4 ms·

How is "modern capitalism" to blame? Modern capitalism allowed a small business to sell you the higher quality option, and you were able to direct your purchasi

How is "modern capitalism" to blame? Modern capitalism allowed a small business to sell you the higher quality option, and you were able to direct your purchasing power to the product you wanted. If you convince more consumers to do the same (like you are) big brands will loose money and change. That's capitalism. The best term I can come up with to describe the phenomenon you dislike is _modern consumerism_ (although not perfectly accurate). Many people now want more new stuff cheaper. That's what drives companies to produce things more cheaply.

eastbound 2y ago
The capitalist part is that the new options aren’t even cheaper anymore, but the manufacturer has cheapened out on material quality “because it earns more money”. However, one can blame capitalism, but the soviets also used to cheap out on material quality, shops, distribution, wages and maximize bribery.
- immibis 2y ago
  The Soviets were pretty capitalist. They just had an extra rule, that said only Dear Leader was allowed to have all the capital. Apart from that they worked the same way as any corporation while trying to pretend they were not exactly like a corporation (which is also something corporations do).
hamandcheese 2y ago
> Many people now want more new stuff cheaper. Yes of course, and that's why our grandparents got fewer things that cost more, because that's what they wanted.
TeMPOraL 2y ago
I think there's a mistake in your assumptions, in that the system delivers what people want. The feedback loop is broken; most sectors seem to be supplier-driven, which means people choose fuck all. Customers don't choose from space of possible goods of a given type - they choose out of what's currently available. It's increasingly hard for a quality good to compete now, when the competition can make shit stuff for much cheaper and lie to the customers about it being quality.

eastbound 2y ago

The capitalist part is that the new options aren’t even cheaper anymore, but the manufacturer has cheapened out on material quality “because it earns more money”. However, one can blame capitalism, but the soviets also used to cheap out on material quality, shops, distribution, wages and maximize bribery.

immibis 2y ago
The Soviets were pretty capitalist. They just had an extra rule, that said only Dear Leader was allowed to have all the capital. Apart from that they worked the same way as any corporation while trying to pretend they were not exactly like a corporation (which is also something corporations do).

hamandcheese 2y ago

> Many people now want more new stuff cheaper. Yes of course, and that's why our grandparents got fewer things that cost more, because that's what they wanted.

TeMPOraL 2y ago

I think there's a mistake in your assumptions, in that the system delivers what people want. The feedback loop is broken; most sectors seem to be supplier-driven, which means people choose fuck all. Customers don't choose from space of possible goods of a given type - they choose out of what's currently available. It's increasingly hard for a quality good to compete now, when the competition can make shit stuff for much cheaper and lie to the customers about it being quality.