Need some comic relief? Check out this comedy bit from Jim Clue on debt...
After your classroom presentation on debt and viewing the film: Capitalism: A Love Story, please respond to the following prompts and respond to a least 2 classmates with a question. Try to answer the questions asked of you by your classmates.
What is my role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy?
How do my actions affect complex, global consequences, as well as personal consequences?
As a responsible citizen in this economy (global) it is required of me and other consumers that we learn and know where our food and resources come from. As we saw in the video, Capitalism: A Love Story many people are not aware of where our food comes from so we don’t know about the possible horrid conditions that many unfortunate animals and workers have to endure in order to provide that food. These conditions are significant to all of us because there are possible deadly illnesses and diseases we could contract from eating this tainted meat(s), poultry, or produce. Moreover, there are individuals that are currently dealing with the injustices that these conditions are instituting and we as human beings need to be accountable for our actions and have an instinctual desire to help our race. These conditions if not addressed have massive consequences that range from possible local to global consequences. The problems could be that individual owners and workers lose their jobs/livelihoods because they do not want to uphold the despicable conditions; or perhaps the lack of resources forces them to adhere to the conditions out of the necessity to remain in business/employed. These situations could lead to possible contaminants, outbreaks, or other fatal accidents. Which leads me to examples of larger consequences, when meats or produce (resources) are contaminated or in some way unfit for consumption we normally do not know until someone is either taken ill or worse killed. These kinds of situations are normally not localized due to the reach of many companies (a small handful of companies normally control the market of any one particular resource). Which is why we as consumers, must make honest efforts to educate ourselves about where our resources are coming from and become pro-active in improving the conditions and payment these companies, animals, and workers are provided.
ReplyDeleteMy role as a consumer in the global economy is to be educated about what I am purchasing. In the film there is a number of people who refinanced their home loans because the banks tricked them into losing their property. If I am an educated consumer I should read everything printed before I sign on the dotted line so that I am not taken advantage of by the money hungry banks.
ReplyDeleteMy actions can affect global consequences because individuals are the ones who start movements. For example, in the film there was a part where the members of congress voted no on a bill because the people called their congressman and made their voice heard. If the people educate themselves and make some noise then maybe the government would not be where it is today. That is part of the reason that Barack Obama was elected president because the people of the United States wanted change. The past regime was failing the country and they were now looking for a better way.
In response to Meagan, I agree that the majority of people are not aware how the food that they eat is processed and handled. The chickens kept in the dark houses that grow bigger in 40 some days instead of 3 months are an example of this.
My role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy is to understand how the choices I make, and the products I chose to buy, affect not only myself but others as well, such as those who produce the products I purchase. Every purchase I make is my vote for not only that product but for the way it is produced. If there are poor conditions (slave labor, mistreatment of animals, environmental degradation) associated with a product then I should cast my vote against those conditions by not buying that product. In that way, by purchasing or not purchasing certain products, my action serves to help drive the global economy and has the consequence of my either accepting or not accepting the conditions associated with certain products or companies. I must live with the consequences of my action, or nonaction, with respect to the environment I live in, the treatment of my fellow human beings, and my own conscience.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Meagan: I do think the treatment of the animals in the video Food, Inc., from last week, was horrendous.
In response to David: I definitely agree that people need to become better informed about issues affecting them and make their voices heard within the government that is supposedly there as a reflection of what the American people want.
