America the land of the consumers

Godot

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Re: America the land of the consumers

« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2007, 11:19:15 AM »

Quote from: Opmod on December 28, 2007, 11:02:33 AM

I have taken 3 sets of shoes to the cobblers for repair. 2 sets of VERY high end dress shoes and my Cowboy boots. BUT you cant really repair Atheltic shoes.

I will take mine to a cobbler until he tells me that they can't be helped any more. I had my last pair of cowboy boots at least 4 times and wore them for more than 10 years. The problem with repairing is that the price of repair is often at par or higher than buying a new pair.

Quote from: neue regel on December 28, 2007, 11:13:08 AM

Quote

Why should poor(er) people have to take anyone's hand-me-downs?

Um, because they can't afford to buy new stuff? Just a hunch...

We have a 'Give-a-kid-a-coat' campaign every year. People donate used coats, they are cleaned and repaired and given away to kids that need them.

It's called helping out a neighbor.

It's the expectation that poorer people should be happy with it, as if they don't deserve to have new things. See the rest of my post.

I completely agree with helping out neighbors and people in need, but like the Seinfeld episode suggested, there is a "give it to the poor, they should be happy with anything" mentality that robs people of their dignity at the same time it perpetuates class differences.


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neue regel

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Re: America the land of the consumers

« Reply #16 on: December 28, 2007, 11:34:37 AM »

The poor don't deserved to be looked down on at all. We should do everything we can to help them rise out of that condition.


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Opmod

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Re: America the land of the consumers

« Reply #17 on: December 28, 2007, 11:50:00 AM »

Quote from: Godot on December 28, 2007, 11:19:15 AM

Quote from: Opmod on December 28, 2007, 11:02:33 AM

I have taken 3 sets of shoes to the cobblers for repair. 2 sets of VERY high end dress shoes and my Cowboy boots. BUT you cant really repair Atheltic shoes.

That depends on the price of the shoes. My boots were about $450 new. The shoes about $200 each but I only bought one of them, the other was a gift.

I have an Aunt who is VERY well to do. She says every man should start his adult life with a well tailored suit and that is what she bought me for High School graduaition. Unfortunately the only part that will EVER fit again is the shoes.


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\\\"Something witty\\\" Some self impotant blowhard

Abraxas

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Re: America the land of the consumers

« Reply #18 on: December 28, 2007, 12:35:49 PM »

Quote from: neue regel on December 28, 2007, 11:13:08 AM

Quote

Why should poor(er) people have to take anyone's hand-me-downs?

Let's not be silly. It's also a tax deduction.


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Godot

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Re: America the land of the consumers

« Reply #19 on: December 28, 2007, 12:54:37 PM »

Quote from: Abraxas on December 28, 2007, 12:35:49 PM

Let's not be silly. It's also a tax deduction.

You got that right. I can't recall the study or the numbers, but most of the individual giving here in the US is done by people who are not well off. Something about knowing what it feels like, I would imagine, as they often don't qualify for an itemized tax return and thus wouldn't reap the benefit of declaring charitable donations. We give what we can, when we can irregardless. I offered my old washer for free up on the net this afternoon, and it's getting picked up tonight.

Quote from: Opmod on December 28, 2007, 11:50:00 AM

LOL. True about the price, myself I refuse to spend more than $100 on shoes of any kind except my new cowboy boots that I waited 7 years to get. As long as my shoes are shined, I figure that anyone judging me by my shoes isn't someone I need to do business with. But that's me.


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Retro Fit

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Re: America the land of the consumers

« Reply #20 on: December 28, 2007, 04:03:08 PM »

In America, businesses worth are judged by their ability to continually expand. Thus, if they make a product that is "to" good, or lasts "to" long. The worth of their business falls as does stock in their company. Companies that build bombs are going to go under without a good War. People will lose their jobs if things are built to well and if the war machine stops. So, the owners of Companies take measures to insure that their companies stay fluid and viable.
Fashion fuels the garment industries continual expansion. Politicians who are in bed with, or own stock in the armament industry keep the wheels of war turning. Other industries, I imagine, also do what they can to remain fluid. So, its not just our mind set that makes us rabid consumers, its also our fear of unemployment and our fear of a GNP thats lower then the year before. So, I guess you could say that fear of starving and ego fuels our consumer-istic ways.


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