A few weeks ago, I posted some random thoughts calling on Richmond's political leaders to stop viewing residents as consumers, and start viewing us as citizens. Next thing you know, I'm reading pollster John Zogby's latest screed "The Way We'll Be" and his prognastication that our society is moving toward living with limits as consumers and citizens, and are demanding more authenticity from our leaders and each other.
And then, lo and behold, uber-strategist John Robb shows up and echoes it all over again from a slightly different vantage point. The makings of a trend!
Robb talks about the consumer label as masking a transformation already in progress, and that will make our society much more resilient going forward. Here are a few things Robb sees us becoming as a culture:
- Frugal. Elimination of financial debt and dependency.
- Thrifty with expenses. New sources of low cost food, energy, security, etc. that are financially sustainable.
- More physical. Not backbreaking 19th Century labor, but the
nominal investments required to enable the transition. Re-skilling to
accomplish basic tasks.
- Virtual. Knowledge work without commutes, offices, etc. sold
to global customers via online collaboration. New skills in social
software. Free agency.
- Cooperative. New geographic and global virtual communities. To share ideas, designs, insight, encouragement, physical work, etc. To build community platforms.
