Consumption & Corruption:

Yona F. Maro · 2009-02-05T13:43:33+00:00

Consumption & Corruption: Politics should be about equitable development and distribution of resources to benefit the most people. But, people are also responsible on how they affect each other by their consumption patterns. Think about it! In the last 10 years we have phone batteries that used to last 2 hours evolve to ones that stay a week. So Why is Panasonic still selling the same batteries??? It cost 30 billion to build a dam in Central Tanzania, if you gave away 3 million solar systems worth 30k to poor households, which would be more beneficial to the community? . But? Wait for it..... what would you 'charge' them. The whole system is about 'consuming' if I give you solar panels you will come back after 10 years. If I gave you solar chargeable batteries I would next see you after 5 years. Things are getting cheaper and cheaper, I recently found it is cheaper to buy a VCD player than fix one, its also easier to replace my printer than fix it. Instead of repairing your car when it gets spoilt just buy a new one every 3 years, get the picture. The system is designed to get you continuing to purchase not make you better off by providing a better product. I remember when I grew up we had nappies (yes am that old) you bought a full set and five kids and 15 years later you still had them. Now you buy pampers every month. Every kid. So long as you continue to consume you are part of the problem. The solution? buy what you need and buy what lasts not just everything you want. Its called built in obsolescence, they intentionally build things that are designed to become useless after a period that suits them and that requires you to spend. But, that's not enough we are also implicit and participate in this process. They convince us we 'need' to buy. The fashions that are changed seasonally in Europe are a perfect example. Itsnot that the clothes we wore last year are old or non-functional it is that we are convinced through clever marketing that we will only look good if wearing the latest fashions. So, we subscribe to the view that w need to buy and buy and buy and guess what we eventually come to adore, respect, worship those who buy the most expensive items. It is not that you actually need a 'Hummer', if you asked any rational Tanzanian male who studies cars with a passion they would tell you that the Toyota VX is a much better car on ALL and I mean ALL fronts. Guess it's a consumption thing. So the next time you find yourself looking at some gorgeous car/shoes/dress - choose your passion. Ask yourself, How will it really add value to MY life. And, Is it juct to impress her/him? You are a slave to the system ('Babylon') they just switched the carrot for the whip. OH, and how does this tie into corruption? Well do you imagine for an instant that a stolen billion shillings can be used productively? Can it? Tell me how

Thread starter Yona F. Maro
Start date Feb 5, 2009

Yona F. Maro

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