Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with economy

What's better for the environment: mailed physical CD for £6, or digital download for £7?

mstillwell — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:09:14 -0800

Is it better, environmentally speaking, to buy a physical CD for £6 and have it mailed to me, or to buy a digital copy for £7? Some of the £6 goes toward manufacturing the CD and transporting it, but the £7 I give to the digital music store pays the wages of their employees, who in turn buy stuff. (Their equipment, rent, etc. gets turned into stuff in the same way.) What if the numbers were £6 physical CD, £12 digital?

In other words, to what extent does raw price (i.e. a proxy for the amount of stuff that your purchase allows other people to buy) matter? If I buy £100,000 of environmentally-friendly stuff, isn't that (approximately) £100,000 of (potentially not environmentally-friendly) stuff that other people can then afford to buy?

If I buy a Prius hoping to help the environment, does it matter how Toyota's employees and suppliers spend their money? Are there any substantive differences across industries, or is a dollar for Toyota more or less equivalent to a dollar for McDonald's?

Should I accept this job offer?

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:17:14 -0800

Should I accept this job offer? I have an interview scheduled for another job. But it's no sure thing... I was laid off recently, but my skill set is one that is currently in demand. I've had a number of good interviews and still have a couple scheduled in the week ahead. The good news is I was offered a job today. However, both of the interviews outstanding are for jobs I would prefer over the one offered.

In the old economy I would be more comfortable in asking the company that offered me the position to wait a week and hoping the other companies could rush the process. But the reality of 10.2 percent unemployment is staring me in the face. Also, I live in a state where if you're on unemployment insurance, which I am, one is legally bound to accept any job offer presented. It's also an At-Will state.

My current plan is to accept the position that was offered and still interview for the other positions. If I'm offered another job, I'll most likely take that one and resign from the first one. I know that's tough on the company that spent all that time and money hiring and training me. But I feel I have to watch out for my own career in this economy.

Is that kosher? What alternatives do I have? Any hiring managers have experience with this?

Need to apply my previous skills to a new occupation - resources? ideas?

audio — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:23:34 -0800

I just complete a two year technical degree, now I find that I am un-happy with my future job and that the economic outlook for work is terrible. I want to find something that will use my skills and education as leverage for an assortment of different careers. Are there website(s) that can compute this for me? could you suggest for me some occupations given a brief description (inside)... (Continueing from original question)..

I'm good at the following:

- Programming (almost all web languages and some server side)

- Building things (I like to be unorthadox and create solutions from random ideas... try new things to make something work)

- Designing (I have a good eye to make things aesthetically pleaseing)

- Diagnoseing (I can solve complex problems most times and not get stressed out)

- Consulting (I have a long backround in internet marketing, web developement and server deployment)

My Degree: Network Administrator (http://www.academyoflearning.com/AB/Home/Programs/InformationTechnology/NetworkAdministrator.aspx)

So many careers in computers are being outsourced to india. I can't compete. I have thought about doing something in diagnostic medicine but I just got out of school and need a year or two break before I would ever consider something like that.

Are there any careers you would recommend for a person like me? (besides the obvious - web design / programming out of the question b/c of outsourceing competition)

What was that "Make the Boomers PAY" commercial I saw as a kid?

Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:24:59 -0800

I remember this commercial from back in last century, about the youth putting their elders on trial, basically for leaving them an f'd-up world. I also remember it getting pulled from the airwaves for ruffling too many feathers. What was it? I remember the scene as being dark, with rows of kids looking down in judgment on this old man.

The prosecutor was this young blond boy, and his message, as I remember it, communicated "Your generation screwed things up! You pooched the environment, muddied the waters, befouled the air, saddled us with debt, all while living the high life.

"Now we have to deal with the mess you, our elders made before we were even born. What have you to say for yourself?"

And the old man stammers something like "Uh... we didn't know."

Those are my impressions. What was this, and am I remembering correctly that it got yanked for touching too many raw nerves?

And yes, I'm assuming the elder on trial would have been an old Boomer by the time depicted in the scene. Having read 13th Gen; Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail? is why I make that assumption. Just FYI.

