In Praise Of Consumerism Summary

The main point of "In Praise Of Consumerism" by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. was that consumerism is very broad and relates to a lot of different features in everyone's everyday life. When Rockwell says "consumerism is just another word for freedom in the marketplace." What Rockwell is saying is that any person in the world can buy anything they want because of the widespread variety and costs. Any person could be rich or poor and still have some sort of option even if you had to scavenge materials and build your own item, consumerism plays a role.

In today's world technology advances and some people in the world just cannot keep up with it and give up, like smartphones even, I recall seeing an elder woman throwing a new smartphone at the
ground in a Verizon cell phone store awhile ago. People today also crave information and with consumerism they are given options to view info differently with your phone, laptop, or even tablet.

People in the world today not only want heat in the winter, but they also want air conditioning in the summer, to top that off those heating and air systems are advancing all the time.
When it comes to a variety or choice of products is when different manufacturers compete to make the better product. Rockwell says, "If something is broken, we want the materials made

available to repair it." I can really relate to that quote right now because while I'm writing this essay, I am also sewing my backpack together. I went to the local Pac-And-Save store to purchase that sewing kit and I was looking for the cheapest available, but there was only a choice of one but lots of variety in thread color sold separately.

I agree with Rockwell when he relates to people wanting creature comforts or a variety of necessities like food, wine, cleaning products, toothpaste, and razors. Some people are limited though when it comes to purchasing some bigger items like Heat pumps for homes or Air Conditioners. New units can cost upwards of 2,000 to 3,000 dollar range, but this is where "variety or choice" come into play and sometimes you can shop around for a used bargain or even get estimates on new equipment from different businesses to see where your going to save the most money. When money is not a problem people abandon old forms of communication or entertainment for "far superior modes of information technology." like Rockwell
said.

The world's economy is still not the greatest and because of that many people today want options and choices when it comes to buying anything.People are getting what they want to because of something called "Market Economy" says Rockwell. "Market economy," in Rockwell's definition "Is nothing but a bunch of people cooperating and innovating to make better lives for themselves." He also states that there is no "dog-eat-dog" competition which I disagree with. I believe that manufactures of products that consumers "want" also want there products to be the best so the people designing the product will do whatever it takes to make the other manufacturer look bad or there product look like junk.

In this quote Rockwell says, "But if by consume we meant to purchase products and services with our own money in order to improve the human condition, who can help but plead guilty?" I like that quote about consumerism because it affects our economy in a better way

while improving human health globally. In a earlier paragraph Rockwell says, "There's no dog-eat-dog." There is so much competition in the consumerism industry, when there's a new product there are all sorts of people out there to try and make it better. Manufacturers also try to make the product less expensive and so it appeals to a different group of people. If some company in America has a better reputation and they improve that product but maybe mark the costs up because that Made In America sticker costs a little more for labor will get some people to buy it for that reason only not the cost difference.

One thing that I think is very good about consumerism is that it can be used to better the human life, health, and just all around living. People are able to purchase things like cough medicine, or vitamins to help simple sicknesses. In the bigger aspects there are scientists that buy products to held find cures and help get rid of viruses.

Rockwell says, "The whole history of ideas about society has been spent trying to come up with some system that serves the common man rather than just the elites, the rulers, and the powerful." I don't understand what this quote means when I read it, but the next sentence kind of puts it in perspective for me, the story reads, " When the Market economy, and it's capitalistic structure, came into being, that institution was finally discovered." I derived this from that quote, that leading manufactures have more power over smaller companies.

Some People today let Greed take over and they buy "superfluous things" like Rockwell said. He also said, "who is to say what is a need versus a mere want?" I think It's all up to the person with the cash buying whatever products it might be. I agree to Rockwell when he says, " wants and needs are linked so the one person's necessities are met precisely because other people's wants are met." Here is an example, A farmer sells his crops to the Co-op And in return he uses the money, for seed, for the next year's crop.

Market Economy is King over some things in Life, don’t let it get the best of you though. Do research on products before you buy, look at customer reviews, ask people that have purchased a different brand of the same tool, or be straight forward and contact the manufacturer and ask about how many faulty units they have had or any complaints, any of those things can steer you in the right direction when fighting or loving Consumerism.