Comments on: Why have Americans become so overindulgent?

By: wisdom teeth pain relief

wisdom teeth pain relief — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:56:54 +0000

You’ll find a couple of intriguing points at some point in this posting but I do not determine if them all center to heart. There is undoubtedly some validity but I will take hold opinion until I take a appear at it further. Very good write-up , thanks and that we want a lot more! Combined with FeedBurner in addition

By: Reed Mencke

Reed Mencke — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:53:43 +0000

We are the unwitting victims of greed. Our own to be sure. But we were not always like this as the author points out in her discussion of her grandparents and how they coped with the depression. What happened since our grand parents and parents saved every penny, repaired every broken appliance, wore clothes till they were in rags, etc? Many comments above are enlightening. But one factor has not been discussed in depth.
Many or most modern corporations prosper by cultivating the American consumer. To them we are potential “marks” to be exploited for profit.
In the 1920s corporations discovered they could sell more product simply by “planned obsolescence” that is by making stuff designed not to last. Over the past 90 years or so this principle has been refined to an art form until today we consumers don’t expect anything we buy to last. We pay a fortune for a car, then expect it to last only a few years. Great for the auto manufacturers, not too great for our pocket books. Our acceptance of these expenses comes partly from the fact that we are rich compared to people in many Asian or South American countries. People in Cuba tend to own cars made in the 1950s and sure enough they do manage to keep them running. But is was invented by American corporations to move product.
Why wash dishes for your kid’s birthday party when you can buy paper plates and throw them away afterwards. This is the attitude that derives from the “throwaway society” concept. Think of the list of industries and companies that make their living entirely because they have convinced us (brainwashed us) that it is just too much bother to use things more than once, to wash dishes, to clean up after a birthday party? (We might also ask who brainwashed us to think every child must have a birthday party attended by 50 to a hundred friends at a business establishment like “Chucky cheese Pizza” a bowling alley, or a movie theater. Are we really benefiting our children by providing this kind of a birthday? Who are we benefiting?

“Planned obsolescence” and “throwaway society” are concepts invented by corporations to promote corporate profit and marketing is a term for activities that would be better described as “brain washing.” We give our corporations unlimited access to our children on Saturday morning TV and more recently in our public school system which has discovered that American corporations are more willing to pay for education than American taxpayers if they are allowed to market in the schools, sell their their products in school vending machines, or push their farm subsidies in out school lunch programs. It seems that most parents are too busy to care. Why too busy? Because they have been brainwashed by these same corporations to pursue “the American Dream” another concept invented by corporations to sell product to consumers.

It is great that people on this blog are questioning why we do some of these things. But don’t be to mad at yourselves or your kids. You are up against companies with tremendous wealth and friends in Washington and they are determined to make you their own.
Copy the link below to your browser for an excellent discussion how this transformation occurred: http://www.ourbetternature.org/throwaway.htm

By: megavideomovies

megavideomovies — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:04:54 +0000

find your site on google very good content keep it up .. tnk from israel

By: dry cracked fingertips

dry cracked fingertips — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:03:43 +0000

wouldn’t go that far.

By: party supplies

party supplies — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:42:55 +0000

Fantastic blog! I genuinely love how it is easy on my eyes and the information are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which need to do the trick! Have a nice day!

By: Shay Jansen

Shay Jansen — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:45:28 +0000

I find we live in a disposable society, nothing ever get’s fixed because it cost to much to get fixed, or it wasn’t built for repair or cost more to repair then it does to buy brand new.

We are a society where we want it now and we have it now weather we pay cash for this or we use credit. The avalibility of credit in America is amazing! I live in Australia and to obtain one credit card you have to have a clear credit rating if you have any marks on your credit history file forget about getting fincace unless you go to one of these companies that will give you credit but at up to 30% interest.

We are a society of wants and not need’s anymore.

By: Lynnae

Lynnae — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 19:32:56 +0000

Thank you!

By: FIRE Finance

FIRE Finance — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 19:01:59 +0000

A very nice post which we have listed as our favorites. Keep up the excellent blogging!
Cheers,
FIRE Finance

By: Lynnae

Lynnae — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 16:04:05 +0000

Yeah, marketing is the enemy. My husband works in advertising sales, and I often tell him he works for the enemy. :)

By: Fabulously Broke

Fabulously Broke — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 12:59:54 +0000

I agree with Marsha’s point.

“You deserve it.”

“You’re worth it.”

“You’ve worked hard for it.”

That keeps coming up again and again in marketing…. and it DOES make you think: Hey! I worked 47 hours this week. I DESERVE a treat!

-sigh-