Where to find data on the size of the informal sector?

andoatnp — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:20:00 -0800

Does anyone know a good source for the size of the informal sector by country in Asia and Latin America? I'm at a university so I have access to any books you could recommend as well as JSTOR or other online resources. The data I've found so far seems old and bad.

I'm hoping to find information on the size of the informal sector for as many countries in Asia and Latin America as possible. The more recent and academic the source, the better.

Dollars and Rials and Bourses, oh my!

Juffo-Wup — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:18:25 -0800

What difference does it make to the United States economy whether oil is traded or denominated in the US dollar or in other currencies? I often hear it said that oil is globally traded and denominated in US dollars and that the US economy would suffer greatly if countries were to trade oil in other currencies. Is this true? If so, why and how would it harm our economy?

Are there any other RTS games out there with an economy like Seven Kingdoms?

TrueVox — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:00:58 -0800

Big fan of the Seven Kingdoms franchise. Not so much because of the combat (which was cool), but because of the economy. Are there any other RTS games out there that have such a diverse economy (non MMO, please, EVE would steal me from my life :D)? Specifically, I liked how you didn't even need raw materials, you could trade for them. Also, since I'm wishing, fantasy or sci-fi only, please. Modern day is just too depressing. Please ask if you need clarification, and thanks!

Economics' greatest hits? ... or... Where's the science in economics?

zaebiz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:54:37 -0800

As a former scientist, help me gain some faith in economics. What were the great successes of economics as a tool for making better decisions in the last 100 years? The Queen of England said it best for me : Why did none of the big shot economists see this crisis coming?

Having been scientifically trained, I have always had this belief that economics is a mostly mathematical rationalisation of events after-the-fact with the same predictive capabilities as astrology and whose validity decreases as more people believe in it. Why am I wrong? what demonstrable uses has it had? Also interested in any books or papers discussing either side of this debate.

Tracking ye olde price of artifacts like [Wool Cloth]

swrittenb — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:05:33 -0800

Where can I find data sets about in-game economies? Specifically, I'd love to know what the historical cost of virtual goods were by day. There are lots of sites out there that track the current cost of goods (a web interface to WoW's auction house, for example), but the historical data just doesn't seem to be available. I'm doing some data mining research, and although I run a game myself, it isn't liquid enough to perform interesting experiments. Isn't there some place I can get WoW's linen cloth pricing for the past few years? Any and all games and virtual economies will do, as long as there are multiple days to parse. I'd love to know that on date D, the average price of ARTIFACT_X was N MONETARY_UNITS, for more than one D.

Thankee-sai!

Should I take a long-term position in which I don't intend to stay?

ramenopres — Sat, 23 May 2009 23:34:18 -0800

Should I take a "career" position in a field in which I don't want to advance so that I can get the money to do what I want to do? Factors:

Recent college graduate.

I know what I want to do. It requires a little money to get started and is a little off the beaten path. My skills are well-suited to it and it makes me happy. There is no question that this is what I want to do; I have both practical and theoretical experience. It may be more of a networking-based, intermittent employment thing, possibly requiring me to pay for things like my own health insurance.

I have interviewed for a job for which I am very qualified. It is an entry-level position with an entity that isn't going anywhere soon (read: good benefits and a future that I could depend on); part of the reason I'm qualified is that the skill set for this job and what I would like to do are similar. The problem is that this is the institutionalized version of what I want to do. The skills don't seem to be immediately transferrable to other work, since at least the first couple of months are spent learning very specific technology. This would be a desk job, and I have always wanted to avoid desk jobs, although --or because-- I'm good at them.

I have some student loans (less than $10,000) and don't like to be in debt.

Once in a place, I suffer from inertia and have trouble moving out. I am concerned that this job could be "good enough"; I worked in an office last year and was surprised by how content I felt. I don't want to settle for being content and am worried that if I start this job I will miss out on opportunities later. However, it offers pretty good pay for an entry-level position (over $30,000/year) and could help take care of those student loans pretty quickly. I am normally all about experience and making connections, but it's tempting to take care of the debt in this case.

I am applying for programs and grants to do what I want to do and would go into this job, in any case, expecting to get out of it within a year or two. I was planning to make this clear in the interview but it never came up. My plan is sort of to pay off the debt, get some savings, and go off to start doing this other thing, having strengthened my skill set in the interim as best I can.

