In the USA, money runs the gears. From the industrial era to the information era, it’s all about having things (buying them) and there’s many, many years of psychological studies behind the advertising industries to make sure we keep doing what they want us to do – spending. We have extensive debt-management systems in place (in addition to regular loans from banks, we have credit cards everywhere and sometimes you can even get loans when you can’t possibly pay them back [sub-prime mortgage crisis]) to make sure the money keeps flowing, even when you don’t have any to spend.
Although corporations don’t actually run our government, they have very close ties to people in power (look at VP Dick Cheney’s ties to Halliburton, or the many department heads who oversee corporations that they used to serve on the board of), in addition to quite powerful lobbies that manage to help block many unfavorable laws and pass favorable ones.
You aren’t powerless, however, because as long as you’re making money (or acquiring it somehow), you get to choose how to spend it. And whether you think about it or not, those spending choices do make a difference. Want the cheapest, toxic chemical cleaner (bleach)? Ccongratulations, you are helping to pollute. Want the latest fragile plastic toys imported from China? You are contributing to poor labor conditions, at the cost of local American jobs and as a bonus the child you give it to might get lead poisoning. Want cheap hamburgers that come from giant factory farms? Mad cow disease is just the start of problems there (check out Fast Food Nation). You may not agree with my morals, but surely you have some morals of your own. Don’t you care about what the companies you buy things from are doing to the world? Don’t you care about the chemicals and other materials that go into your clothes, your nice things and most importantly the food you eat?
This is not to say that you should boycott everything and hoard your money, nor that you should sacrifice every creature comfort. On the contrary, I think it’s sometimes worth spending more to get something that you can appreciate for itself and stand fully behind the processing and company that made it. It’s worth investigating and making decisions that are good for your long-term view, rather than just getting whatever is most convenient at the moment. Good things are often worth a little more effort. Make your money count and purchase goods and services that you can feel good about. In other words, put your ethics into practice financially.
“You must spend the change you wish to see in the world.” — LuQ/Gandhi
General resources: walletmouth.com consumerist.com
It’s not just consumer items, however, but you can make your money work for you in daily usage, such as paying your bills. If you ever use credit cards, you can get a credit card for your favorite charity that donates as you use it (such as ASPCA card). You can also choose a long-distance or mobile company that donates to charity (such as Credo/Working Assets) or choose a local bank that contributes to your community (such as Wainwright). I’m not endorsing these particular options, but just giving examples.
If you’re saving for retirement and investing (401K, IRA, etc.), you should consider SRI funds (SRI = Socially Responsible Investing). You can find some info at sriworld.com.
Do some research and find what works for you.