Forum Post: Voting With Your Dollars/DIY - Buying and Making Freedom and Liberty

A lot has been said about voting with your dollars. Being an ethical consumer in this cash crazy world we live in is one of the few ways we can influence change from with in the system. Don't get me wrong I am not against international trade at all. History has shown men will sail out with little else but a wooden boat on the high seas in order to conduct trade. Man will cross deserts and continents to conduct trade.

I think the trade of items of high quality and superiorly produced either for cost or quality on the international market is an important part of the world and always will be. Swiss watches, Italian suits, Kobe beef, Cuban cigars or sugar for that matter, whether due to superior manufacturing or due to environmental or resource natural abundance, these regions and those around the world can and have in the past produced products of international acclaim, renown quality, or value. Do you get my point? I am not sure if it is clear enough.

Anyways, we need to do our part as ethical consumers. To prevent the continued globalization and reverse the trend. To do this we must buy local when possible and buy international or transnational when preferred but at a price that represents a living wage and the true social cost of goods.

This is going to mean sacrifices for the average american. Insofar as the drunken consumerism of the industrial age has to stop. No more cheap crappy goods. Time to slow down.

Here is a list of worthwhile websites to help you decide how to spend your money and help you learn how to live a better life in a better world. Please post any sites you know of that are on the same vibe.

http://www.bcorporation.net/ http://faircompanies.com/ http://opensourceecology.org/ http://www.punkdomestics.com/ http://www.instructables.com/ http://blog.makezine.com/craftzine/ http://makezine.com/ http://www.wisebread.com/ http://lifehacker.com/ http://www.bfi.org/ http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/templates/content_lookup.jsp?content=/content/marketing/one_planet_home/index.jsp&menu=eco http://www.localharvest.org/ http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?pd=Home http://earthship.com/ http://www.themadeinamericamovement.com/american-made-members.html http://madeinusaforever.com/ http://www.madeinamericastore.com/ http://www.americansworking.com/ http://www.fairtradeusa.org/ http://globalgoods.wordpress.com/ http://www.fairtradefederation.org/ http://www.fairtrade.net/ http://www.naturalbuilthome.com/ http://www.slowfood.com/ http://slowmoney.org/ http://www.cittaslow.org/ http://slowfamilyliving.com/ http://www.slowart.com/ http://www.slowtrav.com/ http://slowmedia.typepad.com/ http://katefletcher.com/slow-fashion-consultancy/ http://www.slowgoods.blogspot.com/