The American ethic.

American pride.. the pride of being an American...and the associated work ethic used to dictate that companies, big and small, tried very hard to innovate so they could build a better and better product and still stay competitive.   People wanted quality.  People wanted homes that would last for generation and cars that would last and could be easily repaired.

Then greed replaced pride.  Now companies try to figure out how to make their piece of crap or drill their well or provide their service in the cheapest and crappiest manner possible and still be able to sell their shitty junk...and still hold their price point.  So they cheat on engineering and safety and testing and the executives all become billionaires.

But there is a huge downside.  No one cares, because they will have moved to another job before it catches up...Like Dubya Bush did.   The downside is this:  Once you have committed to producing expensive junk...and that may work as long as everyone else is doing it too and the economy is strong. you make money, but you no longer make a product.  You make junk.  and when the economy fails, you don't have a good product to fall back on.  You have junk.

If you bought an Oster Blender in the sixties, you may still be using it.  If you buy one today, it will last a week or two.  No matter what you buy, it is likely to be junk.  Most supermarket food is junk.  ALL fast food is junk.  If I need almost anything, from a flashlight to an external hard-drive, I know I had better have more than one. and know where to get more.  And that's funny, because I have military web gear and flashlights from WWII which still work.  But if I buy a 'waterproof' LED flashlight for the bathroom, I know to buy them in a 12-pack.  

There are still thinks out there which aren't junk.  Ball/Kerr jars.  Cast iron cooking utensils.  High quality firearms.   I have a nylon fork/spoon combination that I have been carrying camping for forty years.  I am sure they are no longer made.  Even Tilley hats are getting cheaper.  Levis once laster forever.  The closest thing you can get to original Levis is made by Carhartt.  They still make real work clothes.

 

Cheaper is not better.  It's just cheaper.  We learned a horrible lesson and we have lost part of what made us Americans in the process.

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