My role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy is educating people decided to purchase home. “Capitalism: A Love Story” is filled with real life examples of everyday American people who have been financially devastated by bank, big corporations and the government. In the film show how gives the people the opportunity to wake up and see what is really happening around them and focuses on the financial crisis of purchase home. Some key points in film are spends quite a bit of time on the major banks and their complicity in financial meltdown, including the mortgage crises, shows using ages of people being kick out of their homes that the bank has foreclosed. My thought to film is very emotional yet we are given very little detail as to what circumstances led to these individuals losing their home. the banks were wrong for issuing home loans to unqualified borrowers, however equal blame must be assessed to the people that signed the contract for loan on a house they obviously couldn’t afford and a federal government that guaranteed these loans in the guide of “everyone have the right to own a home” My actions affect personal consequences is educating myself on the basics understanding of purchase home and I learn is sad to see that people losing their homes because their mortgages. Capitalism: a love story is a real eye opener and making us think about important issues about purchased home and examines the impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of American. I think when he/she decided to purchased home and responsibility to making sure they pay their mortgage payment on time.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Lisa: I agree with you about global economy is understanding the choices on the products to buy. For example, I chose what kind clothes to buy and not noticed the labeled from what country was made from. As I look at the labeled I never noticed that many of things that I buy in America today are made in China. Of course I know that not all products are made in China, there lot products make from other country.
In response to Megan: as for me I think we have the right to know what is in the food we eat for example like our previous class when we watch the film call Food Inc it’s good educates on where our food come from, the film show why so many people got sick from food poisoning whether they eaten the tomatoes or cantaloupes or mean. It’s sad to see those people die from the food they chose to eat. It’s really changed the way I see food now and how aware are we about the food we consume every day.
I believe that it is my role as a consumer and a responsible citizen is to make responsible decisions about the products I purchase. This means that I must be educated about how the products were produced, and not purchase products that were made in bad conditions or that hurt animals or the environment. Buying a product is essentially supporting the company and conditions in which it was made. If we buy things that were made in bad conditions, we are basically supporting these conditions and allowing them to continue. Also, I have to be responsible enough not to live outside of my means by purchasing things I know I can’t afford. Many Americans today are having a lot of financial trouble and are blaming banks and the economy. While the economy is down, a lot of the financial trouble in America could have been avoided if people didn’t try to live outside their means. We need to remember that every choice we make has consequences. While we need to stimulate the economy by spending money, it doesn’t help anyone to spend money that we don’t have. And although we believe that everyone should have a right to own a home, we need to accept that it isn’t good for banks to give loans to everyone who asks for one. Banks might not be in as much trouble as they are now if they only gave loans to people who could actually pay them back. If I get a loan that I know I can’t pay back, I am only hurting the global economy. Also, I would be hurting myself by putting myself in years of debt. We need to think about how our actions really affect us and the world economy before we make any financial decisions.
ReplyDeleteIn response to David B.:
I think that actually reading contracts before we sign them could help prevent a lot of issues and stop people from being taken advantage of. However, the majority of people don’t read the contract in full before they sign. Why do you think that most people don’t read what they’re signing?
In response to Lisa :
I totally agree that buying a product is like voting for the way it was produced! But sadly most people don’t know how products are made. How can the average citizen become more aware of how their products are produced?
My responsibility as a consumer and responsible citizen is to understand what exactly it is that I am buying and how it affects the world around me. It is my responsibility to be an educated consumer and to know how the goods I purchase are produced. It is important to know if these goods were produced in a positive or negative manner. Buying is supporting, so what is it that we are supporting with our purchases? Are we being selfish for our own convenience or are we looking out for our environment's and everyone involved's best interest?
ReplyDeleteBeyond that... I have to be responsible about not spending beyond my means and being careful not to spend in a deficit manner.Luckily, I do not have a credit card but this is still so important for us all to think about because we are at risk to be blamed for adding to the debt.
My individual actions will hurt myself and put myself into debt, as well as the global economy because the more each individual go into debt, the more debt we will be in as a nation including the debt we are already in because of budget deficit.
@David: You mentioned Obama being elected because the people wanted change, would you say that he is promoting change positively and effectively?
@Meagan: In what ways could the government inform people about the effects the food they eat could have on their health and well-being?
My role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy is to be educated about what I buy and where my money is going. I have to understand that my decisions affect not only myself, but they also affect others. Like they said in the video, when we buy we are voting for the products we buy and therefore the way they are produced(manufactured). Our decisions when buying products affects the workers who make them and the poor/unhealthy conditions they have to work under. We the buyer can change that buy not buying such products that treat workers or animals badly. All of my actions affect the global economy and we need to think of this every time we make any financial decisions, because everyone will have to live with the consequences of my decisions.
