Downturn Spurs 'Survival Panic' for Some in the US

[katty]

moe: http://www.cnbc.com/id/28249915

Downturn Spurs 'Survival Panic' for Some in the US

| 16 Dec 2008 | 07:58 AM ET
A paralegal, recently laid off, wanted to get back at the "establishment" that he felt was to blame for his lost job. So when he craved an expensive new tie, he went out and stole one.

The story, relayed by psychiatrist Timothy Fong at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital, is an example of the rash behaviors exhibited by more Americans as a recession undermines a lifestyle built on spending.


In the coming months, mental health experts expect a rise in theft, depression, drug use, anxiety and even violence as consumers confront a harsh new reality and must live within diminished means.

"People start seeing their economic situation change, and it stimulates a sort of survival panic," said Gaetano Vaccaro, deputy clinical director of Moonview Sanctuary, which treats patients for emotional and behavioral disorders. "When we are in a survival panic, we are prone to really extreme behaviors."

[Taverner]

1. Expect to see the grocery rush

That is, you go into a grocery store in disguise, go shopping as normal, but right as you are done, you speed out with the cart and unload everything at mach speed into the getaway van. Then drive off. Quite popular in Argentina a few years ago.

[tama]

9. Greeks do better

They now loot the supermarkets with a big crowds and then give the loot to poor people.

[Locrian]

2. not surprising

We are conditioned from birth to consume, consume, consume. There is no "joy" in just being, unless it includes "gear".

Our whole lives are focused on it. A job isn't just a living for necessities and simple things. It's about getting the most money to buy the best toys, keep up with the neighbor, satisfy every desire. (well, that is unless you are SOL due to the economy tossing you into the dumpster...)

Time for just enjoying life is non-existent. That is unless its spent doing something that costs money, or is part of the economy.

And this is the GOAL of the capitalist economy.

[CrispyQ]

4. Maybe people are starting to wake up?

One can hope.

As our economy gets worse, & more & more people realize that their quest for more & newer & better stuff has put them in a huge financial bind, maybe they will realize that life is not about things.

The Businessman and the Fisherman

Once a fisherman was sitting near the seashore under the shadow of a tree, smoking his cigarette. Suddenly a rich businessman passing by approached him and inquired as to why he was sitting under a tree smoking and not working. To this the poor fisherman replied that he had caught enough fishes for the day.

Hearing this, the rich man got angry and said: "Why don't you catch more fishes instead of sitting in shadow wasting your time?"

Fisherman asked: "What would I do by catching more fishes?"
Businessman: "You could catch more fishes, sell them and earn more money, and buy a bigger boat."
Fisherman: "What would I do then?"
Businessman: "You could go fishing in deep waters and catch even more fishes and earn even more money
Fisherman: "What would I do then?"
Businessman: "You could buy many boats and employ many people to work for you and earn even more money."
Fisherman: "What would I do then?"
Businessman: "You could become a rich businessman like me."
Fisherman: "What would I do then?"
Businessman: "You could then enjoy your life peacefully."
Fisherman: "What do you think I'm doing right now?"

;)

[natrat]

13. ya wanna goto the mall?

[sarcasmo]

17. Can I buy something with my looks?

[Speck Tater]

3. However, if people are cured of their compulsive consumption,

then the entire economy will collapse, since the very basis of the American economy is compulsive consumption. Like it or not, if everybody became a careful, responsible consumer our economy would not survive.

[Blue Meany]

5. It could survive, but it would have to be a lot different

If we all consume less, we should also be able to work a lot less too and have more time for recreation and community service. But first we have to separate work from health care so that part-time work can be viable both for companies and workers. Than we have to diminish the profits that go to investors and ceos, so that workers can actually live off the wages from the reduced hours of work.
Reducing work hours and increasing the minimum wage were important factors in mitigating the depression and I expect they would help us now too.

[Possumpoint]

6. Not Sure I Agree With Your Premise

During and after the 1930's depression, the economy transformed into a cash basis with savings used to accumulate the necessary cash. What a novel idea! You buy only what you can pay for and usually only what you need. This would reduce on time purchases to big ticket items only.

Yes, it would slow down the economy. I believe, however, there would be a lag time that would allow people to pay off any existing charge debt and then save for future items. The choke chain of charge debt would be taken off the consumer. The banks would have to seek other ways of bleeding them white. Big box stores might have a tough time existing till the consumer could save up money. Oh well, some of them like WalMart might learn how the small mom and pop stores they put out of business felt.

[Speck Tater]

11. Fter the 1930's depression

the US economy boomed in part because we exported HUGE quantities of stuff to Europe, whose manufacturing base had been devastated by the war. By the time Europe got its manufacturing back up and running, the US had turned into the present model of compulsive consumerism.

Without massive exports the US economy cannot survive the demise of compulsive consumerism. Or at least, it cannot survive in its present form. It will have to be replaced by a very different economy with a very different underlying philosophy.

[Possumpoint]

12. Isn't A Fact That

the rebound you described swung into full force after Korea? Right after the end of WWII there was a brief recession.

In any event, we can continue with a debt based economy or one built on savings. I believe that one built on savings and money based on precious metals is better then fiat money and debt. This alone would force the politicians to deal with a self limiting monetary system.

[ixion]

7. then maybe it shouldn't survive

an economy built on an inevitably unsustainable model of constant growth and consumption is not a good idea. The key word is sustainable. Perhaps we shouldn't build our lives around trying to sell each other garbage, and reconstruct it after a more responsible ideal.

[tama]

10. US economy won't survive

nor should it survive. It's time for revolution.

[L0oniX]

15. Everyone is addicted to Christmas economy crack. We need a rivival...

http://www.revbilly.com/

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Reverend+Billy&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#

[L0oniX]

16. Everyone is addicted to Christmas economy crack. We need a rivival...

http://www.revbilly.com/

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Reverend+Billy&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#

[katty]

8. chronic, dysfunctional consumption is not sustainable, the

extreme imbalance is finally snapping. Need to seriously get on the road to 'balance and sustainability' -- too much stuff piling up in landfills.

[emilyg]

14. Don't these people have any self-control?