Wm. Severin Thompson wrote:
>It's not like we have many choices either.
>
But there are choices. Americans just don't want to pay for quality.
Want a quality broom? Go to a janatorial supply house. But people will
be satisfied with a K-Mart broom. Want quality power tool? How about
Milwaukee? Most Americans will be satisfied with Harbor Freak. Want
properly graded lumber? Go to Ganhal in Southern California. Most
Americans want cheap Home Destruction crap. Want a quality lawn mower?
Get a Snapper. Most Americans will be glad to have whatever Costco
sells cheap.
I believe that generally speaking (and there are plenty of exceptions),
Europeans tend to be more quality conscious than Americans. Next time
you get a chance, take a look at the shoes of a visitor from England.
Not the tennis shoe crap, but the everyday shoes. Right away you easily
see that they are of a better quality. And they resole their shoes.
When was the last time anyone has had new heels put on their shoes? We
get a lot of visitors from Europe, and while they gobble up the cheap
goods they find here, a year later we hear the complaints that the crap
fell apart in months.
The bottom line is that you get what you pay for. Americans are just not
willing to pay for quality. We have developed a disposable mentality.
Use it till it breaks, then throw it away and buy another cheap one.
No, Wal-Mart is simply meeting the American demand for cheap, disposable
merchandise.
>There HAS to be a backlash coming... somewhere, sometime.
>
Do you have these fantasies often?
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