In the early days things were made out of cast iron with a porcelain cover. Then they came out with stainless steel and pro and priced it as if it were gold (sinks, tubs (plastic), microwaves, toasters, refrigerators…). And now, the sinks for example are pretty cheap in stainless steel, so are toasters, refrigerators still cost a pretty penny -washers and dryers as well. But here’s the thing 🤔 People have made a shit load of money off of stainless steel 🙄 appliances. Then all of a sudden, it’s the cast iron porcelain appliances (sinks and tubs) that cost an arm and a leg and the stainless is dropped out with regard to certain things. People are now going around the country buying up old sinks and tubs extend tubs and trying to restore them and retire -That’s right, just like the old cars during the eighties and nineties, when people were going around the country buying them from from people’s backyards. It seems to me that back in the old days things were pretty simple and reliable. Nowadays, nowadays, things seem to be shifting according to whatever one person can get out of another person. While it’s true that there’s always been a certain number of people in the population doing so, it’s never been a part of the mainstream in this country – Allegiance 1st and foremost, was to the American Family -and the American dream. That’s “American Dream” not “individual dream”.
Prices were generally dictated according to cost, including overhead, demand… In most cases, a modest profit margin was tacked on ( People were not looking to retire to Monte Carlo on the sale of a few 1000 of their products). I think today, a lot of people could care less or less about all that -the term “profit margin” doesn’t even hold any relevance anymore -they just wanna get as much as they possibly can: (c + pm = sp doesn’t even factor in anymore); (c + whatever you can get away with = sp).
Some people are of the mindset that if you cannot defend what you have you don’t deserve to keep all that you’ve acquired. I say this, if you don’t have any compassion or empathy for your fellow human -beings, then you don’t deserve to keep all that you’ve acquired.
A bunch of people running around in this country -out for all they can get and with no thought or consideration for their fellow human-beings and how they are being affected whatsoever (immaturity and warped thinking).
1 or 2 things I’ve managed to figure out through all of this 🤔:
The humble people in Alcoholics Anonymous don’t seem to have a problem with what I have to say; so explain to me why you do? I’ll say it one more time and maybe this will give you a hint: The humble people and alcoholics and autumn is don’t seem to have a problem with what I have to say… so why do you? The answer is right in front of you!*
About ten years ago, Superbowl tickets went thru the roof. It was discovered that billion dollar companies were buying 100s of tickets for clients who, in many instances could give a damn about football. So much for the little boy or girl, and their life-long dream. See what happens when people no longer give a damn about their fellow man? During this time I stumbled across something very interesting 🤔: Stadiums and arenas were basically staying the same; but the number of millionaires and billionaires was steadily growing -so the seat of the common man was being edged out by that of the millionaire/billionaire.** WE HAVE TO STOP PANDERING TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER -LIKE, NO OFFENSE, SOME HOOKER!
*This is a conversation I’m having with myself about some issues I’m having with some local people in the program. But there’s a real lesson in there -for us all.
**OK, what would happen if we froze everything? I mean 🤔 if the guy you buy from can no longer raise his prices, then you don’t have to raise yours -right? I mean 🤔 is what’s really going on here is man’s insatiable need to climb, to feel he is getting ahead (so he raises his prices)? But if, so-and-so raises his prices, and you raise yours, are you really getting ahead (some people though, will raise theirs X + $0.5…***)? Or, what if 🤔 we went back to the place where inflation was @ it’s lowest? Where the majority of Americans were able to enjoy life, and the American dollar was strong? Why can’t we do that? Well let’s try it from a different angle -WHO STANDS TO GAIN WHEN THD AMERICAN DOLLAR IS WEAK? Life among the living ALWAYS plays out like this, when somebody loses, somebody wins. Or, quite often, when a boatload of people lose, somebody wins 🏆. Which is just one of the things about God I absolutely love -when we play by His rules, EVERYBODY WINS! POINT BEING THIS, change under this type of system is ALWAYS MEASURED in terms of WHO IS GOING TO BE AFFECTED -AND HOW (MUCH LOL). Believe it or not, alot of changes, along with alot of the same-old, same-old are not being dictated by you or me, but by people with the power to make real change but choose to keep things JUST AS THEY ARE, because it is most beneficial to themselves-NOT US! People do this knowing 10s-of-thousands of people 🙄 and their children are suffering. SIGHS
***some people see change as an opportunity -always!****
****I notice that when a crisis hits, and things go up -they don’t always go back down (as quickly). Gold was slow in going up (I mean in terms of hitting the sales floor -people didn’t know what to make of it) the first time. Then it dropped back down -but people kept their prices up 🤷♂️🤷♀️.