: And although there is plenty of exploitation, US workers don't have
: much to complain about.That is certainly correct. Its fascinating to see how organized labor has gone from "Good Jobs at Good Wages" to demanding that the United Parcel Service subsidize pension funds for non-UPS workers. The unions are now more corrupt than the corporations they irk.
: I just feel that as a society, we have put all our eggs in one
: basket, only valuing what is profitable, really.
The profit motive is not suspect or inherently evil. After all, as Adam Smith so astutely observed in the eighteenth century, it's not for the good of mankind that the baker rises early each morning to bake his bread. Entrepreneurs recognize societal needs and compete to fill them. Consumers and citizens benefit, as competition ensures that they will be able to purchase quality goods and services at the lowest possible price. The fact that a businessman profits does not negate the fact that he creates jobs, creates wealth and creates prosperity.
: I think that trillions of dollars and time is spent encouraging,
: for example, eating out all the time.
Of course. Advertising inundates us, because corporations want us to purchase their wares. Were it not for advertising, we wouldn't know where to find the products that we need or want. It's relatively easy to escape advertising, if that is what you desire.
: our whole society is doing the same thing, and it's snowballing.
We can't say that something is wrong simply because the masses enjoy it. Lurking beneath your remarks is an inherent distrust of the decision-making processes of the American public.
: when people are selling yet another thing that we don't need.
Aren't you pleased that America is so prosperous that many citizens can afford to purchase "what they don't need" with discretionery income?