ReplyDeleteDavid: I agree with what you said about Obama and how he was elected because people wanted some change. Do you think he has really made any changes like he promised???
Staci: I totally agree with you when you say that some of the financial crisis today was created by Americans trying to live outside their means. A lot of people like to buy things without thinking if they will be able to pay it later on. We all know what our financial limits are. Why do you think they still decide to spend money even when they don't have it?? What do you think we can do to stop it???
My role as a consumer and responsible citizen in the global economy is to be aware of what it is that I am purchasing and consuming. I have to be aware of for example how animals are treated to provide meat that is sold at a grocery store. Like we have been seeing in past videos like Food Inc. and now Capitalism: A love story, the majority of people (including me) don't know the conditions that animals are under now a days. We don't know the extent of animal cruelty that is being performed. We just go to the grocery store look at what meat or chicken looks the best and we buy it. But, we never stop to think how much that poor animal must have suffered and in what horrendous conditions it was being kept. For example as we saw in the video last week (Food Inc.) now chickens are kept in very crowded and dark conditions and are given nutrients that make them grow twice their size and in less time that they used to grow in past years. Some chickens can barley get up. It's very sad to think how much animals suffer for the price of getting richer quicker. But, the sad thing is not only animals are suffering. Workers are also induced to work in terrible conditions in which big companies take away their rights, their voice, their say. Most workers want to speak against this but how can they if most have families to take care of. They would rather endure all the cruelty in the world to take care of their families and big corporations take advantage of this. So we as consumers must stop to think that the product we just picked up does not get in our hand magically. No, it is the product of hard work and in many cases cruelty. My actions affect the me as well as others around me because we all live in the same country so we must all, together, try to protect it and fight for it. However, that is not what we have been doing in the past few years. We have all been living beyond our means. This is why the economy is what it is at present. Many Americans take out loans for cars or homes but they take loans on cars and homes they know they can't afford. This decision will not only affect them. It will also affect the economy. Interest rates have been going up for the past few years and the loan taken out will amount to more and more debt. Debt that many of us know we cannot afford to pay back.So instead of taking out loans that one knows they cannot pay back just because we want something more luxuries we should all learn to live within our means because every actions we take affects a small part of the economic system, but add them all together and it plays a major part in the game (the debt game).
ReplyDeleteIn response to Staci Darden:
I wanted to comment on your question to David B. I think reading contract before you sign them is very wise so you know what you are getting yourself into. But, is it not true that regardless of whether you agree of not to a contract you must still sign it to make the deal (for example house loan, apartment loan car loan ect.)? So regardless of whether you agree of not if you want a, say a house you must sign a loan agreement even though you might not like the rate of intrest because no other bank will give you the same loan. So in reality signing a contract is just a formality it's not a question being asked of whether you agree or not.
In reponse to David B:
I agree with your statement about the American people wanting change and maybe that is why they elected Barack Obama. But, do you really think that's what they got? Do you think that Barack Obama has been that change that the American people so desperetley wanted?
My role in this society is to be responsible yes but also to be aware the effects that are made when I consume. This film shows how the banks, government and major corporations have involvement in the financial crisis and a lot of the economic issues we face today which started with capitalism. But I do believe that some of this issues were brought about by peoples own choices and people taking out mortgages and loans that they couldn’t pay back which put them in more of a financial issue. I found when they went over the businesses were the workers were the owners was very interesting and I am curious to see where those types of businesses end up and how well it worked to have everyone who owned the company not only run it but do all the work as well and everyone having equal pay. Is this a possible way to run a well-rounded fair company or is this socialism that has yet to see its own problems? Or that it has other factors in place that cause the same outcome as any other business with a ladder system or one CEO/Owner with employees all receiving different levels of pay? I for one try to keep my consuming pretty simple and live well below my means. I have run into this situation and having to do so since I stopped working and became full time student. I believe that individuals need to have a level of their own money management and not allow for too much overhead to accumulate or live beyond their means before they have to take a loan out or mortgages such as on their own house. My actions and what I consume and how I make my choices has a global effect just as everyone else’s choices all have an overall effect in the long run.
