Before the advent of these $2 shops the crap was usually sold in mail-order catalogues and most of that stuff didn't cost $2 anyway. Thanks to the industrialisation of Asia, water pistols and dog collars can now be bought for song.
A link for Ford no longer making Falcons at all and both Ford and Holden ending production of their big cars in Australia because nobody wanted to buy them? I'm not sure if you're serious about not having heard about it...
All consumers are easily led to a degree. I've bought plenty of dumb shite because I was "in the moment", and some people are there more often than others. On balance though, a lot of consumption is not conscious and often coerced. The consumer is not rational, and advertising invokes the emotive. If they were rational, the proposed system would be awesome. It would also be pretty awesome in general. Greed uses Lust to invoke Envy, Sloth and Gluttony until the Wrath of Vanity sits in Judgement. We all have our sins. I don't blame (all) the producers, that would be stupid. It'd also be stupid to assume they are (all) benevolent. They deserve a return for their output (as do employees and shareholders equally), and also liability for negative effects created as a byproduct. Consumers need to see through the hype, but that probably won't happen if they have sufficient "disposable" income. When the weekly budget is a struggle, you pay more attention to expenses. But then we can't have economic growth and landfill, and the masses can not afford self-improvement or a mortgage.
You should write a book/produce a doco to make consumers happier with their average purchase or maybe provide a service that helps prevent people from making choices that they'll regret. If it sells then you will have added value to the lives of others. ( If it doesn't, then you should just use the techniques to make sure it does. Better they buy a book telling them they didn't need to buy it than other crap they didn't need )
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyQ1RoEotPk[/youtube] warning: contains "colorful" language including words appearing on Tshirts today but nonetheless ...
As much as I loved George Carlin I think we are getting sidetracked into the problems of government/politics.
Look at what capitalism has done to China, it's turned it from a communist utopia to a super power. I know lefties like to think it's noble to starve to death, but I'm sure Chinese people would rather die from air pollution with a full stomach haha.
Absolutely. I get a lot of great rare stuff at brilliant prices from there. Far, far better than the old Trading Post.
Except China was never fully communist. The whole communist vs capitalist stuff is just BS because we have never had a fully communist country in the world just as we have never had a fully capitalist one. Both are not possible whilst there are governments.
They weren't fully communist and they aren't fully capitalist by any means. But look how much good has come to China just by moving slightly to the capitalist end of the spectrum.
Driven by bucket loads of foreign investment by evil foreign nationals. (I'm sure there were millions of Chinese ranting about how foreigners are buying up everything and owning all of the factories etc )
The Anti-Corporation mentality should be the order of the day for all Capitalists for their days are surely numbered. Regards Errol 43
This belongs more in a "pro-free market" thread but couldn't think of any existing ones so decided to add to this one. Have always loved these as basic examples of the complexity of the invisible hand in action. How it is easily able to peacefully coordinate the actions of millions of individuals across different cultures, languages and countries in ways that give rise to things far beyond the comprehension or capabilities of any single person to ever produce by themselves. And the good old "I, Pencil" by Leonard Read which was summarised into a ~2-minute speech by Milton Friedman: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67tHtpac5ws[/youtube] "...millions of human beings have had a hand in my creation, no one of whom even knows more than a very few of the others. : Here is an astounding fact: Neither the worker in the oil field nor the chemist nor the digger of graphite or clay nor any who mans or makes the ships or trains or trucks nor the one who runs the machine that does the knurling on my bit of metal nor the president of the company performs his singular task because he wants me. Each one wants me less, perhaps, than does a child in the first grade. Indeed, there are some among this vast multitude who never saw a pencil nor would they know how to use one. Their motivation is other than me. Perhaps it is something like this: Each of these millions sees that he can thus exchange his tiny know-how for the goods and services he needs or wants. I may or may not be among these items."
The problem with Capitalism is the same as the problem with Socialism. That is, the lust for power and privilege by those that rise to the elite positions of control. In fact every ideological "ism" suffers the same "failing". But I don't mean a failing in the sense that the ideological "ism" is corrupted by human greed. Rather, that people fail to recognise and thereby ignore the reality of greed in their utopian views of their "ism" of choice. Perhaps we need a new "ism" that explicitly recognises the corruption of humans motivated by greed and power.
