sappatoti
Posts: 14844
Joined: 10/30/2006
From: the edge of darkness...
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quote:
ORIGINAL: thompsonx
quote:
Consumers want...
Consumers don't tell producers a fucking thing.
Oh, really? I guess, then, that the times I have asked for stuff to be made and for which I have received as ordered, is not a result of my order but the result of... what, again?
quote:
ORIGINAL: thompsonx
Did consumers tell the ice cream manufacturers that they wanted a half gallon with 54 ounces in it?
(Looking at the label of the ice cream in my freezer... funny. It doesn't mention, anywhere, about there being 1/2 gallon. It does advertise that it is 54 fluid ounces. [... shrugs ...] Looks like I'm getting what I paid for.)
Depends upon which dairy you're talking about. Go to a local ice cream shop where you can see them pack the goods up, ask to get 1/2 gallon, and you get a full 1/2 gallon container. Imagine that. If the only shopping choice available is one of the large grocery chains, a consumer can ask the manager to make sure the goods they get are full; if not, don't buy them. Consumers do not have to buy ice cream; there are other cold, creamy dessert options out there.
quote:
ORIGINAL: thompsonx
Did consumers tell the coffee people that they wanted a 13 ounce pound?
(Interesting. The can of coffee sitting in the pantry is labeled 11.5 oz. While it may look like the same sized can that formerly held one pound, it's clearly labeled as not.)
As above, don't buy the product if the producer is regularly shortchanging on their quantity. Pretty simple. Again, there are other coffee vendors out there, even those online.
quote:
ORIGINAL: thompsonx
Did consumers tell the car companies they wanted cars that get ten miles to the gallon?
(To be honest, with regards to the last car I bought new, fuel economy, while being important, was not the ultimate feature I sought. Rated higher than fuel mileage, in my list of wants, were a combination of features, or rather, a combination of features I did not want. Had I not found that car on any of the dealerships' lots in my area, I was willing to place a factory order to get the car I wanted.)
If they purchased them, they affirmed it. The producers took a chance on a product of their own design and created an effective marketing campaign that tugged at the emotions of some consumers. So what? Obviously, fuel mileage was not an issue to those consumers but the other amenities of those vehicles were. There are plenty of consumers for which fuel mileage does matter and they have voiced their desires to auto manufacturers, for there seem to be an ever increasing number of different models that have increased fuel economies. Let's not forget the small but growing number of all-electric models that are becoming available, due to consumer demand I might add.
quote:
ORIGINAL: thompsonx
Did consumers tell the shoe manufacturers that they wanted $200 sneekers?
(Personally, I have no need to be part of the "in" crowd and seek out specific brand names. The sneakers I bought many years ago, for about 1/10 of the cost cited in this example, are still going strong and serving me well. No, they don't have any swooshes on them or other nifty marketing gimmicks, yet they do they job I need them to do quite sufficiently.)
They affirmed it when they bought them. There are plenty of other options for sneakers that cost many times less than this example. They may not have the cult appeal of well-known brands, but they are just as usable and last just as long, maybe longer, than those expensive shoes. Because some consumers are willing to pay that much for sneakers doesn't mean the rest will.
quote:
ORIGINAL: thompsonx
Did consumers tell the beef producers that they wanted their beef injected with hormones and antiboitics?
This is a valid point and one that is being addressed by consumers, advocacy groups, and even some government agencies to either prevent or to make the producers effectively label such modified products. Alternatives to the modified beef are available for those who wish to not consume these additives.
quote:
ORIGINAL: thompsonx
Those asshats sell us what they want.
Because they have consumers who are willing to purchase those goods from that small sampling that have been listed above. As long as such consumers exist, producers are going to push their envelopes and see what else they can be enticed into buying. I'm not willing to agree that ALL consumers fall into that category, however.
quote:
ORIGINAL: thompsonx
So please leave your econ 1A text book on the shelf...I have lived long enough to know that it is more bullshit.
It's good to dust off the elementary texts every once in a while, for they tend to remind us of the basics which, sadly, can be lost while debating the finer grained complex details. K.I.S.S.
I, too, have also lived long enough to know of what I'm writing. ;)
To bring this back on topic... regardless of whether consumers are coerced into buying "junk" or whether they decide upon alternatives of their own choosing, the point I'm making is that oil-based products are consumed by EVERY process that goes into their manufacture, use, and disposal. From the initial concept and design phases to the point where the consumer is tossing/recycling away the used carcasses, oil, in one form or another, has been consumed. To meet that demand, oil must be dredged up from what, at this point, seems to be the most lucrative places to obtain that resource, in terms of both quantities and profits, the ocean floors of the world.
Humanity has choices to protect those ocean environments. We can scale back all that we consume and, hopefully, reduce our need to tap those hard to reach areas; we can increase our safety knowledge, skill sets, and protocols so we can safely drill at these crushing depths and be able to contain the inevitable spills in short order; or we can switch our energy needs and manufacturing processes from being dependent upon oil to those alternatives that are quickly renewable.
Humanity, as a whole, is already trying to do all three of those things to meet our needs and wants. It may be happening at too slow a pace for some, or too fast for others, but it is taking place. We just have to be tolerant enough to deal with the consequences of the mistakes and missteps of our learning these things and make improvements as we stumble along.
[... edited for minor grammatical error ...]
< Message edited by sappatoti -- 5/11/2010 7:15:13 AM >
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