If I didn't take it I would be stuck with the rest of humanity, looking for a job (and I want to move out of my parents' house), but I would also have the flexibility to apply for internships, and the job I took would probably be easier to leave (retail or food).

Other things that might play into this: Is the economy bad enough that it's ridiculous to turn down work? What would enable me to make money and pay off the debt ASAP, or is that not my first priority? What is your experience in trying to pursue something while working full-time in a different field? --did you find those good intentions falling by the wayside? Any advice on doing my very best in this position if I take it? I need practical input here. I've been thinking it might be best to keep following my "dream" and not accept substitutes, but this could be a short track to what I want. I recently turned down a very cool opportunity because it was too good, if that makes sense, and I don't want to do that again.

If offered the position I will of course be forthright (in an intelligent, corporate kind of way) about the fact that I don't see myself continuing in it long-term. I will probably say that I am open to exploring the field (because who knows, right?) but see myself somewhere else in five years.

The real world approaches!

showbiz_liz — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:26:58 -0800

This time next year I want to move to Chicago and get a job. Like, a real job. What do I need to do NOW to set things in motion? Next year I will be a senior at UNC, and I'll graduate with a double major in advertising (through the school of journalism) and anthropology. What I want to do is move to Chicago and get a job. Ideally, said job would be in marketing, hopefully for a nonprofit of some kind. But, basically, I want to get a job, any job, where I use my advertising degree, even tangentially. (Why Chicago? My boyfriend lives there and I intend to move in with him when I graduate.)

I know it's hard out there right now- that's why I want to get my foot in the door early. When the economy recovers I'll be in my mid-20s competing with fresh graduates, and if I've been working at a call center all that time, I will lose out. I don't care about money at this point in my life. I care about building skills and experience I can use in my career.

This summer, I have an internship in marketing at a Chicago museum. I'll be in the city from June through August. I want to know what I can do during that time, and during my senior year, to prepare myself to find a job.

Should I approach it like I approached looking for an internship- by doggedly applying to every place I can think of? Or is there something more I need to be doing? I hear a lot of talk about networking, but how do I approach that when I have no experience to sell myself with yet? How about special skills- is there anything I can learn in a year that would set me apart?

Alternately, if I am unable to find a paying job, I would be willing to do free or low-cost work in marketing on the side if it meant I could keep my skills up- how do I find such opportunities?

I realize this is a fairly broad question, but any advice would be much appreciated.

EconomyFilter: Teenage needs work. A bit apprehensive and unsure on how to get it.

seandq — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:36:03 -0800

EconomyFilter: I'm a sixteen year old desperately needing a part-time or summer job. I can't help but feel bad taking away from those who really NEED it though. Long story short, I just got a car for a late sixteen birthday gift. I've wanted it for a long time, and it's great, but as a condition, my parents would like me to start working to help chip in for insurance, gas, and the car payment as well as my sometimes expensive social life.

The problem is twofold: first off, I feel bad taking what could be a job from someone who really needs it (like someone on WIC or food stamps) away from them (call me a bleeding-heart) and secondly, I'm still hesitant on the idea of work. Don't get me wrong, wherever I'm hired, I'll work diligently and faithfully but I'm still a bit rusty on the process. I've filed ~15 applications for local chain stores (ranging from Walgreens to Books-a-Million to Cracker Barrel) all online via SnagaJob.com and no response at all. Target was courteous enough to email me back saying no.

I have only a few restrictions, but I'm willing to waive them if it's what it takes to get me hired. I'd prefer not fast food, and by fast food I mean McD's/BK. I can humble myself to be a Barista, Burrito Engineer or a Sandwich Artist if it is so. I'd really prefer a job in an environment that's a bit more..intellectual..than McDonald's, but frankly I'll take what's available.

So cliffs for those still with me:
1) I need a good teenage part-time/summer job in this environment.
2) I need to know the best approach for job application - I'd love to have a job where I could submit a resumé, but I'm either underage for a position like that, or they are full-time positions and I'm not dropping out of school, so it's just filling out the form for now.

