I’ve been noticing a trend lately, not a fashion trend. Consumers are paying more and getting less in return. Of course, I’m not talking about Burger King. I’m talking about the consumable society we are living in. Everything is throw away because you upgrade.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane (not my memory, I’m only 26), but let’s go back to the 50’s. That’s right the 1950’s, long time ago. Average price of a new car, “loaded” with air conditioning, was $4,000. Today the average new car with just the basics costs between $10,000 to $15,000. That’s a hell of a jump. But what cracks me up, that $4,000 luxury vehicle from 1950 stayed with a person, or family for 10-20 years. Today’s $15,000 manual windows and doors, well, that might stay until the notes are paid, but then again it’ll probably get traded in.
Cars aren’t the only consumable items that are pricy throw aways, no, there’s also, education, technology, and let’s not forget houses. I say education for one simple reason, I was getting a hair cut the other day. The stylist was on the phone with her daughter the entire time. They were talking about the paper that the daughter was supposed to turn in the next day. The kid wanted to know when mommy was “gonna finish writing the damn paper.” Why would a parent do their kids’ homework? Isn’t it enough that you do everything else for your kid?
Come on, school is preparation for the work force. It teaches children how to be somewhere they really don’t want to be for eight hours a day, with people they really don’t want to be around. The teachers give them homework. That’s a project for work, that’s all that is. I say until kids go out and earn a wage, than parents shouldn’t do their kids’ homework. If we do everything for children, then they won’t learn to be self-sufficient.
Which leads me to technology. I don’t think that technology is the root of all evil, but I think it’s in the running for second place. It matters not whether you buy a computer, iPod, and MP3 player, or camp outside the local Circuit City to be the first to get the new PS3; the technology is obsolete damn near before you get home.
Home, that’s right, houses are disposable too. While living in the Shreveport-Bossier area I have watched hundreds of homes being built. The edges of the cities are expanding. Beautiful modular homes, or built to suit. That’s great, but what about the houses that are already in the city? Falling apart, boarded up, in desperate need of repairs. Real estate is a national hobby; hundreds of trailers, and houses already in existence and we still have homelessness. People buying three or four houses, mansions across the world. I say, we take all these extra houses and let the homeless move in. Make them sign a contract, you know, good old fashioned indentured servitude, got to keep up the house, get a job, become a productive member of society.
Maybe that’s a little harsh, but I don’t care, we live in a consumable world, where everything’s throw away. If you don’t like it toss it in file 13, that good old circular file.
