Is the first world spoiled? - ♪ live in ignorance and purchase your happiness ♪

[cacao]

So, is the first world sickeningly spoiled or am I just some kind of hippie? We enjoy all kinds of products from every corner of the world for cheap prices. How the fuck is it this cheap though? Why can I buy a shirt for $5 or a bunch of bananas for a $1. My 2 seconds of research brings me to exploitation as a reason. So somewhere in the third world, people are slaving so Americans can enjoy a banana and a shitty shirt they'll throw out in weeks. So, a variety of goods are cheap for Americans. This is because the people who make them aren't paid fairly. Now, if an American had to go through what they do, the country would riot. Since they aren't, Americans don't give a shit. Nobody seems to be worried that a child sew their Nike shoes.

So we have a population that is used to using consumerism to fill the void that is their life. And sustaining that requires the exploitation of many. They could reduce global suffering if they chose to. If Americans realized the true value of goods. If people bought less for more. It would suck a little, sure. But is it really that much of a sacrifice to ensure that others are happy? Considering how half of America is obese, I doubt they have a self-control to do so.

On a side note, please do tell me if I'm insane.

 

[Anasûrimbor Kellhus]

responding to the topic's title and not the specific thing about where the goods are sourced because I'm feeling MATI and want to rant:


oh absolutely the average westerner especially american urban/surburbanite westerners are big freaking babies who can't handle the slightest inconvenience or being told "no". Its especially bad with 20-30 something year old suburbinite leftists but it isn't really unique to them.

Even the most worse off black american today would probably kill themselves if they had to put up with a 10th of what my mom did growing up in a poverty stricken/war torn country. Think these niggas could handle having a meal of beef tripe and goats milk be considered a "Treat"?

When SHTF I don't know how any of these people are gonna live. I'm beyond glad my parents taught me young not to be like this so when the good times end I'll find a way to adapt but man the grown ass BABIES in this country are in for a shock.

I've said it in other threads but again I know someone who grew up in a poor villiage in war torn lebanon and they had nothing, no retirement, no fancy technology, you worked until you died but no one there whined about being "depressed" and "anxious" and "dysphoric" over literally nothingburgers.

please feel free to rain down MATI ratings on me as I'm sperging out rn

 

[WolfeTone]

We pay for our accessibility with fulfillment.

There's nothing worse for a man than to give them everything they want.

 

[Agamemnon Busmalis]

Demand for those products creates jobs and investment in those countries that otherwise wouldn't exist. That's the number one thing that has led to such enormous progress in eliminating severe poverty worldwide.

Exploitation will happen no matter what, there's no society on Earth that doesn't have people that will take advantage of others given the opportunity. It was much worse in decades and centuries past than it is today, much like the overall state of the world.

 

[Secret Messages]

Compared to the shitholes of the world, yeah, we live pretty comfortably. When I say shithole though, I mean real shitholes. Like corrugated steel roofs in jungles shithole. Eastern Europe may be poor but I don't think that living in the US makes me any happier or my life more fulfilling just because our GDP is a gazillion times larger.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

You aren't spoiled when you earned your wealth through your own work.