JHZR2
Staff member
I on't really care to let the manufacturer off the hook. That is not my point. Per my first post:
"I really dont know what people expect, when they want the lowest possible price at wal-mart, a booming economy with plenty of jobs available, high levels of human rights in third world countries and absolute responsibility from everyone but themselves to ensure all of this and more. "
That is my point. Something has to give. It is getting to the point where the only real chance for joe schmoe to move up and become really successful in this world is to screw up and win a lawsuit. Lawsuits are the redistribution of wealth, it seems in the 21st century.
Look at what people think of Marie Antoinette, when she stated that people should "eat cake". Its not that simple. We have a very jaded view of the world, which has only been facilitated by our self-interest and our relative isolation via industry that provides us what we want.
Now that there is a real divsion in wealth, and the forgotten folks of the third world come to be a viable population in the world economy, us relatively well to do "have nots" feel the pinch more and more.
So its not that the company shouldnt be to blame for making an inferior product, but that is merely engineering to a point that allows the dividend to be paid, the profit margin to be made, and us to have our wal-mart widgets at the same price or less, while the rest of the world moves up.
What gives?
All the while, mommy and daddy cant watch their kids, because theyre too woried about the bills and the taxes on their oversized mcmansion and SUV, which they bought to keep up with the joneses. They fall behind in watching and guiding their daughter, and what do you get once in a million, or once in a hundred thousand??? Something in the mouth of a seven year-old that does not belong, and the right allignment of the fates to let the magnet fail and be ingested to injure the child.
Why? Was it because the child was stupid? Likely not. Was it because the child was not trained and watched by the parents? possibly. Was the failure due to the fact that business will not operate at a loss indefinitely, and therefore inherently must maintain its profit level and sales for the world economy and status quo to reman the same? And, if that means reducing product quality so they can meet wal-mart's prce points, does that mean that they will consider the actuarial risk and allow the probability of major issues to come to fruition, while raking in the dough in the meanwhile??? I think that is the case.
And I do not think we can reasonably expect it to be any other way, considering the criteria that we require as a society in order to buy most goods. Mommy and daddy wouldnt be happy if their 401k didnt appreciate, and they wouldnt be happy if their daughter was unhappy because they didnt buy poly pocket, because it was $50 instead of $10. However, they also would be unhappy if they bought the $50 polly pocket and added onto their already huge credit card debt.
So what would you want to give??? Something has to... And, IMO, we bring it upon ourselves.
JMH
