Before factories, most folks had a plate. One. And a knife. Maybe a fork. And probably a homemade table and chairs or benches. And some cooking tools. And rich people had several, of better quality, each one hand made. After factories, the quality of the rich person’s things remained the same or actually dropped… but EVERYBODY could afford plates plural, knives and maybe even a factory-made table.
Going back to local artisans is a nice idea, but it’s going to be expensive. It may be that we’re rich enough to do that … and some of us are rich enough to afford personal services too. But I suspect we’ll still be buying a lot of stuff from places where labor costs are small (that MIGHT be US factories staffed by robots, though)
As a blanket statement, I’d say we DON’T have an obligation to “keep the economy going” That said, it’s still an efficient way of doing things or it wouldn’t have evolved this way. And THAT allows us time to do our handmade things.
A service economy isn’t very reliable, since it’s the first thing to go when times get hard. People need goods and can’t do without them. They want services.
Companies are going in Frazz’s direction but it’s not working the way he wants. I want to buy a TV and then have entertainment all paid for; the content suppliers want me to ‘subscribe’ and keep paying. I want to buy a computer program and have the functionality all paid for; the “app” suppliers want me to license the functionality and keep paying. His “service economy” doesn’t keep the work local, it doesn’t even supply many jobs abroad, they just keep charging for what you’ve already bought.
Almost the entire point of a free market capitalist model is that no one has an obligation to keep the economy going. The economy has the obligation to provide value. In that model nothing is compulsory. Someone has something to offer at a price, and someone else either agrees to that price or doesn’t. If the price is too high in general then the product disappears because no one values it that much, and if the price is too low, the product either disappears or increases in price because profit is required to fuel growth and stability. In fact the primary ways in which this system breaks down is when someone tries to interfere with it. Outsourcing only started due to extremely high corporate taxes as a really simple example. The movement to a service based economy mostly occurred due to the structure of permitting associated with making anything. Neither of which are driven by the free market. Do there need to be some rules and certain controls? Yes, of course, but much, much, much less than exist today.
Concretionist almost 3 years ago
Before factories, most folks had a plate. One. And a knife. Maybe a fork. And probably a homemade table and chairs or benches. And some cooking tools. And rich people had several, of better quality, each one hand made. After factories, the quality of the rich person’s things remained the same or actually dropped… but EVERYBODY could afford plates plural, knives and maybe even a factory-made table.
Going back to local artisans is a nice idea, but it’s going to be expensive. It may be that we’re rich enough to do that … and some of us are rich enough to afford personal services too. But I suspect we’ll still be buying a lot of stuff from places where labor costs are small (that MIGHT be US factories staffed by robots, though)
whahoppened almost 3 years ago
As a blanket statement, I’d say we DON’T have an obligation to “keep the economy going” That said, it’s still an efficient way of doing things or it wouldn’t have evolved this way. And THAT allows us time to do our handmade things.
Ignatz Premium Member almost 3 years ago
A service economy isn’t very reliable, since it’s the first thing to go when times get hard. People need goods and can’t do without them. They want services.
P51Strega almost 3 years ago
Companies are going in Frazz’s direction but it’s not working the way he wants. I want to buy a TV and then have entertainment all paid for; the content suppliers want me to ‘subscribe’ and keep paying. I want to buy a computer program and have the functionality all paid for; the “app” suppliers want me to license the functionality and keep paying. His “service economy” doesn’t keep the work local, it doesn’t even supply many jobs abroad, they just keep charging for what you’ve already bought.
42Irish Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Soon you will be renting most everything. U.N. agenda 2030.
seismic-2 Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Plus all the running shoes, workout clothes, fitness monitors, swim trunks, etc., from China.
Bilan almost 3 years ago
Why even bother with services, when we can buy things that don’t even exist, like bitcoins and NFTs?
GiantShetlandPony almost 3 years ago
There’s a factory near me rubbing it in that they don’t have supply chain issues. :D
ChukLitl Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Nobody on the other side of an ocean is coming to fix my heater or roof.
Thinkingblade almost 3 years ago
Almost the entire point of a free market capitalist model is that no one has an obligation to keep the economy going. The economy has the obligation to provide value. In that model nothing is compulsory. Someone has something to offer at a price, and someone else either agrees to that price or doesn’t. If the price is too high in general then the product disappears because no one values it that much, and if the price is too low, the product either disappears or increases in price because profit is required to fuel growth and stability. In fact the primary ways in which this system breaks down is when someone tries to interfere with it. Outsourcing only started due to extremely high corporate taxes as a really simple example. The movement to a service based economy mostly occurred due to the structure of permitting associated with making anything. Neither of which are driven by the free market. Do there need to be some rules and certain controls? Yes, of course, but much, much, much less than exist today.