ReplyDeleteIn response to David, I agree that you need to read everything that you sign. By making educated decisions such as waiting on buying that new car you want so you won’t end up taking out a loan to pay it down the road could make all the difference. But making sure you know that it is better to get a 15 year note on a house than a 30 year because of interest things like this can save you in the long run for larger expenses. The only thing is you’re going to have higher payments on the shorter 15 term than you do the 30. Having a good understanding and reading the fine print of what you sign your life away to is good for any situation.
In response to Staci, People believe they can live like millionaires when they only make 100,000 a year and create this by putting themselves in even greater debt by credit cards and other financial means. I believe they choose this because they think they will one day be able to pay it all later if they can have it right this instance. I can see a change happening slowly in peoples decisions now a days even though you still have some living above there means. I remember the huge hummer blow out everyone rushed to get one and they were all over the road. Now I rarely see hummers because I believe the fad of living large when you really can’t has faded to some extent. If people just realize bigger is better and more brings happiness and just being able to live within a comfortable life style, we won’t come across the situation we live in now. I mean homes have constantly gotten bigger and bigger and does one even need or use all the 12,000 square feet of space they built because they felt like they needed the room?
My role in this world is to be a responsible human being. I would like to make sure that I am doing everything to the best of my ability. I like to make sure that everything I buy is not hurting the world or the things around me. I wish that a lot of other people had these views and thoughts as well because it would probably make everything better and work more smoothly. I like to support the local businesses rather than the major corporations because it makes me realize how much hard work they put into their own businesses. It is things like that that make it more worth while.
ReplyDeleteMy role as a consumer in the global economy is simply being aware of what products I need versus what I want. Within the last year I have became more aware of what I’m spending my money on. With the documentaries I have also became more aware of the products I’m purchasing. For instances, the coffee beans and free trade agreement, although I’m not a coffee drinker I still educate my family to buy coffee that is considered free trade because I do support it. If I don’t continue to stay aware of how my money is being spent I don’t feel like the economy will ever change. Before having a positive global effect the change needs to happen on an individual level. This will also affect me being that if I continue to live beyond my means my bills or other expenses will not be paid.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Iisse:
I would also like to educate myself and others about how the animals are being treated. I don’t think people would want to purchase the products or foods if they are aware of the cruelty of animals.
Response to Marisa:
I feel the same way about being aware of what I buy and where my money is going. I believe we decided what we want to buy but are unaware of the unhealthy conditions of how the product is being manufactured.
My role as a consumer in the global economy is to be educated about what I am purchasing and to do so with restraint. In the film there were people that were already in debt and continued to put themselves in more debt by refinancing their home loans. I don’t think that I ever will get into that much debt because I’m very careful with money but I sympathize with people that see that as their last resort.
ReplyDeleteMy actions can affect global consequences because individuals are the ones who start movements. I think that if enough people want change to occur all they have to do is say something. A collective voice is always louder than an individual one.
David B. – I agree that as a collective group, we wanted a change and that is why we elected the first black president here.
As a responsible citizen, I feel like it is my role to use the resources I have given to me to make myself aware of everything. What I spend money on with the money I have earned should be worth it and appreciable. What strongly changed my way of thinking about my purchases was where the products are coming from and where or by whom they were produced. When I look through my closet, there are only a few pieces of clothing that are made in America. Everything else is made in Indonesia, the Philippines, China, etc. Sometimes the manufactures employees are abused, not paid in a decent way, work 20 hours a day or some kind of negative asset in the process of making what I now own. I now will look into what I am purchasing and attempt to prevent buying products of this sort. By changing the way we intake things can change the world around us. Buying something that’s been made under poor conditions is like voicing that it’s right even when its not.
