Buy handcrafted and local and spend more $. Or big chains- spend less.

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   Co-Dposted 12 years ago

   I feel that it is important to buy local as much as possible. Not only is it usually more quality items when you buy handcrafted goods, but you are supporting that you can see, touch, and feel. And I think to many people depend on Walmart and other gross chains to support their needs and mainly wants.
   I would like to know how other people feel.

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      JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      There are pros and cons to it. Imagine if everyone bought 100% local... we wouldn't have most of our innovations. Buying cheap actually allows for more creation of wealth, more money transfer, more innovation, etc...
      
      Has its downsides too.

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         Co-Dposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I agree there are positives and negatives to each side. You make great valid points. I just believe to many people rely on big business to much. What would you rather have a $50 dresser that last one year or a $300 dollar dresser that could last a hundred years. But as far as electronics, cars and that sort of stuff. well I would never buy handmade.. lol

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            JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Well, it depends. If my budget is low, I'd rather get a $20 coffee table at IKEA that won't be any good once we move. But yeah, some things I prefer local(like food)

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         John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         There is a difference between "as much as possible" and "100%".

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            JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            And if you eliminate something and look at the results, you can see the effect of that thing.
            
            Everyone loves a scapegoat, so many people blame global markets and big businesses.

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               John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               That's probably because global markets and big business is responsible for many of the worlds ills.
               
               Tell me, how do McDonald's benefit Ulan Bator?

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                  JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Don't know Ulan Bator, so I don't know.
                  
                  McDonald's makes a lot of people happy, at the cost of their wallets and often their health... but that's their choice. 'Pursuit of happiness' and all.

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                  JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Not to mention your fallacious argument. What is true of the part isn't necessarily true of the whole. Just because one 'X' does something bad doesn't mean all 'X's are bad. Punish the individual, not the group.

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                     John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     But when you say "global markets" you don't really mean that do you?
                     You mean a global Market for US businesses which is a whole different ball game.

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                        JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        No, I mean global markets, where lanes of trade are open for everybody.

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                           John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           That would be wonderful - when is it going to happen?

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                              JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                              Dunno

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                                 John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                 Me neither, but my best guess would be "not before the USA falls".

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                     Josakposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Properly regulated such enterprise would be fine, the problem is jurisdictional, while Coca Cola, United Fruit (now Chiquita banana) and Shell have all committed acts of murder abroad the countries where they do so are usually unstable and the authorities easily corrupted allowing corporations to do evil things (like kill union organizers) overseas so as to bring lower costs in the US. So as I see it the problem is not international business it's the improper regulation of it.

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   Co-Dposted 12 years ago

   We may not be able or even want to get rid of "big business" and chains. And I myself do not think they are all evil. But I think it is sad when a lot of children these days do not know what good food is, other than fast-food and microwave meals. Or that the are a walking advertisment for whatever comic book hero or whatever is flashy on their 50-50 poly-cotton blend K-mart shirt. (which is very uncomfortable in my opinion.) The making of certain types of clothes, perfumes, certain foods, and many other things used to be an art form. Now over many industrial years we or they or whoever has reduced it to a truly sad form just to put out as much volume as possible. What I'm trying to say is that quality always beats quantity in my book.

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