Commercialism rant! (long but worth a read)

petebates26

I blame Gok Wan.

If everyone didn't want to follow everyone else round like sheeple, buying the same things, then there wouldn't be such a hideous mark up on things as insignificant as fashion. If people celebrated their different tastes, there wouldn't be 25 quid t-shirts - there's be a wider choice of 5 quid t-shirts, with everyone in the process still making a decent living.

Probably a trivial example in the scheme of things, but it's the same for pretty much every purchase - you always have a choice.

Exercise that choice and the free market might change. It's not some big conspiracy - it's just a bunch of people buying a bunch of stuff.

We've got every thought anyone's ever had accessible to us on these here computer screens (you even have a choice as to who supplies your broadband to get you to it), but we watch the X-factor instead. It's our own fault. Explore the world, figure out what you like and pay for that.

Stop paying for what the telly tells you to want and pay for the things that you want as an individual.

The revolution will be very slow and it will happen within the parameters of the existing society. Or it won't. Up to you.

Doozergirl

ILW wrote: »

I wish I was 20.

Maybe I haven't earned enough wrinkles to wish I was again, but if it makes me that passionately ignorant, I'll leave it thanks.

Doozergirl

Percy1983 wrote: »

I have to agree, asda, tesco and matalan also work for me.

Hooray for sweatshops and cheap throw away clothing.

Doozergirl

Percy1983 wrote: »

I don't have the exact numbers but what ia m saying is rather than dumpig the cost of young drivers on all other perfectly good young drivers with large premiums why not distribute it over everybody which will have little impact.

You think that no insurers have looked at that?

Because it would change the profile of who you insure. Lower prices for younger, higher risk drivers would encourage more young, overenthusiastic, fearless 17 year olds to drive and push claims up, pushing prices up again for everyone. High prices are there as a deterrent - they don't actually want the business and it keeps a lot of risky drivers off the road. Drop the price and there will be more young drivers having more accidents unfortunately.

Conrad

There's a simple answer to the many malcontents out there, set up your own enterprise and show us the way.

This is the same answer for those union leaders - why not prove thier model commercial enterprise by actualy going out there and making things and selling them and PROVE YOUR POINT BEYOND RHETORIC? In fact the OP's buying habits would be thier downfall as he would'nt be prepared to pay thier high labour costs! So the OP is against capitalist big business but at the same time wants the workers from whom he buys to be lowly paid so he gets the bargains he wants!!

It's like those that cry over the under development of UK film. Trust me if they make films lots of people wnat to see, the money will find them - investors believe it or not like making money.

Same argument again, why don't the indie film lovvies many of whom are very rich indeed, invest and risk thier money instead of sniping and moaning?

LilacPixie

I am sitting reading all this age v's insurance stuff quite baffled. Fair enough i'm female but I pased test at 17 and had a mazda 323 1.3l then a couple of escorts both 1.3 and then a 1.8td mondeo then i graduated to a crysler crossfire then kids meant a vectra was wheels of choice. My husband had a golf 1.6d, a corolla, a proton compact 1.6l and then my 1.8 td mondeo, he now drives a 3.2 petrol renault laguna. We were both born in the 80's, both passed driving tests young, both had cars from passing test or before. I have almost 12 years no bumps and OH 9 as he is younger than me.

Cars were important to us both when younger so we paid our dues, nights out were sacrificed to pay for car insurance and fuel, extra hours worked etc. Now as we both look towards turning 30 (eeekkkkk) we are enjoying the fact we can insure a car fully comp for under £500. Now our spare cash goes to the kids, holidays that we hope to take in the next 5 years and our mortgage. Not to mention a planned replacment for OH car to something a bit less gutsy.

Personally I would love to buy a nice new audi a6 avant for under 5k but they just don't cost that so either I don't buy one or I pay the going rate (or buy an older one). I also find it bizzare that it costs my dad less to insure a ferrari on a classic car policy than it costs me to insure my vectra but hey thats life.

Conrad

OP - you pay A LOT less for life and critical insurance than older people. According to your logic, you should be made to pay more so fat oldies get a discount.

PhylPho

Doozergirl wrote: »

Maybe I haven't earned enough wrinkles to wish I was again, but if it makes me that passionately ignorant, I'll leave it thanks.

Priceless. :T

mel12

No-one my age has got a mortgage yet. And I know at least 250 people my age!

Likewise, and i'm 26. People in my generation seem to be buying at a much older age than my parents, or not at all.

If you take my advice, you will rent all your life. That way, you will 'show them' for the next 60 years that they are not going to get a penny out of you. Mark my words. Far better to rent all your life. Let your landlord suffer! He's the poor !!!!!! who has got to pay these exhorbitant Interest rates of around 4%. OK, your rent will cost a lot more than this, but at least you are sticking to your principles and not directly subsidising these bankers.

Housing coops being a better anti-capitalist alternative

Percy1983

Another point is I do believe that if insurance was more reasonable for young drivers maybe less of them would drive about uninsured. I say this as I did consider it at the time when my quotes where coming in at £2.5k, as it is my last quote came in at £1500 which was still too much and in short for my first year meant I had no money to do anything else really (was minimum wage at the time due to training).

As with most things I complain but I still just get on with it, as mentioned i am over the worse on my car insurance and will soon be buying my first (over inflated) home.

Doozergirl wrote: »

Hooray for sweatshops and cheap throw away clothing.

Its either that or I have naked weekends so I can afford my car insurance and over inflated house. Not sure the locals would approve.