ReplyDelete@ Lisa Martinez: I like how you say “I must live with the consequences of my action, or non action, with respect to the environment I live in, the treatment of my fellow human beings, and my own conscience”. We need to not be selfish and think about others more than we do.
@ David B: I agree with you. We need to be more cautious about what we purchase and how we come about it. Change for the better is good, but has Obama really brought any change?
My role as a consumer and responsible citizen is to make sure that I am responsible in spending my money. Making sure that whatever it is I am buying is going to last longer than temporary items. Also to make sure that I am aware of what is going on in the food industry. So many food items are now being processed or injected with chemicals it is hard to distinguish what is good for you and what is not. As I have stated before it seems like food now a days are doing more harm to us rather than doing good for us. My personal actions affect me as a consumer because I am wasting money on things that are not important or on food that is harmful. I think if we all learned to live on a budget or at least within our means we would all be better off in the end.
ReplyDelete@Ilsse: You mentioned taking out loans and how we should just live within our means. It's not always that easy though, so do you think taking out a loans for school can be an exception? We all know it's not easy but that's the only way some people can make it through.
@Madalyn-Do you think the debt will increase or decrease in the future and how can we as individuals help?
My role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy is to know exactly what I’m purchasing, how those items are produced and the affect my actions have on myself and others. Education is key in being a responsible citizen. Most consumers live in ignorance. Many Americans live past their means and in doing so they become indentured to the banks. The banks basically own us because we allow them. Americans live in debt, it’s part of our society, but personal responsibility is really to blame. We are always wanting more. Some will strive to do whatever it take to get ahead, to take risks in “living the American dream”. All risks can have consequences though. Our actions towards those consequences can either: 1. Skew our moral compass leading us to do things that are unethical. 2. Turn a blind eye and continue down the path of debt, always working to pay it off, running in a vicious cycle and never really getting ahead or 3. we can learn from those actions/mistakes, educate ourselves and be more cautious, conservative consumers. Living within our means, simplifying and actually enjoy the things we have in life.
ReplyDeleteMy role as a consumer in the global economy is to be aware and educated about what I spend my money on. I think it is really important to be sure you know where your money is going and be responsible with it. Being able to save money and use it wisely is very important, and many people do not know how to do that and that's why they end up in debt. My actions can affect global consequences because I can decide how to spend my money, and where I buy my products from.
ReplyDeleteMy role as a consumer is to be aware of what I'm putting my money into. Most people don't pay attention to what they buy and how they're throwing their money around. In order to survive people need to live within their budget and learn to do without heavy spending on unnecessary products. American's love to live comfortably even if that means that they don't have enough in their wallet for later, only as long as they're comfortable now they can worry about the future later when it comes up. This is how so many people end up in debt. Just because you want the new 2012 Ford Mustang doesn't mean that you should buy it if its only going to leave you with 200 dollars to your name. What I can do as an individual is to watch what I'm doing when I'm spending money. I can't afford to put myself in dept as well as contributing the debt of the nation.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Marisa and Cory:
ReplyDeleteI think that we have created a society where it is unthinkable to only spend what you have. If you want something but don't have the money, just get a loan! Society judges people based off of what they own or possess, so people are tempted to buy nice things to keep up their appearance. Also, our society makes us think that we need things that in all actually we could live without. No matter how much financial trouble someone may be in, most of them would still have cable and internet in their homes. I have heard people complaining about not having enough money to eat out while they play on their smart phones. I think that if Americans lived on truly just the essentials, they could be in less financial trouble. We need to realize that TV, smartphones, and such aren't a necessity in life if you are in financial trouble.
After watching the film Capitalism: A Love Story I feel that my role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy is to be better informed and educated about the products and foods I am purchasing at the store and knowing where it is they come from, how they are made, and how it affects the people who produce them and how it affects us. We really don’t understand what conditions people work in or the conditions the animals live in or have to deal with. We are just oblivious to everything because we have the luxury of just going to the store and buying what we need without seeing the bigger picture. My actions affect global consequences in that we are saying we are okay with these people working in these conditions and having to deal with doing things they are not okay with or else they will lose their jobs and most of these people live off of this. Also my personal consequences are that we don’t realize what we are eating and how it is processed and if these meats are even safe to eat until we have health issues or something worse happens or it happens to one of our loved ones. Also you have to be more informed when making big decisions about buying a home or using your credit card. More and more people are in debt because they are not educated or informed on rates, and interest, etc.
