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How the U.S. Economy WorksJuly 28, 2007 Persuade us we're ugly and then sell us stuff (lots of stuff) to make us beautiful. Persuade us we're losers if we don't have two new cars and a great big house, then sell us the cars, the house, the mechanics, the landscapers, electricians, plumbers, and cleaning services. (Those who can't manage the cars, the house, etc., can buy fancy electronic equipment and expensive sneakers. If all else fails, there's always booze.) Persuade us that our bodies are dangerous animals that might turn against us, then sell us supplements, diets, and health club memberships to whip those animals into shape. And finally foster the economic and political conditions that make us sick and then sell (some of) us the possibility of cure. Look at all the jobs! Jobs to create the needs and jobs to answer them! Brilliant! Trouble is, no one's actually producing anything and a lot of the jobs pay sh*t. They make a few people very rich and the rest of us sick. Supposedly this is OK because we're a democracy. We can vote. ("Persuade us that we the people can't fix things ourselves, then sell us candidates to do it for us. When all else fails, sell us angry gods, New Age claptrap, and a couple of bootstraps. Lotteries are also good.") Things are so screwed up on the ground that it's easy to forget the big picture. Where I live, booms in the real estate market are inversely proportional to the health of the community, and it's real easy to see because the place is pretty small. All jobs are not created equal. If half the population has jobs making a mess and the other half has jobs cleaning it up, are we really making progress?
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