Genius idea! You make a great case for how a conservative, minimalist people maximize the human elements of life for all, instead of just in their personal lives.

In these matters I always like to think about the power we have as individuals to affect this change. If all of us spontaneously decided to take steps to reduce consumption, the world would be fundamentally changed. Of course, this is not practical, but just one person's choice to avoid consumption has a knock-on social and financial affect that can very likely spread. This pursuit in all of us is far from fruitless.