I hope hobgadling doesn't mind, but I thought this was a good comment
In regards to my comment about small people & big rooms:
Our cars and houses have gotten bigger because our economy is built on growth and consumption. Since the people running our corporations continue to act in the interest of the company, they make decisions which are good for companies at the cost of people, etc.
I think this is a great point. I think businesses push bigger quantities to increase consumption to increase profits to increase consumption...ad infinitum- this is so true. But one thing I think needs to change about the way we perceive the consumer/mega-corporation relationship is the role of the consumer. I can't believe I'm saying this, but in this one small sense I think Bono was right, that every dollar we spend is a vote. Shopping is political, and as much as large corporation backed by sell-out politicians put pressure on us to buy completely unneccessary items in large quantities, we still don't have to. Southpark was right, if we don't like Wal-Mart we can look in the mirror for a solution to the problem. I think it's tempting and easy to place all the blame on some amorphous power-figure, but that partly let's us conveniently avoid our own responsibilities or role in the equation.
Our cars and houses have gotten bigger because our economy is built on growth and consumption. Since the people running our corporations continue to act in the interest of the company, they make decisions which are good for companies at the cost of people, etc.
I think this is a great point. I think businesses push bigger quantities to increase consumption to increase profits to increase consumption...ad infinitum- this is so true. But one thing I think needs to change about the way we perceive the consumer/mega-corporation relationship is the role of the consumer. I can't believe I'm saying this, but in this one small sense I think Bono was right, that every dollar we spend is a vote. Shopping is political, and as much as large corporation backed by sell-out politicians put pressure on us to buy completely unneccessary items in large quantities, we still don't have to. Southpark was right, if we don't like Wal-Mart we can look in the mirror for a solution to the problem. I think it's tempting and easy to place all the blame on some amorphous power-figure, but that partly let's us conveniently avoid our own responsibilities or role in the equation.