Here is an example of wasteful capitalism.
Laundry detergent.
The package says it is concentrated, does 180 loads.
The directions say you get the 180 loads if you measure the amount per load to the 1st mark of the measuring cup.
The measuring cup is too big. (That is done on purpose.)
The marks inside the measuring cup are very difficult to see. (Also on purpose.)
The reason these things are designed to require meticulous use is because, unbeknownst to the consumer, the product is specifically designed to have the quality that if too much is used, it will not cause the washer to suds over. It is designed to work with very little, but if more than is needed is used, it will work just fine as well. All of these things are done on purpose to trick the unwary consumer into using more than is needed so the consumer has to come back and buy more product frequently. More frequently than is required.
This causes the consumer to have to use more gas and make more trips to the store to purchase more product. Energy is wasted producing more product than is required because consumers are unknowingly duped into using more product than is required. And then more soap is sent down the drain which causes the water treatment plant to have to work harder to remove it. More trucks have to bring more product to the store because consumers are buying twice as much as they really need in many cases. And the water treatment plant is burning up more energy than it needed to.
And that's just one product. Most products are designed this way to try to get the consumer to pay more than would really be needed, and to buy things they don't really need.
Better regulation would identify this problem, this waste, and make that sort of thing illegal.
An ideal product would come in a container which is reusable, and be dispensed by a measuring device which precisely dispenses the correct amount of product for the desired laundry load size. The consumer would purchase any appropriate product size, use the contents with a precise metered dispenser, perhaps a pump with a settable stop, and then return the product container to the supply chain where it can be refilled and reused. Since laundry detergent does not spoil, a large size would be economical. Say 5 gallons. Enough to last a typical consumer perhaps 7 years. That would save energy.
It's just one example. In order to get value and stop buying too much, we have to do things smarter for the big picture.
Jobs creating efficient energy-saving networks are valuable to society. The people working them should be well remunerated for their labor, enough to have a comfortable life and some discretionary spending. If capitalism would not result in paying that much, government regulation needs to bring that in agreement with social need. There is plenty of excess on the top to compensate for that regulatory adjustment.
Personal Ignore Policy PIP: I like civil discourse. I will give you all the respect in the world if you respect me. Mouth off to me, or express overt racism, you will be PERMANENTLY Ignore Listed. Zero tolerance. No exceptions. I'll never read a word you write, even if quoted by another, nor respond to you, nor participate in your threads. ... Ignore the shallow. Cherish the thoughtful. Long Live Civil Discourse, Mutual Respect, and Good Debate! ps: Feel free to adopt my PIP. It works well.
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