AN OPINION.
We are a wasteful world. We bring people from the rural areas into crowded, congested cities. They spend several hours each day commuting to and from work. A lot of time and energy is wasted in this commuting.
We produce material goods that are excessive for a comfortable life. We have too many products and choices. We buy too many things that we do not use, to be thrown away. We keep producing more, and use up the limited materials and minerals.
We work too many hours in an excessively competitive environment. We compete to survive. We destroy our competitors and take over their assets. We have too little time to enjoy leisure.
No wonder - we are short of oil, minerals and food. We see the huge spike in prices. It will lead to more hardship on the poor. It may lead to unrest.
The capitalist, free market system has not given people a good life. It is time to re-think of a new model for the world.
Interesting idea.
ReplyDeleteI'd suggest capitalism with Buddhism nature...Bhutan might be the model of the rest of the world..
Always compete and think of better ways to outdo your competitors, but compassionate at heart, wise to consume and use only what is necessary....
SingaSoft
Thailand was once an Asian Economic Tiger. Farmer in the North-East Provinces drinks rain water, eat stickky rice with hand simple meals, use no folk, no chopstick, no dinner table, no sofa set, no tv set, no confortable sofa bed, no fixed telephone line...and they survive without luxury like Singapoean.
ReplyDeleteThe earliest capitalist nation were Potugal and Spain in year
1500's and collapsed later. Then follow by Netherland, Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan and they all collapsed after world war II. Latest capitalist nation is USA, will she collapse? History is a lesson! Had young Singaporen learnt a lesson?
"Nothing is permanent(Ancient India:sabbe sankhala annica)", India philosopher said 2500 years ago. Civilization had disappeared in Eygpt, Ancient India (Harrappa), Central American (Maya).
No one can stop this trend. As some waste much more than others, the waste gap, inequality also becomes wider. So be it. If there are inflation, unrest so be it. Life (get worse for most) goes on. What to do, let it be, let it be until end of the world.
ReplyDeleteIn 1949-1978, China communist had known the weakness of Capitalist system and get rid of it. Conflict arised within China communist party after number of economy programs. After 1978, they advocate for a hybrid system - socialism market economy.
ReplyDeleteOne good example, the hybrid system put both peoples and money capital at equal footing. Its PM instruct relevant Bank to write off debt of earthquake victim. In western system, it would be banckruptcy for victim!
Another good example, bank fix deposit rate revised to 4-5.8% pa. Retiree can survive in addition of pension.
Mr Tan, you are right to say we need a new model for the world. The neoclassical economic growth model that industrial nations are based on must end or nature will deal with us in a most unpleasant way.
ReplyDeletePeak oil and energy depletion mark the end of globalization and a consumerist society.
If appropriate steps are not taken to deal with the impending energy crisis, we could witness a breakdown in social order and a collapse of our debt-based economies.
Peak oil Implications For Actuaries: http://www.contingencies.org/mayjun07/finite.pdf
Plea For Sanity: http://sgentropy.blogspot.com/2008/05/plea-for-sanity.html
The economist has no clothes: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-economist-has-no-clothes
To Singasoft,
ReplyDeleteon Buddhism vs capitalism,
pls visit:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/04/10/business/business_30070471.php
Human beings are (in general) selfish, and not rational. As long as it is so, there will be wastage and this trend will continue... even the threat of the "end of the world" will not be enough until it is too late.
ReplyDelete