There are no individualist solutions to systemic problems. Voting with your wallet is a lie, and ethical consumerism is a joke. You cannot fault someone who lives paycheck to paycheck, or people saving up for their kids’ college education, or paying down their chemo debt, for buying at the cheaper store, which Dollar Tree typically is, compared to local operations. The only solution here is strict government imposed regulation, and going “no u” at consumers is counterproductive as it only serves as a distraction from the real problem.
Generally the slightly more expensive shit is cheaper in the long run that’s the thing. And some people choose to spend more money buying shit om Amazon/Aliexpress/Wish etc instead of buying something similar locally.
Not Just Bikes makes a great video how the cheaper options like Walmart are actively destroying America. Partially because they more their profits to a company outside the US and partially because they remove jobs.
But yeah, shit is hard to fix in corrupt countries.
Generally the slightly more expensive shit is cheaper in the long run that’s the thing
I hear what you’re saying, I really am, but please be aware that you’re coming from a place of privilege, and that this kind of line hits just as tone deaf as telling a single mother working three jobs to feed her kids that “gee don’t you know it’s better to have a varied home cooked diet than microwave Mac and cheese?” Ultimately you’re putting the blame on the communities themselves with this kind of argument, which plays exactly into the personal responsibility myth that places like Dollar Tree and Shell live on. You’re distracting from actual solutions by doing this. It does the same as what carbon footprint and recycling do for oil companies, which is distract from real solutions.
Telling people to buy more expensive shit would work if there weren’t gigantic swathes of the population who literally cannot . They can’t do this. It is not possible. And then there’s the part of the population that won’t. It is not a solution. And Shell and Dollar tree understand this, and they welcome your free propaganda to distract from raising the minimum wage, corporate taxes, and enshrining workers rights. You’re damaging the cause. You truly are.
Yea you are right some people cannot do that, but there are a shit ton of people in first world non corrupt countries who literally waste money.
Some people need to hear that buying the cheapest thing is the right to do when they don’t have a choice, but some other group of people need the financial advice to do shit properly.
Telling people that buying the cheapest thing is good for some, but financially hurting others who can afford to spend 5 bucks instead of 1 on a better knife or whatnot.
We can have a whole other discussion about raising minimum wage cause that will drive costs up in certain sectors even more. Government’s need to step in and increase minimum INCOME. UBI etc.
Edit: i have seen people waste money on terrible products when they could afford better. There is a group of people who has the money but never really learned how to save and spend it properly to get the most out if it. Buying plastic plates every week or so is way more expensive than buying an actual plate.
How did we get rid of the hole in the ozone layer? Did we all individually cut down on our individual halocarbon usage, saw the hole shrink, and all held hands and sang kumbaya? No, we listened to scientists, and we took action on a government regulation level, and we solved it. Now compare that to oil companies wrecking the planet. We went the individualist route there, and it’s done nothing to solve the problem. You’re even admitting yourself that your individualist fairy tale nonsense is a distraction! “We can have a whole other discussion about raising minimum wage” (emphasis mine).
But yes we should listen to sciencists and other experts.
The minimum wage thing I can explain, in companies where a big part of the direct cost is the wage of the people working there (the service industries like restaurants or accountants etc). Increasing the wage will also increase the price of the services (or goods) they sell.
If costs go up they will either have to eat the loss, which is unsustainable or increase prices. Which is what a lot of restaurants have been doing especially since covid. Hence we are paying 3,5+ € for a beer here in The Netherlands.
A way to fix this is to give those people who need it suplemental income using social security. Same way as that the government here in NL pays companies money when they have somebody on parantal leave.
Another downside of reasining the minimum income is that in a lot of countries and or companies the higher wages are based on minimum wage. Often adding a certain percentage on top. So raising the minimum wage will also increase those.
I am all for everyone being able to afford all the basic plus have money extra for fun shir and that’s why I am all for an universal income, but I don’t dig the minimum wage income. However, minimum wage should increase at minimum with inflation until there is a UBI and then even that should increase with inflation.
