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http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html
I for one am part of the problem. I love new gadgets, new clothes, new DVDs, new books. I don't just throw things away though, I donate my old clothes to the local shelter and sell/give away older versions of things I own. I was very suprised about the concept of making things that don't last so you have to buy new ones, that is crazy. What do you guys think?
That's way too long.
Whatever point she's going to make, though, I'm probably going to agree with her. My family's a bunch of packrats, but when they try to get rid of something, they throw it on the curb instead of donating or finding some other use. But, hey, of course a society based on consumption is going to numb peoples' minds as to the repercussions. Hell, just the other day when I was taking the trash out to the curb with my little brother, who is about to enter college, I said to him, "It's funny, isn't it? We purchase things and suck them dry, then drag the discarded husks out to the curb for people to take away from us." His response, "Yeah, the garbagemen take our trash away. So?"
God Bless America.
You were surprised about that? Really?
I've been angry about that my whole life, but that's how capitalism works.
I guess I'll watch this. In any case, we've pretty much lived in the golden age of the world, and a lot of us live in a great place to enjoy it, and in the future, maybe in our lifetimes and maybe not, a lot of shit is going change and have to be scaled back.
My mother, incidentally, is all about chucking stuff that is perfectly useful and updating it just to keep up appearances, and it drives me crazy because I like to squeeze every bit of life out of everything I have.
Why are they selling dvd's?
So they can use the money to buy stuff.
she should have used a different example other than computers when talking about consumption. that bit was absolute hogwash in all aspects. innovation drives the change and in computers change can be quantified and shown in size or speed.
also the single component replacement may be a driving factor because system architecture changes around it, but along with that also comes better equipment and more functionality all around. this chick might as well ride a round rock with a stick through the middle flinstones style if she thinks that what she is saying is anything but a half truth for that segment
other than that the presentation was well done and the stages of the cycle were layed out nicely.
so they can increase the demand for un-educated miners in south africaQuote:
Why are they selling dvd's?
Ah, another fun reason for me to hate being American...
She makes good points. What she says makes logical sense, regardless of the validity of the numbers used to make those points and despite her conjecture.
However, it sounds like she's a little unfairly angry at some computer company or another for her old-ass machine being declared obsolete. To add to D_N_G's point, the newer and better software requires the newer and better hardware and it isn't just the small piece that changes every year.
That doesn't invalidate the goodness of the video, though.
Its called planned obsolescence. Do you really think it has taken them 10 years to think of putting 5 blades in your razor?