For the long version of the background for this question, check out http://www.storyofstuff.com/.

The short version: Basically, the demands of the American consumer for cheaper goods encourages the depletion of resources, the destruction of the environment and the exploitation of the people of other countries. In other words, to make things cheaper for us to buy, corporations seek out the cheapest and easiest way to make things and get them to us. Usually, this involves going into a country, irresponsibly using up their resources, damaging their environment and paying their people to work in dangerous working conditions for daily wages lower than a McDonald’s cashier’s hourly pay. The corporations keep doing this because we always want more stuff, and we want it cheap.

I think most conscientious people like myself would worry a little bit about this situation, but what can be done? Sure, I don’t need an iPod, but what about items that are more necessary, like pens, frying pans, blankets, footwear, shampoo, hats, furniture, underwear and the like? These are items that I try to get the cheapest deal on, but that just keeps the status quo, doesn’t it? When you’re on a budget, there isn’t much choice is there?

On a related note, I read an article somewhere about how items priced “in-the-middle” are disappearing; most consumer goods are either cheap, low-quality, mass-produced items, or high-priced, brand-name luxury items. So you either have to buy crap that won’t last long or break your budget to buy something made for the wealthy. I experienced this personally when looking to buy bookshelves last year: nice wooden ones would set be back more than $500, but the only alternative was the crappy pressed-board BILLY bookshelves from IKEA at $80. Due to necessity, I bought the latter.

So, the question is: what to do if you want to be a conscientious consumer that doesn’t propagate the currently flawed system of mass-production and distribution? What can be done to fix the system?

Topics: economics, consumerism, corporations, change, options, morality, guilt, responsibility, necessities