Thanks for your time. I appreciate it!

We don't even have a car to live in if we needed to.

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:20:57 -0800

What do we do now that we're both unemployed? This is not a question about how to save money or spend less. I was laid off in January. My partner was laid off yesterday. We have no savings. We are on a debt management program (which includes all of our credit cards at the lowest possible APR and lowest possible monthly payment), we have monthly rent (on an apartment for which we just renewed the lease two damn weeks ago), we have a student loan, and we have an unsecured loan through the bank. Plus, you know, living expenses like food and electric.

This question isn’t about how to save money or spend less, we know how to do that, and we were working towards being more frugal and simple even before I lost my job. What this question is, is what the fuck do we do? How do people live without jobs and income? How do we keep a roof over our head if we can’t afford the rent we have now and no one else will rent to us since we’re both unemployed and therefore can’t meet the income and credit requirements? How do I keep paying for my medicines for my chronic illnesses (none of which are on those $4 Wal-Mart/Target/Costco/whatever lists, so don’t bother suggesting that)? Most of our friends are living in tiny apartments and don’t have anywhere for us to stay (and we would never ask anyway), and our families are three states away (and that particular state has an even worse job market than the one we’re in).

Yes, I’m getting unemployment, and yes, my partner will be too. But it’s not enough to cover all of our monthly debts. And my unemployment will run out at the end of July, while my partner’s will run out sometime in September. What happens if we haven’t found jobs by then? What do we do?

I am doing some freelancing, which brings in a bit of money sporadically. I’m trying to get more clients, but you know how the economy is. Partner will start looking for temp jobs and “real” jobs tomorrow. So, we’re taking steps. I’m just terrified and wanted to throw up as soon as I heard she was let go.

Bonus question: How will new jobs be created? It seems like everything’s being cut now, and there won’t be a reason to recreate them in a year or two. Even “service” or “skilled professional” jobs are going away because all of us paper-pusher’s can’t afford our coffee and we’re fixing the leaks with duct tape because we can’t afford a plumber. The demand for products and services is going away (because people are losing jobs) and so jobs that provide those things are going away. It’s a big circle. How do we fix it?

How do you pretend to ask happy around others when do you aren't?

greatalleycat — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 09:20:38 -0800

How do I "fake it until I make it"? Am in crappy job situation and it's depressing me. I want to have friends and male companionship, so I have to show a different face to the world. Like many others, I am slightly depressed as I'm 24, stuck in a low-paying job with no future (newspaper business) and still lives with her parents since mentioned job doesn't pay enough for me to live alone.
Of course, I'd like to get more friends and a boyfriend someday, but nobody wants to be with an unhappy person. I also avoid going out sometimes since I don't want to be that person.
How do I pretend to act more happy in public and private situations and also how to cope in a situation I'm not happy with but can't really help. (Only got a couple job leads, won't quit a job with benefits in this economy).
I'm in OH, so I doubt the situation will improve much. Though of moving, but other parts of the country aren't that great either right now. Am also afraid I'd move somewhere, just to get laid off after 6 mos. or something.
Not looking at counseling since I think it is caused from my situation and it's expensive. I want more of "acting" methods and things to talk about that are non-depressing.

$50k for a small business, what do you got?

ibechase — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:08:49 -0800

If you were starting a business in the current economic climate and you had $25k-50k start up capital, what type of business would you start? I'm in a situation where I have access to a large amount of cash, plenty of time on my hands and I'm looking to start a business. I have a list of ideas and I'm looking for input on what type of businesses *you* think should be started.

I'm a graphic designer and am comfortable in most facets of business (design, branding, marketing, advertising, bookkeeping, etc.). I'm very computer-saavy and have a very strong work ethic.

I'm going to start a business, so there's no need to tell me how I'd be better off saving the money. I look forward to hearing what you guys think would be great businesses that could be started for $25k-50k and could thrive in the current economy. Thanks for any and all input.

