involving many steps in manufacture, could cost so little. The
explanation is that prices are kept low by exploiting the
workers involved in the production, from those who extract the
raw materials, work in the manufacturing process, all the way
to the retail employees, who are underpaid and often work
without benefits. Often these individuals depend on public
assistance to meet their needs. The goal of distribution is to
keep prices down and products moving, and that is at the
expense of the public who must absorb the cost of caring for
those who are exploited, and the loss of natural resources.
After World War Two, President Eisenhower’s economic
advisors stressed that economic goal should be to produce
material goods for consumers. Consumption has become a way
of life instilled into us by advertising. One’s status is
determined by what and how much we consume. “The average
U.S. person consumes twice what they did fifty years ago.”
This is exacerbated by planned obsolescence and perceived
obsolescence. Planned obsolescence is designed into products
with the intention to limit the usable lifespan of the product, in
essence meaning everything that is purchased is intended by
the manufacturer to be disposable. Perceived obsolesce is best
understood by looking at clothing fashions. With each season,