Comments on: US Economy: You Think You are the Consumer, But You are Really the Product http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/ Firedoglake weblog Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:10:12 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Kassandra http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878795 Kassandra Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:37:09 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878795 <p>I agree with you. I never subscribe to the Judeo/Christain view that we are born sinful or bad. We just don’t seem to use all our facilities to think with. The emotions can tell us things the brain can’t and intuition can get us in touch with something greater, perhaps the common good which most refer to as GOD</p> I agree with you. I never subscribe to the Judeo/Christain view that we are born sinful or bad. We just don’t seem to use all our facilities to think with. The emotions can tell us things the brain can’t and intuition can get us in touch with something greater, perhaps the common good which most refer to as GOD

]]> By: ekunin http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878758 ekunin Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:58:09 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878758 <p>Let me suggest we are crazy, not inherently bad with a cerebral cortex glued onto a mammalian/reptilian brain. I suggest (so far I am its sole adherent)collective image psychology which holds that we become the species we think we are. If you don’t think utopia, a classless, moneyless society is an immediate human possibility, it is because of a negative perception of human nature.</p> <p>Be all that as it may, we should be discussing new approaches to oppose present policies. All may be lost, but we can’t know that. If we go down we may as well go down fighting.</p> Let me suggest we are crazy, not inherently bad with a cerebral cortex glued onto a mammalian/reptilian brain. I suggest (so far I am its sole adherent)collective image psychology which holds that we become the species we think we are. If you don’t think utopia, a classless, moneyless society is an immediate human possibility, it is because of a negative perception of human nature.

Be all that as it may, we should be discussing new approaches to oppose present policies. All may be lost, but we can’t know that. If we go down we may as well go down fighting.

]]> By: Kassandra http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878753 Kassandra Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:36:24 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878753 <p>Oh I don’t know…cows and chickens are pretty dumb. Homo Sapiens Sapiens worst evolutionary flaw may well be our intelligence. The problem, as I see it is that darn cerebral cortex glued onto a the mammalian/reptilian brain which causes us to believe we know something different than what our instincts and senses are telling us.</p> <p>We are NOT integrated. And all the philosophy and religions in the history of the world cannot substitute for that good ol’ “feets don’t fail me now” <em>fight or flight</em> voice yelling in our ears while we tell ourselves everything is just fine.<br /> Unfortunately, now that the powers that be have made sure the entire world offers no havens…well, we know what’s left…some of us; don’t we?</p> Oh I don’t know…cows and chickens are pretty dumb. Homo Sapiens Sapiens worst evolutionary flaw may well be our intelligence. The problem, as I see it is that darn cerebral cortex glued onto a the mammalian/reptilian brain which causes us to believe we know something different than what our instincts and senses are telling us.

We are NOT integrated. And all the philosophy and religions in the history of the world cannot substitute for that good ol’ “feets don’t fail me now” fight or flight voice yelling in our ears while we tell ourselves everything is just fine.
Unfortunately, now that the powers that be have made sure the entire world offers no havens…well, we know what’s left…some of us; don’t we?

]]> By: sadlyyes http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878694 sadlyyes Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:17:22 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878694 <p>cows are much SMARTER</p> cows are much SMARTER

]]> By: readerOfTeaLeaves http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878544 readerOfTeaLeaves Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:13:42 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878544 <p>Excellent reality check.</p> Excellent reality check.

]]> By: Kassandra http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878504 Kassandra Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:12:36 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878504 <p>The only way I can see to do this, being admittedly NOT an economist,is to demand quality goods…from everybody, everywhere. We will, of course, have to pay more for them. that’s the short term pain when nobody has any $$.</p> <p>The politicians won’t listen to US, so we make the corporations listen. If we get crappy goods and services from them, take the stuff back to the store. That costs them $$. Write a letter to the “consumer” departments and complain.</p> <p>For instance, I spent most of my day taking back cat litter to Walmart, because it is now made in China and god knows what’s in it, but it was making my cats sick. It wasn’t fun and I HATE Walmart! I despise the corporation, I do not like the customers and I hate the low level of service there, etc.<br /> But, I finally found something made in the USA that doesn’t stink up my house like a cheap sachet and make my cats sneeze to walk in the room with it. The other stuff gave me a headache.<br /> I don’t want their stinking poison in my house.</p> <p>I’ve watched the quality of goods and services go down, down, down in the last 9 years. I’m frankly sick of this “planned obsolescence” that the corporations have actual divisions to make sure the stuff breaks after a certain time period. And here we are, throwing our trash in the oceans when we should be conserving like hell.</p> <blockquote><p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/12/david-de-rothschild-plastiki-pacific" rel="nofollow">Eco-warrior sets sail to save oceans from ‘plastic death’</a></p></blockquote> <p>I keep fixing my old stuff, including my car. It keeps my $$ in the local economy and I get longer service out of it.<br /> I don’t even WANT the new crap they want me to have.<br /> Maybe I’m way off base with what Stirling is trying to say. But I want to cost these M*thaf*ckers as much as I can before they take everything away with their Ponzi schemes.<br /> Class action lawsuits may be the way to go, I think. The ACLU; the lawyers on this board and others. Sue ‘em till they scream.</p> <p>They’ve turned US and everybody else into a herd of cows and I won’t join the chorus of moos</p> <p>PS: I’ll not even go into what my bank is doing to me, I’m starting to suspect they are going under.<br /> Crazy times.</p> The only way I can see to do this, being admittedly NOT an economist,is to demand quality goods…from everybody, everywhere. We will, of course, have to pay more for them. that’s the short term pain when nobody has any $$.

