What is your solution to the economy and environmental disaster problem?

The two are related in the area of businesses getting off free for doing horrendous things to us and our environment, including using up our natural fresh water reserves and not paying a dime. Make the businesses also pay more if they hire out to foreign countries to do work for them, and give them incentives to build their businesses here in the U.S. instead. Why is everything made in China etc.? But if you only have a solution for one, I'll take it.What is your solution to the economy and environmental disaster problem?Business-related externalities can come in good and bad forms. In this case, businesses are causing a negative externality on the environment and are (by model) supplying more than the socially optimal level. Therefore, the correct fiscal policy would be to tax this business to hinder its output and decrease it to a socially-acceptable level. Everything is made in China because it's cheap. The purchasing power of the dollar over Chinese currency allows us to buy WAY more of their product for much less dollar amounts rather than other countries. They also hold a ton of our debt, so we can't really bail on buying their inventories after screwing them over so much ;).



"What i mean is, people and companies are inherently selfish and self-destructive. We have to stop this trend by imposing laws and taxes if necessary."



You can't save it all. Seriously, the environment took a huge hit, but it was inevitable. There is going to come a day when the Earth won't be what it once was. Whether we speed up the process or not, it will happen at some point. Had people been inherently selfLESS, this country would not be a land of opportunity.



To the posters above:



Obama has brought the Dow to all-time lows by substantially lowering confidence in markets. He will be doing a good job when he stops reading from a damn prompt at every speech and quits the bullshit. I'm tired of hearing his metaphors and symbolic referrals to nature, it's time to take action and for him to shut his mouth. If he wants to do a better job, he'll shut up and allow the system to de-leverage without press-related concerns causing investors to go haywire.



At poster number 2: You sound like a hippy with no point. And if I recall correctly, America itself was founded on the basis of a group of individuals with common goals seeking their self-interests. If you're going to "help" the community, why don't you stop saving and boost this economy yourself. Your idea is ridiculous.What is your solution to the economy and environmental disaster problem?Legalize marijuana! But on a more serious note, we need more accountability and rules set down to end the corruption we face today. People need to focus less on personal growth, and more on the better of everyone. Everyone needs to pitch in and help, if you got nothing to bring to the table, you don't get to play, simple as that.



People say bad things about socialism/communism/China, but who is in a recession? So far it has worked better than the U.S. system now that were facing this meltdown.