This Thursday, 10/29, we will discuss the "people's economy". This is sometimes called the "Main Street Economy", to distinguish it from the "Wall Street Economy". The stock market may go up or down. Big business may raise prices, lower salaries and fire personnel, but somehow we all have to live. So we need to focus on economic activity that we can do to help ourselves, our families and friends, and our whole community THRIVE.

Some ideas include:

Give gifts. (Give with no "guanxi" expected, no profit taken -- just to help and love. If people get used to receiving they will start to give. When everyone is happy to give, everybody will have enough.)

Barter. (I'll give you 10 kilos of tommatoes for your old tape recorder.)

Grow food. (You can grow a lot of food, such as sprouts, tomatoes and beans on a small apartment balcony. But you can grow much more food by renting a community garden plot.)

Cook meals at home. (If you cannot cook, learn. If you can, save money by cooking more meals at home. You can also share meals with neighbors and friends.)

Save energy. (Change to LED lighting, ride a bicycle instead of motor vehicle, open a window instead of turning on the aircon, wear a jacket instead of turning on the heater...)

Learn to make stuff. (Start out simple, making things for yourself and friends -- like clothes, furniture, toys, greeting cards, bags -- and when you're really good, you can sell or trade them to improve your personal economy.)

Sell or trade what you don't need. (Flea markets and garage sales are common in America. There are also websites such as Craigslist and Freecycle. E-bay is another way to profit from stuff that is no longer important to you.)

Buy second-hand stuff. (From books to automobiles, you'll get more value for the money, buying good-quality used equipment. Flea markets and similar venues are a great way to pick up stuff you need very cheaply.)

Pay off debts and avoid new debt. (Paying interest -- up to 20% on some credit card debt -- steals from your family's economy. If you need to borrow, get money from friends and relatives, at no interest, and pay it back right away. That way, everyone has enough money.)

Substitute inexpensive or free entertainments. (Going to the beach might cost only a few NT$, and be more fun than an expensive movie. Playing basketball is free. The library offers art books, novels, movies, music and much more -- for free! Enjoy parties at home and games with family members. Vacation near home: Hualien or Taitung may be as interesting and enjoyable as Thailand or Bali.)

I'm sure you can come up with other ideas. Please make a presentation of 5-10 minutes on one good way to improve personal economy, outside of the money economy. We all know that the money economy is controlled by rich people who get richer every day. By withdrawing (even a little) from the "Wall Street Economy", we can begin to build a "Main Street Economy" that helps everyone and allows us all to THRIVE.

Economic Crisis 2009

Students of Contemporary Issues have so far considered Global Warming, Peak Oil, Sports Issues, Health Issues and War. Come Thursday, October 22, our topic will be The Economic Crisis Today.

Some smaller issues within this topic include:

Alan Greenspan: Who is he? What did he do?

Derivatives: What are they? What effect have they had on the economic crisis?

Goldman Sachs: How is this company so successful, in spite of the crisis?

Is Taiwan recovering well from the crisis? What can we expect for 2010?

How did American mortgages affect the world economic crisis?

China in these troubled times: big winner?

What is the world reserve currency and how is it likely to change?

What stocks are doing well today? Which are doing poorly?

What is hyper-inflation? What is deflation? Which is more likely to occur in 2010?

What is happening in the automobile industry?

OR, choose your own subject. Please prepare a 5-10 minute report. Don't read an essay -- tell us in your own words about the ideas you have studied.