The Benefits of a Global Recession?

With all the negative financial news pointing to a global recession, if not a depression, I wonder, what good can come from this collapse in the economy? So many lives will be greatly affected - their usual and expected entitlements gone. Many of us will loose our jobs, nest-eggs and homes. What can possibly be gained by the disintegration of the status quo? If we examine what we have now, we might come up with a few answers.

We have a debt-ridden, stressed-out and tired middle class which consists of many households where both parents must work more than full time jobs in order to stay in their homes and drive their cars just to remain on-the-hook. Healthcare costs are at record prices while the quality of healthcare continually declines. College costs soar at a time when it is more difficult than ever to pick a future-proof career. Record numbers of prescriptions for antidepressants and sleeping pills are being written. Faith in the corporate world is scarcer than ever.

Forty years ago, still intoxicated and profitable from the spoils of World War II, the majority of middle class American households consisted of one parent earning enough to support a family and one full-time parent to raise the children, pass along family values and maintain stability. In the 1960's the average American home could be purchased with barely more than one person's yearly salary. It is easy to see that our way of living has lost quality and simplicity.

The downturn we are now facing may shrink the world. Perhaps the large corporations won't all get bailed-out. Maybe smaller, more ethically responsible lifestyles and businesses will succeed by their ability to be lean and free of greed. Wouldn't it be nice to once again walk to the corner variety store for a box of nails instead of getting into your car, wasting gas, driving to Home Depot, just to experience a dehumanizing experience that takes four times as long? And wouldn't it be nice to hear the cashier say, "Hi, how are you today, Bruce" and mean it?

A shrinking world economy will consume less energy, cause less destruction to our rain forests and less emissions into our air. Global warming will slow. Our lifestyles will suffer but our planet will be able to take a bit of a breather from its usual high pace of abuse. Maybe if it all slows down, there could be some rational thoughts on what we really need from our planet and our lives. Perhaps our thoughts on energy may become less economically based and self-serving. Maybe we should try to spend this difficult time to regroup and repair our world and maybe we can help each other get through this together.