Time for a Third Bank of the U.S.?

medarby — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 07:38:04 -0800

Why do we not have a government owned national bank that competes with private banks? I'm a layperson, and in these past few months I've learned more than I wanted about macroeconomics. I understand the basics of: mortgage-backed securities, credit default swaps, and the Commercial Paper market. I understand how you can't have an economy without banks. The freezing of credit is stalling the economy, no one wants to lend money due to fear of banks going under, and that the banks are all tied together. The U.S. is paying (via more debt to taxpayers) for bad assets or buying stakes in the banks. It's difficult to nationalize all the banks and then re-privatize them, because who's around to buy all the banks?

Why is the banking system not considered like a public good that should not be solely in the hands of private enterprise? If you don't like driving the Interstate from NY to CA, take a plane. But, if the airlines go bankrupt or shut down (i.e. after 9/11), then you can still get to where you need to go. Public schools vs. private schools, Social Security vs. 401k, Medicare vs. private health insurance, are further examples of public services competing with private services. So, if companies cannot borrow money from banks to keep operating, due to banks being insolvent/illiquid/snafued or whatever, then why can't businesses turn to the government for direct loans? Why is there not a national bank like we had in the past? What are the arguments against it?

Be kind, I'm all befuzzled and trying to learn.

Keeping The Lions Strong So They Have The Stamina To Hunt The Gazelles

turgid dahlia — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:55:19 -0800

Why is all this money going to industry and commerce, not the citizenry? Ok, this is a dumbass question, but I've not actually seen it answered anywhere, so I figured I'd ask here. I'm not that familiar with economics so I'm only going by my own simple logic, which is sadly for me not applicable to the world at large.

Why are these hundreds of billions upon hundreds of billions of dollars going from the US Treasury to a demonstrably incompetent financial sector, and not to the population? You know, the ones who are losing their homes because they can't afford to pay them off, because they lost their jobs? If the money went to them, or was administrated such that it was injected directly back into mortgage payments, wouldn't this have the same overall effect, and actually be of greater benefit to a greater number of people?

If someone could enlighten me, that would be great.

Know any screenwriters trying to write the next Wall Street?

matthewstopheles — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:27:30 -0800

Screenwriters working on scripts related to current economy I'm doing a radio story on screenwriters writing scripts about Wall Street in light of the current recession. It doesn't even have to be Wall Street -- it can be any business related to the fall out and decline of the stock market. Business-y type stories are certainly preferable but anything along those lines is what I'm trying to find. Anyone working on anything themselves or have any friends or associates who might be? Anyone know of any projects underway that deal with those issues? Any MeFites want to just start working on something and I'll profile you?

Responses that want to go into detail can just use my MeFi email to get a hold of me.

Will house prices track stock prices (in NE USA)

IndigoJones — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:39:49 -0800

The stock market is at 1997 levels. Are house prices (specifically in the NE US) likely to follow? If not, why not? If yes, why and when? All arguments welcome. (Yes, I know, overly simplistic, "it depends, all markets are local, NYCity real estate actually went up last year" (or so the real estate shills claim and I would be curious to know how those stats were calculated)- bearing all that in mind, what factors might I be missing?)

Why is India an economic success?

hazyspring — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:13:24 -0800

I'm looking for books, articles or blogs analyzing India's economic success. (at least over the past few years) I've been searching and haven't found exactly what I'm looking for. Specifically, I know I read something at a point in time in their investment in higher education that makes them different from China.

Academic Economist Filter: Help me understand the economy

Wolfster — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:48:20 -0800

(Academic Economist Filter) What are some of the good journals to find explanations of the economy, past and present. Who are the leaders in this field? Any outstanding review articles?
Help. I’m illiterate when it comes to understanding economics; I have not had beyond a high-school level course and don’t even know where to look up correct and detailed information. Like most people, I can read and find newspaper and magazine articles.

I am hoping not to offend people, but if I use biology as an analogy, most newspaper/magazine science articles are either shallow, not in depth, or out of date (for me). However, If I go read the original scientific journal article that some of the magazine articles are based on, then I can evaluate the study and learn about it in its entirety. If the topic really catches my attention, then I can peruse pubmed on my own, pick out more articles, and learn about the topic in depth. I do not have the same tools to use to understand economics.

Can someone help me find the same basic tools so I can try to wrap my head around the current economic conditions?

-Is there something equivalent to pubmed (a listing that I can search to find published articles in the field)?

