fix the myriad of problems currently on the streets and in the world today.