ReplyDeleteMy role as a consumer in the global economy is that I am the one that spends money and where I spend that money and how I spend it and how much I spend and if a good choice is. As a responsible citizen in the global economy is actually taking the time to see where I should spend the money on, especially things that are helpful to other like the coffee examples in class. A responsible person is choosing to spend money in good things and things we actually do need and not just go spend for no reason.
ReplyDeleteMy actions take a rally big part in complex, global and personal consequences because everything we do affect anything, and choosing good actions it brings positive consequences. Things I do even if is so small can affect globally if I don't spend money is not flowing but if I do a lot the flow is too fast. It all leads like a circle what I do affects globally and then if it affects globally then it comes back to me. It all evolves into not being in debt.
@ Chrisanne: I never thought of education, what can they do so it can be better? And you think it will get better in education part?
@ Roxanne:this class has affected me in seeing things in a different way as well, do you think you have changed from being now a good consumer than before?
What is my role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy?
ReplyDeleteHow do my actions affect complex, global consequences, as well as personal consequences?
My role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy is to make sure that I spend my money wisely. I need to budget and make sure that I spend only what I have and be sure to leave some aside for emergencies. My actions affect myself and everyone else as well. By spending too much money or money that I don't have (i.e. credit) I will put myself in a revolving cycle of debt that I wont be able to get out of because I will always owe someone. It would also affect other people because the company I borrow from would have to borrow that money to give me. It would be a big circle of borrowing and owing money.
In response to Cecilia:
ReplyDeleteWe do have to be more informed when getting into any kind of debt. A lot of debt comes from people only seeing the side of a credit card that gives them money, or a mortgage that gives them a house. What they don't realize is that not only do they have to pay it back, but they have to pay it back with interest. These things take years to pay off, if they ever do pay them off.
My role as a consumer and responsible citizen in this global economy is to make sure that I don't mess up the economy. I need to watch what I do with my time and money. My role as a citizen is to watch what I do with things in my life and what I spend my money on. If we are in a depression, my job would be to buy more things so the economy will boom! My role is to help myself with my spending. We are all students in college that are having a hard time financially. With my situation, my parents are paying for my college, my gas, my car, they bought me a house, and they still give me spending money. I will admit, I take it for advantage. I spend money all the time because I don’t realize what I am doing. My mom once showed me my credit card bill and said that I was charging way to much. I didn’t realize that I used so much money a month. I thought to myself what was I going to do when I had to pay for all of that on my own. I have never had a job before in my life so I am not ready for the challenge. I believe that if I look out for what I spend my money on and think twice before I buy all the stuff I buy, I will provide better global economic standings with myself.
ReplyDeleteMy role as a consumer is to make informed and educated decisions about the products that I am buying. We have learned many times before in this class that it is important that I base these decisions not only on how they will affect those who have manufactured my product, but now we learn how important it is to be sure that we base these decision on if we can afford it. In Capitalism: A Love Story, it begins out with showing the devastation of living beyond what one can afford. Unfortunately, in many cases, I am sure the basic needs are beyond what one can afford. Debt is a hole that many people aren't able to crawl out of, and they are just pushed aside because it is assumed that it is their own problem.
ReplyDeleteDebt is a major issue that surrounds us, constantly. As college students, a lot of us have student loans and are already in debt. It is important that we learn how to deal with this debt, and not dig ourselves further into it like many people do.
My role as a consumer in the global economy is to be educated about what I am buying and what exactly am I buying. Who does it affect and how did it get there. In the video it shows everyday people getting ripped off by companies and banks. Many of them lost their homes due to this. So if I’m more education in this aspect then I won’t be one of those people losing what they have. We need to stop being naïve and truly understand what’s in front of us and how we can change all this around.
