Capitalism, obsolete as we know it.

Many people will say America is the greatest country on earth.  These people will say it's because we are a capitalistic society.  Maybe, but what happens when goods and services out number the amount of money we spend.  A good example would be the auto industry.  It's hard to believe that the automobile has only been a necessity in this country for about eighty years.  The old saying was "what's good for GM is good for the country"now rings hollow.  The auto industry has been predicated on people buying new cars every 3-5 years.  People are now waiting much longer to replace their new cars and many are settling for older vehicles.  This makes total sense for the consumer, since their wages are stagnant, their savings and credit cards are depleted and buying a new car is now more of a luxury then a necessity.  The trickle down effect has become a slow drip.  Auto makers layoff, suppliers do the same, uemployment rises, more people have less money and the obvious recession takes hold.  Now people are not only holding onto their cars longer, they are not buying new furniture, appliances, electronics, clothes, nick nacks and paddy wacks and even the dog is lucky to get a bone.  The warehouses are full and planned obsolescence takes on a new meaning.   We now find we have way too much stuff.

George Carlin did a great bit about stuff.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac   Most Americans have way more stuff then they need and are now realizing that it is time to make do with less stuff.   The problem is that capitalism cannot survive without selling lots and lots of stuff.  The problem is then compounded by wall streets gross mishandling of our capitalistic system, so the government had to step in with a trillion dollar bailout.  Capitalism is forced to succumb to a quasi-socialism, where hard work and entrepreneurship have less of a reward.  The hard right are now in a tizzy, because they are forced to adapt to the thing that they abhor so much.  Government is forced to grow and take more responsibility for its citizens, lest a revolution of the masses take place. In the 60's there was a radical piece called "The Revolution will not be televised". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTCQSk2l8bc.  Ironically on Nov 4th 2008 the revolution was televised.  The right almost on queue self destructed and the revolution of social change was unanamously adopted without a fired gun or a cannister of tear gas thrown.  Since nobody has come up with a name for it, I will call it socioestablishmentarianism.  The people have been heard and not a minute too soon.  Let's give Barack Obama's trickle up economy a chance.  The old ways don't work anymore,  time to try something new. Let's start with a little peace.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n16T35yx3nY