Why did the United States Stop laughing at the “junk” coming out of Japan and Germany? It is simply just this, we discovered that they don’t make junk, never did, but we do, now. Our engineers no longer design products to perform their function to the best of the engineer’s designing capabilities, and the level of technology available. We design JUNK . . . intentionally. We are the ones who now make the crap we used to laugh at. We are the Butt of the joke, and it is all thanks to the front office. I am not going to explain the reasons that corporations decided to put “stockholders” ahead of the people who actually PAY those stockholders . . .those people would be you and me, here and forward referred to as the “consumer.”
SO, what happened to the Country that put Neil Armstrong’s foot prints on the moon almost 4.5 DECADES ago? We can send Twenty-four human beings to the moon and back, but we cannot make a coffee maker that lasts more than six months? A SUV who’s rear suspension is not designed to collapse while driving? Is this true? IS their something mysteriously complex about Coffee Makers in general, that make them so DAMN complicated that we cannot make one to last? Does “Made in America” have to to mean “Made to Fail?
So if a product is poorly made is it the engineers fault? Is it the guy or gal making the parts that are going into the product at fault? Maybe it is the people who put them together, is it them? Maybe it is just that American workers just don’t give a shit? If you are a Board room executive, then all four or any of the four are what you would like us to believe. There is really only one reason that American’s turn out crap, America makes CRAP because the Corporate heads want it that way. It is true, as a Master Machinist of over 35 years. I have watched the decline in manufacturing, and the decline comes from the Front office. No Where Else. But Why?
The words are: “Planed Obsolescence,” and it is a phrase that has nearly single-handedly, become responsible for: overfilled landfills, and MASIVE waste of natural resources. Planned Obsolescence is simply put: Designing something to Break, preferably within a very accurate timeframe, and don’t laugh but it is SUPPOSED to break just after the warrantee is done, truth. Why DOES the coffee maker break one year and 2 months after you bought it, and two months after the warrantee is gone? It was a set of very skilled Engineers that designed that failure into that device. Planned obsolescence is one of the major drivers of the America’s economy. It is also the one that no one will, or does, talk about. It also an idea that most Americans have never heard of or would believe is really the driving force of American Manufacturing (what there is left of it). My mother would be screaming at me if she knew that her precious republican party (I.E. Corporate America) was a prime mover in the destruction of her country, in the name of the fast buck. Ok sure Democrats do it too, but Republicans are the truly greedy group on the whole. Back to Planned Obsolescence. There is at least one classic example where Planned Obsolescence was not the plan, and that was the Checker Cab, a vehicle that could be driven seven days a week and go 500,000 miles before it gave up. During that same period 1922-1982 what kind of durability were personal vehicles showing? What about a 1982 (last year Checker made their cab) Chevrolet Camaro. I personally knew three people who owned those vehicles, and they do not buy GM products any longer, because the Camaro of that year was some of the worst junk that GM ever turned out. I didn’t own that vehicle, so I have no Personal Ax to grind on its fender, but I did have those three friends who owned them right off the showroom floor. Problem was they went from showroom t to the Repair shop floor in short order, faster than you can get a Big Mac and Fries, in most cases. They had problems from door hinges that were missing a door hinge pin????? to The head liner coming loose and hanging down in the drivers face? Not good at 5:30P.M. headed ’round Boston.
So what happened? Where did America go wrong? Well, to me it is fairly simple to place the fault . . . . the FAST BUCK. No long View. Quick turnover. Faster growth. American Corporations DO NOT CARE about: The people who work for them, he products they make, the resources they abuse. they are however helping/forcing us into being the biggest throw away culture, this planet has ever seen. In the process of doing this to all of America, that very small percentage of people have RAPED an PILLAGED their way to the top of the food chain. Eat on 1%, eat on.
Greed is the answer to the question, what has happened to the American Engineering. Until we figure out a way for the majority to stop that very small percentage of people from taking it all and returning nothing. we might as well resume the position we have been in for the last 20 years . . . . bend over, here comes GM . . .CITI . . Chrysler . . . . .
Everything is about moneyCorporations, Government, Society. It knows how to suck as much money from people. Its Deceitful, full of deiiussgs.Societies thoughts on each peoples is not of equal conscious. It is a mechanism to blind people from Reality to view each other as in-equals.. Nothing has its place and balance is disrupted. Everything that is happening in our future is moving in different directions than what god has intended. I declare my very own soul, to be part man part machine. My body lives off machine. My entire life is consumed of it. Most of my time is spent directly here on this computer. And it has remained like that for many years. I spend very little time, engaging real life. It is mankind’s future, A Digital frontier. I am utterly consumed by these.I have more Friends on the internet.. Than I do in Real life.My laptop runs, from the very moment I wake up to the very moment I go to sleep. I am ever soo addicted to this online portal. The freedom in knowledge, entertainment, creativity. What have I become. I shall remain here for now, quiet. Its very difficult to put this machine down. And to show for it. Ive spent soo many years, in utter useless-ness. But I must burry my own tung, swollow my own pride- This is just the way things will be, If this is my prison, Then so should it be, I accept it. There is only one hope in which I hope it wont be always as useless as the years feel ever more shorter. I have a addiction to this machine. I told myself, I did not want to get internet.. I will be on the computer way too often. So, What happen was I was on the computer even offline, just as much but.. I was more productful!! painting digital paintings, making 3d Models, Music. But the For 4 months I have access to Free Wifi. And so.. My artistic production has slowed down considerably.Now I feel like a real useless dirt bag.Dont know how to control my internet, and computer addiction. Sadly.
I understand this, I spend a lot of time doing digital art and photography. I also game in the big MMORPHs, and work an 8 hour day. So to say that my life revolves around this computer would be selling the time I spend on it short. I am on this machine, nearly all the time, processing images writing posts for this blog and for http//:thedarkerimage.bolgspot.com. Two Blogs, photography, digital Art, gaming, and social media. I completely agree with you.