ReplyDeleteIn Response to Tiara: Your right, we don’t know what exactly is in our food anymore. I ask myself is it healthy what we are eating. Or are we just adding chemicals into our bodies that can disease like cancer and such?
In Response to David B: I agree with you we need to be more careful with the things we are purchasing.
What is my role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy?
ReplyDeleteHow do my actions affect complex, global consequences, as well as personal consequences?
I think that my role and responsibility as a citizen lies in being aware of the choices that I make and the consequences that those choices may have on myself and others. When I choose to purchase certain items I have to consider everything that came into making that product a possibility, such as the workers that produced it, the raw material that it is made out of and the cost of making that product available in my local store. From this weeks film, Capitalism: A love Story I learned that we have to be educated about our own financial matters and that banks and corporations are not going to be looking out for our well being when they're underlying concern rests on making profits for themselves. Coming from California I have seen and known so many who have lost their homes to foreclosure. People rely on the professionals such as bank personnel when it comes to mortgages. When banks told them they could qualify for the home they always dreamed of many didn't stop to look at the fine print that stated that the payment they could afford now was variable and that it could it change when the banks decided. I hear a lot of blame being put on homeowners for getting more house than they could afford. You have to realize that no one would jump into payments beyond their limits. It started out being something feasible and then the rug was pulled out from under them because they just didn't understand the terms of their mortgage. This just serves as a lesson to all of us that we need to be educated about these aspects of our lives.
In response to Monica Henriquez, I agree that being aware of how and what we spend is very important. I've never been on a strict budget and often wonder where my money goes at the end of the month. By being more aware and keeping track of my money with a budget I can make more educated decisions about how my money is spent or saved.
What is my role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy?
ReplyDeleteHow do my actions affect complex, global consequences, as well as personal consequences?
My role as a consumer and a responsible citizen in our economy is to be aware of whats going on around us and to possible even look into the production of the products we are investing our money into. From things like the food we eat, the clothes we wear and even the property we decided to invest in. Making even the smallest changes will make the biggest difference, maybe not to us but to those who are struggling in third world countries or even to those who are living the exact same town as us. For example the walmart movie, by purchasing products from them, we are supporting all the ideas they are practicing.
My actions can affect the world in many ways; as a country we have already aquired huge debts and by the looks of it things arent changing to much. To be honest our financial struggles are only going to get worse. As far as personal consequences I can choose to avoid these troubles by turning away from credit cards and just paying bills in the full amount and in a timely manner. Be aware of what we are signing when it comes to contracts can help tremendously! I worked at Gold Gym for many years and have seen too many people aquire big balances because they do not read what they are signing. When they are confronted about their dues, they are shocked. Most of clients even deny that they signed any kind of contract. We need to be aware of our actions and the consequences that come with them.
What is my role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy? i believe as a consumer we have a very important role because our actions can easily affect complex, global consequences, as well as personal consequences. I really never thought about how my simple everyday actions could affect people ,but they do. The way i see a consumer now is 1. they can either help the economy and themselves by making educated decisions on what and how they spend their money or 2. They can hurt the economy as well as them selves by not being smart and spending money non realistically knowing they cant afford what it is they are buying . so as a consumer i believe it is important to go along with number 1 because in the end we well be better off. They movie kinda got to me because in there the guy quoted how people are living off of other peoples mis fortunes and its true , In fact my father is actually someone who buys foreclosed homes and then sells them for a profit and the movie really made me think like wow he we are just benefiting because of the money so thats our connection but to the other person their connection is much more! i cant even imagine losing my home =( so it just made me realize ..
ReplyDeletein response to marquie i agree my parents are the same way and my school, housing , and car is provided along with spending money And i as well have a credit card . I guess at the time i dont realize how much i am spending but after seeing the statments i was like yeah i could've held off on that , you know simple things we buy just to have but don't really need . but yes i think if we get smart about it , it'll help.