Once again, credit card delinquencies have reached another peak. U.S.
families are finding themselves deeper and deeper in personal debt, and
yet they are encouraged to keep on spending to "help the economy." It's
faulty logic: spiraling debt ultimately helps no one, but don't look to
Washington for any wisdom on the subject: federal spending, too, is out
of control.
So what's to blame? A culture of spending, mostly, but
part of the equation also rests on the messages from the media (which is
supported by advertisers, of course, and simply must pound home the "buy
more" message in order to keep ad revenues flowing) and the ridiculous
urgings from Washington to keep on spending, regardless of your present
financial situation.
But there will be consequences. At both the
personal and federal level, we are in serious need of debt counseling
and restructuring. The entire nation, it seems, needs an education on
the downside of out of control spending, and we need to start sending
messages that saving money is OK, too.
Spending may be good
for the economy in the near term, but a burden of debt crushes economic
growth in the long term. Too bad we have few national leaders who can
see past the next election.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has created several downloadable courses on survival and preparedness, including his widely-downloaded course on personal safety and self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams co-founded NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing site that has now grown in popularity. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Friday, January 09, 2004
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