Want, Want, Want

In a day an age obsessed with wanting the newest and latest craze.  Or even just needing some everyday necessities.  America is the land of having the best and owning the best.  We live in a materialistic world.  It was just how we were born and raised.  Now, seriously ask yourself the following question.  Do you really need that new iPad 3?  Do you really need that BMW?  Do you really need to smoke Cuban cigars?  Do you really need to drink $300 scotch?  Do you need any of this ludicrous or ridiculous things?  If you said yes?  Then welcome to your average American.  If you said no, well then, welcome the very few and far in between.  

Now the question is what am I?  Well, I guess you can say I'm the first guy.  I'm the guy that believes working extremely hard entitles you to have nice things.  They don't have to be everything, but at least owning a couple of nice things don't hurt.  I'm a firm believer of earning everything that I get.  So, if I worked extremely hard for something, aren't I deserving of owning something nice?  I believe I'm entitled to that.  

But Wei, if you buy that iPad 3?  Aren't you putting in to what all the slave labors and terrible work conditions in China is?  Aren't you feeding corporate greed and funding the 1%?  Doesn't this weigh on your conscious?  Well, either I'm cold-hearted, or I'm trying to think practical here.  Where else am I suppose to get a Macbook?  Where else am I going to get a iPod?  Where am I'm going to get a pair of Nikes for running?  Where am I going to be able to smoke the boutique cigars that I enjoy?  Yes, I am harboring the terrible labor laws that are occurring in China/Vietnam/India/Singapore, and all those other great places.  However, what can I do about it?  Stop buying the products you say?  Okay, that's fine I can?  But how come it never goes away?  I'm one man?  If we all stop it, then what? Apple goes out of business, Nike goes out of business, all those big companies go out of business?  What happens to America?  Our shit goes down the toilet, not like it hasn't been in the last few years, but it sure as all hell is going to be ten times worse.  

I'm not saying that what all these companies are doing is right, in fact I know it's wrong.  However, until China, or all those other countries find ways to control their own labor laws, and economic structures, big business will be there taking advantage of their cheap labor.  I agree, it's bad, but in the end the almighty dollar controls all.  And if big business is not going to be taken advantage of by the loopholes that are presented, then why are they even big business.  It's easy to say bring the companies back and force them to build their products here in the states?  However the world is a global economy.  

Look what I'm trying to say is, if a product is provided, and it's the best darn product on the market, I'm not going to go out of my way to not purchase it.  That's just plain retarded.  It's like being given a choice of choosing either a skirt steak or a rib eye, and you choose the skirt because you think that it will help 300 Chinaman make more money.  It doesn't work that way unfortunately.  In the end, those 300 Chinaman, will not feel your generosity of choosing the inferior cut, in the end, they will still be paid the same wages, and they will continue to make the same product whether you choose to buy or not.  

Well for all that I offended, my sincerest apologies, but if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to listening to my iPod, and then head for bed.