Downsides of too much capitalism?
Downside 1:
When the cheapest source in Germany for two CDs by Gianmaria Testa (an Italian singer) ships the CDs from New Zealand (with a packing slip printed with an address in New Jersey, USA).
Downside 2:
The demand for cheap meat results in keeping chickens in overcrowded, insanitary conditions. Free-range birds cost about three times the price of battery-raised chickens, but the conditions they are kept in are considerably better. I remember as a child, we didn’t eat as much meat as families do these days – it was too expensive. But we probably were healthier as a result.
As a society, we need to look more critically at the logistics of producing and shipping consumer goods – it shouldn’t be cheaper to literally ship goods half way round the globe, rather than delivering from local suppliers. And the cheapest food is not necessarily the best, either for the consumer’s health or for the factory-farmed animals.
January 4th, 2008 at 14:01:17
great post.
this is why i stopped buying wine from america, south africa, new zealand & australia.
January 4th, 2008 at 17:01:03
yes, we try to patronize local shops in our village and buy food produced in Germany, or at least in Europe wherever possible.