Originally Posted by bigS
I am almost 50. I have never owned a car nor will I ever own one. I have always biked. I know that I do not contribute to the "economy". After all I do not pay gas taxes, or keep the poor insurance companies in business, or support the autoworkers. I often feel like I am some sort of freak, after all I keep my body fit so I am not a drain on our health care system, I do not contribute to our air pollution problem, and I don't drain our oil reserves so we will not be dependent on foreign countries for our energy. I do not even have a license. Here in Canada it is almost impossible to get a piece if ID without a drivers license. That one piece of paper determines whether you are an honest upstanding citizen or not. Many times I feel like a criminal or a non member of society. What has driving an automobile got to do with proving who you are. I am sure there are more people out there that feel like I do. Sorry for the rant
your right
by not contributing to a consumer economy you become more aware and able to contribute to a moral economy. An economy should be based on people not material clutter, where wealth is represented by being and not just doing.