Here in Panama, where I am living for a few months, I start to think what is Economy, really?
With fears for a new recession rising in the air, and no leaders who can give an answer or solution for that, isn't it time to re-think worldwide Economy? Our model didn't work - let's be sincere. There are MUCH more poor people than 50 years ago, even in terms of proportion, and it does not look that will change soon.
We have tried several models for an Economy that did not prepare itself for a world of so many billions of people and the Internet, which united us all, at least in theory.
The problem in re-thinking the Economy is that the only solution I see is individual, not collective. As individuals raise their own awareness and start to use resources and trade in a more efficient and eco-human-friendly way, economy will shift naturally. I like the example of WholeFood chain in USA, and that is only one sample of what is changing in the world.
Do you know why I started to think about that? Rubbish! Yes, rubbish! Panama is going through a rubbish collecting crisis and so, when you walk around, you have to bear the horrible smell and deviate of huge amounts of rubbish. Sad scene, as the city is so nice and people are great! But, I've learned you can always learn a lesson with everything - whilst people with less resources, their streets were dirt and their rubbish was, well, more "rubbish-ish", people with more resources managed to have clean streets and even their rubbish was much more organized.
Yes, if the resources we waste are better organized, it is quite probably we used the ones we did not waste in a better way. Check your rubbish by now and see how is it...
The individual awareness of his or her own rights over the resources must be re-assessed. What do you or I really need? How much of it? Can we afford to have less of that? Can we change whatever we use for something which does less harm to the world?
Have a nice time!!