There are no individualist solutions to systemic problems. Voting with your wallet is a lie, and ethical consumerism is a joke. You cannot fault someone who lives paycheck to paycheck, or people saving up for their kids’ college education, or paying down their chemo debt, for buying at the cheaper store, which Dollar Tree typically is, compared to local operations. The only solution here is strict government imposed regulation, and going “no u” at consumers is counterproductive as it only serves as a distraction from the real problem.
Generally the slightly more expensive shit is cheaper in the long run that’s the thing. And some people choose to spend more money buying shit om Amazon/Aliexpress/Wish etc instead of buying something similar locally.
Not Just Bikes makes a great video how the cheaper options like Walmart are actively destroying America. Partially because they more their profits to a company outside the US and partially because they remove jobs.
But yeah, shit is hard to fix in corrupt countries.
I hear what you’re saying, I really am, but please be aware that you’re coming from a place of privilege, and that this kind of line hits just as tone deaf as telling a single mother working three jobs to feed her kids that “gee don’t you know it’s better to have a varied home cooked diet than microwave Mac and cheese?” Ultimately you’re putting the blame on the communities themselves with this kind of argument, which plays exactly into the personal responsibility myth that places like Dollar Tree and Shell live on. You’re distracting from actual solutions by doing this. It does the same as what carbon footprint and recycling do for oil companies, which is distract from real solutions.
Telling people to buy more expensive shit would work if there weren’t gigantic swathes of the population who literally cannot . They can’t do this. It is not possible. And then there’s the part of the population that won’t. It is not a solution. And Shell and Dollar tree understand this, and they welcome your free propaganda to distract from raising the minimum wage, corporate taxes, and enshrining workers rights. You’re damaging the cause. You truly are.
Yea you are right some people cannot do that, but there are a shit ton of people in first world non corrupt countries who literally waste money.
Some people need to hear that buying the cheapest thing is the right to do when they don’t have a choice, but some other group of people need the financial advice to do shit properly.
Telling people that buying the cheapest thing is good for some, but financially hurting others who can afford to spend 5 bucks instead of 1 on a better knife or whatnot.
We can have a whole other discussion about raising minimum wage cause that will drive costs up in certain sectors even more. Government’s need to step in and increase minimum INCOME. UBI etc.
Edit: i have seen people waste money on terrible products when they could afford better. There is a group of people who has the money but never really learned how to save and spend it properly to get the most out if it. Buying plastic plates every week or so is way more expensive than buying an actual plate.
How did we get rid of the hole in the ozone layer? Did we all individually cut down on our individual halocarbon usage, saw the hole shrink, and all held hands and sang kumbaya? No, we listened to scientists, and we took action on a government regulation level, and we solved it. Now compare that to oil companies wrecking the planet. We went the individualist route there, and it’s done nothing to solve the problem. You’re even admitting yourself that your individualist fairy tale nonsense is a distraction! “We can have a whole other discussion about raising minimum wage” (emphasis mine).
Sorry but I don’t follow you.
But yes we should listen to sciencists and other experts.
The minimum wage thing I can explain, in companies where a big part of the direct cost is the wage of the people working there (the service industries like restaurants or accountants etc). Increasing the wage will also increase the price of the services (or goods) they sell. If costs go up they will either have to eat the loss, which is unsustainable or increase prices. Which is what a lot of restaurants have been doing especially since covid. Hence we are paying 3,5+ € for a beer here in The Netherlands.
A way to fix this is to give those people who need it suplemental income using social security. Same way as that the government here in NL pays companies money when they have somebody on parantal leave.
Another downside of reasining the minimum income is that in a lot of countries and or companies the higher wages are based on minimum wage. Often adding a certain percentage on top. So raising the minimum wage will also increase those.
I am all for everyone being able to afford all the basic plus have money extra for fun shir and that’s why I am all for an universal income, but I don’t dig the minimum wage income. However, minimum wage should increase at minimum with inflation until there is a UBI and then even that should increase with inflation.