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This economy is built on consumer spending,
buying new things every couple of years or even less. This system is not designed for repairs and long-lasting things, it is designed around replacement. As Pat says, planned obsolescence, the key trick that drives our capitalist/profit-seeking economy.
I have wondered, if we ever let this pyramid tumble by refusing to consume as much as we must to keep it rising, what happens next? There is planned obsolescence... Maybe there is also the inevitability of bubbles bursting and pyramids whose base finally crumbles under the weight on top.
I suspect we should all learn how to fix things and how to grow food.
posted by
Ciel
on July 10, 2015 at 9:45 PM
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Yes dear one that is business it is made with the bank in mind first then the trash heap over and over. I love that old car, so neat.
posted by
Justi
on July 10, 2015 at 12:05 PM
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I have heard many Americans say the same as you. I also agree and we are creating
too much waste. Too much plastic....
posted by
Vermont01
on July 10, 2015 at 8:20 AM
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It is true, washing machines now conk out after a few years and it costs more to repair them than to replace them. Once one could just tip them up and slide in a few bearings.
It is the throw away age, somehow I think money is involved. I admit I did give my hat to Archie today because I had my new Bora Bora something come via Amazon designed
you know where but made in Vietnam.
posted by
C_C_T
on July 10, 2015 at 6:56 AM
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"planned obsolescence."
Sometimes I think the powers that be think of common people in the same way... Hope I'm wrong about that.
posted by
Pat_B
on July 10, 2015 at 6:02 AM
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Oh, yeah, things are not made to last like they used to be...It seems like nowadays, too, televisions come with multiple remotes. I have often said with all the technology we have, why can one remote not do the job?
posted by
FormerStudentIntern
on July 10, 2015 at 5:15 AM
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Lifestyles, mindsets have changed so much and everything around us reflects that.
posted by
shamasehar
on July 9, 2015 at 10:35 PM
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The problem is it costs too much to repair an item. They charge just to take a look at it. It is unfortunately much cheaper in the long run to just junk it and buy a new one.
posted by
Annicita
on July 9, 2015 at 7:46 PM
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Yes, I agree. Sad and pathetic, too. We have indeed become a world of wasters.
posted by
lovelyladymonk
on July 9, 2015 at 7:03 PM
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We all miss the old days when man and his belongings were much more valuable
posted by
Chuck_E_Ibrahim
on July 9, 2015 at 4:27 PM
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Kabu
I know there's a lot of junk around, but that does not apply to cars. I'll give you a quote:
'Whether by necessity or choice, U.S. motorists are holding onto their cars for longer than ever, with the age of the average vehicle on the road at a record-high 10.8 years, according to the research company R.L. Polk in Southfield Mich. By comparison, the average life expectancy of a new car in 1930 was a scant 6.75 years. Fortunately, today’s cars are more than up to the task of going the distance.
“Owners who keep their vehicles beyond the manufacturer’s warranty period are able to have greater peace of mind that vehicles are becoming increasingly more dependable,” says David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power and Associates.' (Forbes)
I should add that the distances driven are proportionately higher as well!
Being a bit of a car freak, I have known for a long time that our cars are better than they ever were! So, not everything is going to helll in a handbasket, LOL...
posted by
Nautikos
on July 9, 2015 at 1:29 PM
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