What about consumption, public and private - which reflects how well people are living?
Thus, we will have to reduce in private consumption, and the only way to accomplish that is to raise taxes.
But more costly oil will probably lead to higher inflation and lower private consumption.
To combat this, the government increased taxes, limiting private consumption.
Under state law, growing marijuana for private consumption is a misdemeanor.
Otherwise, interest rates will rise substantially to bring private consumption down.
That leaves only two viable sources of support for the economy in the short term - private and government consumption.
"But their private consumption is about half the level of West Germany's."
What you really need is not more private consumption but help for the poor.
But foreign loans are also used for private and public consumption.