French share their way through recession

The French are responding to Europe's stagnant economy by sharing rather than consuming. People have seen that statistically, most people with a power drill use it for 12 seconds each year, so now they are wondering: why bother buying one? The same principle is being extended to a widening range of goods and services - from children's toys to commuting - saving billions in the process. And advocates for collaborative consumption describe it as a revival of the old way of doing things -- sharing, renting, swapping - but for the internet generation. Al Jazeera's Charlie Angela reports from Paris.

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[SignMeUpForThisBaby]

Marry me Charlie Angela!

[ALLCAPSARCHER09]

reporter is SO HOT.

[ImperialGuardofIran]

LOL u took your sweet time. at the end of the day iv been studying economics for two years and although i believe you should listen to everyone but follow nobody i have been greatly influenced by the anarcho capitalist thinkers (there not as bad as you think) and i think i just flew off the handle when i saw this report. but in terms of bernays watch "century of the self" by "adam curtis" its fascinating.

[twintone01]

You are right about that point. However, he did admit on film that he connected that beginning to Madison Avenue and was a very popular consultant.

[Redfingers]

You mean these people are somehow exercising empathy and acting like human beings? Totally shocking.

Where is their competitive spirit? Why do they not sell their grandmother down the river for some short term profit? Why not sell out your colleagues? Private property is wonderful! Socialists! Backstab someone today, you'll probably like it!

[Howard Marks]

Thank you. I just replied to him again.

[Howard Marks]

Okay calm down. Let us accept without evidence that this bloke Borlaug had SAVED a billion people. First of all we are talking about AID from nation states not private charity and secondly answer these two points. Why did those people need saving in the first place could it be the result of a global economic system run by the USA and now China and the backing of a long list of horrible regimes by the American Empire?

Secondly for how long were they saved just long enough to make you happy ?

[1Pantikian]

This is a really good point. Funny how terrerthepaladin calls your argument propaganda while mostly appealing to emotion.

[1Pantikian]

This video is talking about consumption, not donations...

Your comment doesn't make sense

[TerrerThePaladin]

Uh huh, sorry but your jump on the band wagon anti americanism will not stop the facts. Go and tell the hungry mouths we feed that were evil. Percentage of GDP doesn't mean shit to people in need of help.

Also Norman Borlaug an american credited for saving a billion people. Your propaganda has no effect sorry.

[Howard Marks]

That is amount NOT percentage of GDP. The USA has the largest economy.

But percentage to income and population it is very low and in places like Haiti

there is a long history of it being rechanneled back into American hands via local

subsidaries and corrupt gangsters on the US payroll. British and Swedish foreign aid is genuine USA aid is mostly fraudulent.

[TerrerThePaladin]

World giving index USA ranked #1.