Some consumption is necessary for survival. Some additional consumption is needed for other tasks.

But I'd guess that some obscene amount of our shared resources (land, oil reserves, clean air & water) are currently being forever destroyed as we feed consumption that is only serving the purpose of some guy/gal to say to others "I've made it.".... or "Respect me because I have enough money & economic power to waste it, as evidenced by my hummer, lexus, mansion, etc..."

And after all that, they still don't get the respect that they craved from others, so they go consume more. This not only puts a bigger dent in the shared resources, but also breeds resentment against them and they get even LESS respect.

Let's instead create a special "I've Made It" button. The button costs 100,000 U$D. Only a special, certified authority can sell the buttons. (This single-source being the real "half-baked" part). The money could fund so many worthwhile causes like education, environmental protection, etc... or even just "government".

A certain portion of the population would respect wearers of the button just because, gosh darnit, they sure did have a lot of money to burn, so they must be economically powerful, and some people respect that.

Another portion of people would respect the wearer's simply because they like that they've funded worthy causes voluntarily.

The wearers of the buttons may feel much less of a need to go overconsume, because they know that even on a nice hike in the park, they can still get that respect with the button, especially since they can't take the huge house around with them for showing off....

Yes, this MAY increase class-distinctions. But probably not. Think of this as a replacement for diamonds & expensive jewerly, where, instead of it being a sign that they funded a huge bogus heartless industry (with many ties to mobs, terrorism, and money laundering in general), but is instead funding a more worthwhile effort.

I'd give someone more respect for wearing this button and walking to the park than seeing them NOT wear the button and drive their hummer to the park. Wouldn't you?
-- sophocles, Sep 18 2003

hmmm... this would only work in countries like switzerland, canada or other less corrupt places where the authorities wouldn´t take the money to start saving for their own I´ve made it button.

If I had the money to wear such button, I wouldn´t buy it. But hey, ignore me, I´m just an unemployed female who lives in a third world country, and who will probably owe her car to the government before she makes enough money to buy a house of her own.
-- Pericles, Sep 18 2003


I volunteer to be that "certified authority".
-- jivetalkinrobot, Sep 19 2003


++ anything to get those oversized SUV off the roads!
-- Ich Bins, Sep 20 2003


I'll sell you a button for just $1000. Why so cheap? Well, I made it.
-- Overpanic, Sep 21 2003


Hey, a guy tried to sell me an “I’ve made it" button on the street for fifty k. Said it was hot, but it was probably a fake. Then another tried to sell me one for just one k.

Yeah, I’m no sucker—I’m saving up to buy the real thing.
-- pluterday, Sep 22 2003


//I'd give someone more respect for wearing this button and walking to the park than seeing them NOT wear the button and drive their hummer to the park. Wouldn't you?//

If I've "made it," I jolly well wouldn't care, now would I?
-- k_sra, Sep 22 2003


A little like a PBS tote bag.
-- AO, Sep 22 2003


Hah! They have those, I'm sure [bliss]. Something like "Back OFF!" or "Shove it!"
-- k_sra, Sep 23 2003


If I had an, "I've made it button", I would weld it to the bumper of my SUV and then drive to the park. I might even buy a button maker and start reproducing them at a 100.00$ a pop to make my money back. To ensure that this didn't happen you may want to get Microsoft to design the button with all of those safety precautions they print on thier labels.
-- Dagwood, Sep 24 2003


If I saw someone with one of these, I'd want to ask, "What was it you made, exactly?"
-- waugsqueke, Sep 24 2003


I made a significant, worthwhile contribution towards a fairer world, so that I can die happy in the knowledge that I have left this world a better place. Why do you ask, [wauggsie]?
-- methinksnot, Jul 11 2006



random, halfbakery