, Columnist
Maybe Americans Should Buy Less Stuff Anyway
Shortages and inflation are reminders of the value of quality over quantity.
Do you really need that extra TV?
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As productive members of society, we all strive to make the lines on the charts move up and to the right. In the U.S., where consumer spending is two-thirds of the economy, one of the best ways to make the lines move up is to buy things. This imperative can reach religious levels, such as after the 9/11 attacks, when we believed that if we didn’t buy barbecue grills or Chevy Tahoes then we would let the lines fall, at which point we might as well hand the country over to the terrorists.