If some new invention overnight "negated" the need for many billion dollar corporation's products...?

Question

...how would you envision we would prevent the "total collapse of our economy, which is based on things that are obviously becoming outdated, but are kept in place because of their "intrinsic" fundamental support power, and their ties to our "military industrial complex?"

Answer 1

Ummm, like the electric car?

They kept it from us. They have released it slowly.

Imagine if they had allowed them to be manufactured and sold when they had the technology orginally? What would have happened to the O&G companies? And then the world?

Edit:
That is why they sell hybrids. :)

Answer 2

This is a fundamentally flawed question based on some rather odd assumptions. If someone came up with some product that could "negate" the need for many other products it would initially be extremely expensive and the rest of the products would become dirt cheap. As the supply of obsolete products was used up, excess capacity would be used to produce an adequate amount of the new product. Companies that could find a piece of the action would flourish those that could not would perish.

I suppose if someone came up with a magical product, mass produced it nearly for free and gave it away that may cause a bit of trouble for a capitalist based society. Not very likely.

BTW- Where did you get this nonsense that our economy is based on things becoming outdated? I think that is backwards. People want new things all the time. That desire drives the economy, not the other way around. I see a different trend entirely. For instance automobiles are far more reliable and last much longer now than a few decades ago. Back as late as the 1980's cars came with odometers that only went up to 99999.9 because most did not make it to a hundred thousand miles. Now most used cars are still valuable and reliable well past that. In fact some warranties are good for a hundred thousand miles. Most of the major appliances in my house are well over 20 years old.

Sure, my wife wants to remodel and buy new appliances but that is what I mean. She will drive the manufacturer to provide new ones and the old will be discarded even though they are still good. That is consumerism.

Why do you lament their ties to the "military industrial complex?" National Defense is one of the only areas that the Federal Government is constitutionally mandated to provide. Military people require weapons systems, equipment, clothing, transportation etc. In fact many of the products we enjoy were developed for the military. This includes, food storage technology, water purification technology, light weight materials, water-proofing technology etc.

Business come and go. This is due to their ability to provide the consumer with the things he wants and needs at reasonable prices. Not through some "intrinsic support power". Where do you get this stuff? Sounds like the ranting so some socialist college professor who never did a days work in his life or produced anything of value.

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Answer 3

You do not prevent the total collapse of the economy, you let it collapse since it was riding on false purposes. If the new invention is that good, then it must be either inexpensive, in which case everyone will still be able to afford it; or people will find the means to afford it.
Either way, the economy will rebound based on solid economics instead of false pretenses.
The market could use a good correction--to get back at the Chinese. (wink)

Answer 4

This has happened many times! The car replaced a huge industry involving the horse and buggy and created an even bigger industry. The telephone replaced the telegraph (and created a huge new industry). The Internet is replacing all kinds of things and is creating a huge industry too! Airplanes replaced the railroads.

TV replaced radio. Microwave ovens replaced convection ovens. Fast food replaced mother's home cooking. Permanent press replaced ironing. The desktop computer replaced the word processor (remember Wang????). Microsoft replaced IBM. etc. etc. etc.

Think things through, your position is irrational.

Answer 5

An Economic Collapse is bound to happen anyways, if one considers how much this country spends and what direction what direction it is going.

This video is old, but it is dead-on "with precision" accurate!
LINK: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936&q=Money+masters&total=1897&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0


"If someone created they're own product, a greedy corporation(with a self-imposing ceo) would emerge from the forefront and buy it from him and probably kill him(just like someone else stated).

Answer 6

I'll take a stab at this (with my limited economical knowledge) and say that we would be up the proverbial creek (we are sh*t without a paddle, etc.) I think it is that simple.

We could not prevent it unless we anticipate and react.... which is why it is important to get a move on, instead of keeping things locked in limbo with our elected law makers (alliteration)...

Answer 7

This is already in the works. read the book "FAB". The technology suggested in this non-fiction book by an MIT professor would negate most products (in mass produced form).

Answer 8

The billion dollar corporations would just hire someone to steal your product, and have you killed.

Better think twice!

Answer 9

I would propose the George W Bush method. Lie about it and tell people something like it causes cancer.