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I’m very tired of this outdated free market in a vacuum ideology that blames consumers for decisions made by and for the benefit of large corporations. Average

I’m very tired of this outdated free market in a vacuum ideology that blames consumers for decisions made by and for the benefit of large corporations. Average consumers weren’t clamoring for mass outsourcing, JIT supply chains, or even faster deliveries. These are all decisions that had far more value for shareholders and balance sheets than the average customer. What is the expectation, that individuals should turn up their noses at cheaper prices or faster deliveries to make a statement against globalization at their own expense despite having no real power to change it? I’m all for rejecting the supposed benefits of capitalism, but I don’t imagine that’s the goal for people who push this narrative of shifting the blame from literal decision makers with some hand-waving about “the market.” I’m sure in 5-10 years we’ll have similar revisionist claims that trickle down from The Economist and WSJ that we were all begging for every product to have data-harvesting apps and SaaS billing. Don’t complain, you asked for it.

fleddr 4y ago
I agree in part that this type of economy was "enforced". Still, it's absolutely critical to own our own role in it, as citizens and consumers. With the cheap unsustainable option being there, we all exploited it to the maximum. Also people that in no way needed to economically "optimize" like that. You have a point in that it is predictable human behavior. In the same way that stocking a grocery store for 75% with cheap tasty junk food on average will lead to an unhealthy population. We just don't have that much agency as we like to think to go for the right choice, the 25%. We act on impulse and instincts not made for this modern world. If that is true, then the more important point is that if we were to undo this mess (which I doubt), we must also accept the pain of the better way. To lose a portion of our fake unsustainable wealth. The problem is of course that people cling to it, even to incredibly recent products/services at a particular price. As if it forever was a right they were born with. Further, any politician to propose such policy is going to be wildly unpopular. We see a bad company but don't want to pay for the good company. We see bad politicians but vote away the good one. It's the main flaw of democracy: it has no solution for unpopular yet required measures.

fleddr 4y ago

I agree in part that this type of economy was "enforced". Still, it's absolutely critical to own our own role in it, as citizens and consumers. With the cheap unsustainable option being there, we all exploited it to the maximum. Also people that in no way needed to economically "optimize" like that. You have a point in that it is predictable human behavior. In the same way that stocking a grocery store for 75% with cheap tasty junk food on average will lead to an unhealthy population. We just don't have that much agency as we like to think to go for the right choice, the 25%. We act on impulse and instincts not made for this modern world. If that is true, then the more important point is that if we were to undo this mess (which I doubt), we must also accept the pain of the better way. To lose a portion of our fake unsustainable wealth. The problem is of course that people cling to it, even to incredibly recent products/services at a particular price. As if it forever was a right they were born with. Further, any politician to propose such policy is going to be wildly unpopular. We see a bad company but don't want to pay for the good company. We see bad politicians but vote away the good one. It's the main flaw of democracy: it has no solution for unpopular yet required measures.