I know I am repeating myself#, but why do we make more stuff? To make even more stuff? Isn't all of this a really circular argument? I am really sorry, but I a

I know I am repeating myself#, but why do we make more stuff? To make even more stuff? Isn't all of this a really circular argument? I am really sorry, but I am extremely confused about what you are trying to say over here. :( I know it's extremely stupid of me to ask this, but how is any method of mass production built upon exploiting people whether they are on a piece of land called the united states of america, or china or india help anyone in the longer term? # http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1479902 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1479902 ---- Edit: I am sorry if this strikes you as an inane question/off-topic, but I ask this for a reason. The OP states that; >>>To me, it's obvious what the future of mass production will look like, but it's not at all clear how to stave off a future where 10% of us are shouldering the entire productivity burden for the rest of the country.<<< That is the conclusion only if you accept that the only way for us to function is to make more new stuff and to consume that new stuff. I somehow don't understand that. I cannot understand why we have accepted an endless cycle that dwindles our resources as the only means to make a contribution? How do you define the value of all of these things that we churn out in the longer term? By measuring their impact on human beings? By their impact on the environment? By their impact on us? By productivity increased through that device? Some standard of living increased for the shorter term by it? I want to make beautiful things, but I have to ask myself the question; am I creating wealth? Some would argue that wall street creates wealth (parts of it certainly do, but not all of it). However, everything here is dependent on the assumption that the money that is being generated here is wealth, and that the only way to do this is by earning more money. The only way to do that is to make and sell more stuff, which leads to more money, and so on. I am not saying manufacturing is evil. It isn't. Neither is capitalism or any other ideology. I am merely questioning the ends for which it is being used. People have argued over the centuries that an action itself is stripped of being right and wrong, but it is the context in which it is performed, due to what intention and what effect that makes it good or evil. So, as someone who doesn't know anything I just want to ask; why? I am truly sorry if this is something not suited for this space.