The US raised as a model for Europeans

From consumption to waste

Along the XX^th C, consumption has become much less of a necessity (buying and eating) but rather a way of life, a behaviour and a culture. The all-important consumption creed has taken on with people because it has become a cultural trait. Flyers and printed ads have hugely contributed to this fact, the radio, then television have been and still are the main instruments for propaganda to lure people into adhering to this civilization of waste. ^[1]

See the article consumption.

This does not means we must turn our back on progress! Thanks to the industrial revolution, we can make affordable household appliances that really bring comfort to our lives and ease our daily chores, eg vaccum cleaners, smoothing irons, washing machines. As Martin Luther King, Jr. would have it: "All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem."

Though it already existed in the XX^th C., it's only since 1945, after WWII, that consumption society really developed. It spread throughout Europe owing to the positive image the victorious Americans that had freed us left. At that time no one is aware of the looming horrors: Northern America appears as a leading model of progress. Unfortunately, some people still think so today and believe in the upcoming "miracle".

True it is that they invented this model of a consumption society^[2] in all its most mercantile and worst aspect; thus, eg, the supermarket in 1930, we can also mention the beginning of massproduction with Ford^[3] In Britain it won't come about before the late 50's.

The customer was but too happy to buy at a lower price, as this was the original aim of supermarkets. The snag is buying cheaper creates an urge to buy more, and eventually to waste away things, (even if wasting was not the norm in the 30's). In fact, it's not so much that the consumer wastes but that the system drives people to waste.

At first this was of course an opportunity for abuse: manufacturing appliances of very poor quality purposefully. Consumer foundations were created and disreputable manufacturers or shopkeepers were sued so that governments started passing laws to impose warrants. Today, retailers must guarantee the item they sell conforms with its intended use. The 2005 General Product safety regulations^[4] protects consumers against latent defects. Sometimes sellers will propose complementary commercial guarantees, which is a means to make more profit but they cannot in any way affect the consumer's rights.

So today, we find ourselves in a tricky and stupid situation with redondant warrants while the law provides a free guarantee; and anyway, no guarantee goes beyond 5 years; so if your appliance is not out of order before this time, you simply add to the company's profits! Modern appliances are more and more reliable, customer services are less and less needed and we get more and more service contracts.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-07