Best essay ever

David Segal argues in a New York Times article that the economic crisis will put the brakes on the American way of life, whether we like it or not. He seems to think that it is a good thing but says ending the “American urge” to upgrade will be difficult because flagrant spending “is so neatly woven into the double helix of our DNA that we hardly notice it.” Segal is right. Buying bigger and better things stops us from being financially responsible.

Greed is the primary reason we’re in this economic mess today. People kept buying things because they wanted more. They put it on credit and went into debt. Heavy debt hurt people financially. Many people have lost those bigger and better homes that they bought but could not afford. You can only upgrade so much. Eventually, the upgrades have to end. That’s economic gravity – what goes up must come down.

The end of the upgrading frenzy will teach people what is necessary. They will be forced to live within their means. For example, a woman might really like an Acura but the payments say she can really only afford a G6 – and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Constant upgrading is wasteful. We keep buying brand new things over and over while people around the world cannot afford the basics.

If we end the constant upgrading, we will stop sending our money to other countries. A majority of our “stuff” is made in other countries. If we spent our money at home, we would create more jobs in America.

Some might argue that our economy should not be controlled and that it needs to flourish. It is true that spending money on newer and more expensive products creates jobs. But those jobs aren’t always American jobs. If I buy a Mercedes 500S, who benefits? A German.

Conclusion goes here.