-Who are some of the top academic economists (a must read).

-Recommendations for review articles? Or research studies (what would you give to the average undergrad to read as intro to the field, to understand current and past philosophies, models, etc.).

-Are there any good articles explaining outcomes when evaluating a program? (As an analogy to this, if you wanted to test for a drug in cancer, before testing it in people, you would either test it in a cell line or in preclinical animal models and look for various endpoints – apoptosis, cell survival, mutations, modified pathways, etc. Then you would say the drug looks interesting and try it in a small phase I clinical trial, etc. – do economists look at early endpoints? What are they? Are there journal articles define this? Are there economists doing this research or planning to do this research?)

-Are there comparisons between cultures/different economic systems (do economists do this?)

-Anything else you would recommend to wrap my head around this? In summary, I am looking for is an in depth introduction/exlanation from an academic perspective, something that goes beyond magazine articles, newspaper articles, and the pop "book of the day".

Thanks.

Should my recession dollars go into my 401k, or my wallet?

logovisual — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:03:38 -0800

Where is my money doing me, and the world, the most good right now: going into a 401(k), or going into my wallet and getting spent? I'm in my mid-twenties, in a stable but low-paying job that I expect to be in for a while (he said, in a fashion that he hopes does not prove ironic). I am basically living paycheck to paycheck in NYC -- not starving, but not really saving in any meaningful way whatsoever beyond my company 401(k), which has quite a good matching program. For the last couple of years, I've been paying the maximum match into my account, and had built up a reasonable little stash (about a third of my annual salary) only to, of course, watch it take a 30%+ hit over the last few months. I only have a couple thousand dollars in credit card debt, which I would like to pay down/off, but the tight squeeze for what's left over from my paycheck doesn't really allow for that.

I was rebalancing my 401(k) into some less aggressive investments today -- I know that I am young, and there'll be plenty of time for a rebound, but there's no sense in wasting money when you know the market is probably still on its way down -- and began to wonder where my dollar is doing the most good for the economy: going into investments, or going into my wallet to be spent on consumer goods? And yes, that definitely is where it would go if I reduced the percentage of my paycheck that goes into my 401(k): food, home goods, etc.

Thoughts on this matter? I am obviously loath to give up much of the "free money" that comes from a company match, but I am also loath to watch every dollar I put into my 401(k) turn into sixty-five cents when it could turn into a dollar's worth of food, or furniture, or entertainment. And on the larger scale, do I help America more by buying a new couch instead of another share of a mutual fund? Should I reduce (not eliminate) my contribution to my 401(k)? Or stick to business as usual and try to make my budget work another way? I'd like to hear some thoughts that go beyond the conventional wisdom of "you should never ever stop paying into your 401(k)," unless you can make me see that argument in a whole other way.

Any good books about 'stone soup' days?

Catch — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:34:40 -0800

I'd like to read some good books, preferably autobiographical, about managing a household in hard times. For purposes of 'professional development' and generally cheering myself up about being the housewife in a single-income family, I have a craving to read good books about successful living on low resources.

Please recommend some! First-hand accounts preferred - depression-era, wartime, or just circumstantial modern hard-times.

SW Michigan economy, how bad?

Anonymous — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:41:19 -0800

I'm panicking about moving to southwestern Michigan. Just how bad is the economy there? My SO has a job offer in Kalamazoo, but I'm absolutely freaked out about the economy. Thanks in part to Any Moose In a Storm's previous question, I've calmed my nerves regarding the quality of life there, but I can't get my mind past the economy issue. The thought of living in such an economically depressed state is overwhelming. My greatest fear is a "brain drain," as everyone with any sense and mobility moves out.

For what it's worth, I work remotely and my job will go wherever I go, so finding work isn't a problem.

Sorry about being anon, but some co-workers know my mefi-name, and I haven't told them yet.

How does a consumer-based economy generate wealth?

wastelands — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:21:13 -0800

Economics newb asks: how does a consumer-based economy generate wealth? I hear things like, "70% of the U.S. economy is based on consumer spending." It seems like if this were the case, then money would just be "recycled." How is there a net gain or production of wealth for the country if most of it is a result of people spending money internally? I must be missing something simple...