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> Buy Nothing Day is a day of protest against consumerism. This is basically counterproductive. The problem with consumerism is buying things you would not oth
by kerkeslager 2y ago
> Buy Nothing Day is a day of protest against consumerism.
This is basically counterproductive. The problem with consumerism is buying things you would not otherwise buy (because you don't need or want them really). But obviously there are things that you do need/want, and if those things can be purchased on sale, failing to do so merely results in paying more money to the people driving consumerism.
If you want to protest consumerism (as I do), I suggest three methods of doing so which are actually effective:
1. Mindfully reduce what objects you own and what objects you take in. Read The Last Viridian Note [1] for a potential strategy for categorizing what objects belong in your life and don't.
2. When you mindfully conclude that you do, in fact, need/want something, exhaust all avenues for obtaining it for free, used, or locally, in that order, before buying from a retailer connected to the global supply chain.
3. Don't view ads. The entire raison d'être of capitalism is to provide the highest quality goods and services for the lowest cost. Advertising fundamentally breaks this premise because it allows lower quality goods and services at a higher cost to outcompete higher quality goods and services at a lower cost. Every dollar a company spends on advertising is a) not spent on creating a quality product and b) passed on to the consumer in the form of cost. More relevant-ly, advertising makes it much more difficult to mindfully reduce what you own and take in. No one is immune to advertising: modern manipulation tactics are more sophisticated than any of us can truly guard our psyches from: the only solution is abstinence.
[1] https://www.viridiandesign.org/notes/451-500/the_last_viridian_note.html https://www.viridiandesign.org/notes/451-500/the_last_viridi...
- cholantesh 2y ago>The entire raison d'être of capitalism is to provide the highest quality goods and services for the lowest cost. Quality is absolutely _not_ of paramount interest in capitalism; return on investment is.
- kerkeslager 2y agoIf that's your argument that capitalism should exist, it's not a persuasive one: why should people be given money for doing nothing ("investing")?
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- cholantesh 2y agoI'm not making any kind of argument, I'm simply describing capitalism as it is.
- kerkeslager 2y agoUgh. This is why the left can't get anything done--we're always getting divided over irrelevant details. Do you see how maybe that isn't a disagreement with what I said? You just jumping in to "correct" me without making any effort to understand what I'm saying is extremely counterproductive. Hint: maybe Google "raison d'être".
- cholantesh 2y agoI've been speaking French at an intermediate level for a couple of decades, but thanks. I'm happy to expand my critique to how your arguments all individualize responsibility for a systemic issue that requires targeted collective action and social transformation. This is not leftist strategy.
- kerkeslager 2y ago> I've been speaking French at an intermediate level for a couple of decades, but thanks. I didn't ask you to speak French, I asked you to put in any effort at all to understand what I said. Unsurprisingly, speaking has not conferred any understanding of what I said--you might try reading instead of speaking. > I'm happy to expand my critique to how your arguments all individualize responsibility for a systemic issue that requires targeted collective action and social transformation. Case in point: I'm puzzled where in my post you think I mentioned who I hold responsible for consumerism. It's certainly not individuals. But again, to know what I think you'd have to try to understand what I say. > This is not leftist strategy. Speaking as if you know what I think was bold, speaking for the entire left was bolder.
- noncoml 2y agoWhich if anything has exactly the opposite effect than what GP is claiming; sell the lowest quality goods and services(i.e. lowest cost) at the highest price possible.
- cholantesh 2y agoYes, exactly, as well as rent-seeking behaviour.
- trogdor 2y ago> Don't view ads. I don’t think that is possible. If you go outside, you will be exposed to advertising. And lots of it.