The politicians won’t listen to US, so we make the corporations listen. If we get crappy goods and services from them, take the stuff back to the store. That costs them $$. Write a letter to the “consumer” departments and complain.

For instance, I spent most of my day taking back cat litter to Walmart, because it is now made in China and god knows what’s in it, but it was making my cats sick. It wasn’t fun and I HATE Walmart! I despise the corporation, I do not like the customers and I hate the low level of service there, etc.
But, I finally found something made in the USA that doesn’t stink up my house like a cheap sachet and make my cats sneeze to walk in the room with it. The other stuff gave me a headache.
I don’t want their stinking poison in my house.

I’ve watched the quality of goods and services go down, down, down in the last 9 years. I’m frankly sick of this “planned obsolescence” that the corporations have actual divisions to make sure the stuff breaks after a certain time period. And here we are, throwing our trash in the oceans when we should be conserving like hell.

Eco-warrior sets sail to save oceans from ‘plastic death’

I keep fixing my old stuff, including my car. It keeps my $$ in the local economy and I get longer service out of it.
I don’t even WANT the new crap they want me to have.
Maybe I’m way off base with what Stirling is trying to say. But I want to cost these M*thaf*ckers as much as I can before they take everything away with their Ponzi schemes.
Class action lawsuits may be the way to go, I think. The ACLU; the lawyers on this board and others. Sue ‘em till they scream.

They’ve turned US and everybody else into a herd of cows and I won’t join the chorus of moos

PS: I’ll not even go into what my bank is doing to me, I’m starting to suspect they are going under.
Crazy times.

]]> By: ekunin http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878493 ekunin Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:46:32 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878493 <p>What is the physical crisis you refer to? Torches and pitchforks?</p> What is the physical crisis you refer to? Torches and pitchforks?

]]> By: jessicayogini http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878490 jessicayogini Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:32:53 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878490 <p>Stirling,<br /> Thank you so much. I don’t always agree with you. Hell, I don’t always fully understand you. But I appreciate having my vision expanded.<br /> I have followed you from one blog site to another. Next time you move, could you post something on the old site?</p> Stirling,
Thank you so much. I don’t always agree with you. Hell, I don’t always fully understand you. But I appreciate having my vision expanded.
I have followed you from one blog site to another. Next time you move, could you post something on the old site?

]]> By: jessicayogini http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878488 jessicayogini Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:30:41 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878488 <p>Another level to the crisis is that for around 40-50 years, the economy has wanted to shift more to knowledge production, but no one has the social rules/structure to do that. A knowledge-centered economy requires 1) That knowledge creators are rewarded 2) That knowledge be spread to the maximum. Copyrights/patents do 1); “piracy” does 2). Nothing does both.<br /> The result: the big projects that would create jobs and profits are not only impossible. They are unimaginable.<br /> So money with no place to go pours into Wall Street where it meets up with intellectual talent without an outlet. And boom.<br /> That’s the short version.</p> Another level to the crisis is that for around 40-50 years, the economy has wanted to shift more to knowledge production, but no one has the social rules/structure to do that. A knowledge-centered economy requires 1) That knowledge creators are rewarded 2) That knowledge be spread to the maximum. Copyrights/patents do 1); “piracy” does 2). Nothing does both.
The result: the big projects that would create jobs and profits are not only impossible. They are unimaginable.
So money with no place to go pours into Wall Street where it meets up with intellectual talent without an outlet. And boom.
That’s the short version.

]]> By: DrZen http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878471 DrZen Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:55:32 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/12/us-economy-you-think-you-are-the-consumer-but-you-are-really-the-product/#comment-1878471 <p>No pain, no change.</p> No pain, no change.

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