America Wants Crap!!

Years of experience in retail gives you a real perspective on what America (well, the general populace) wants. As much as people post bad reviews, complain about performance, reliability, and price, in the end people end up buying CRAP. So, Americans must want crap.

Yes, you heard me, America's general populace wants to not only buy but rely on crap, and them complain about it. If you don't believe me, look at the areas of the world who are the masters of the same type of products. Electronics? Look at Japan and South Korea. Cars? Look at Germany. Chocolate? Look at Belgium and Switzerland. Dogs? Look at France, Belgium, and Germany. No, don't look at products that have headquarters based in these areas, like your fancy Samsung phone. Don't look at what's here, look at what Samsung has in South Korea.

America is getting it's ass kicked in good quality products, and we have Joe Average to blame. We want cheap, we pay for cheap, but cheap is cheap. Why do you think it is cheap? The manufacturers cut back on higher quality components, using less reliable components that aren't as consistent as the more expensive counterparts (just like the finished product). So, people think that a free cell phone should perform just as well as the $500 cell phone. Uh-huh, I hear that every day, yet I have never heard anyone make the same comparison to a cheap car to a high end luxury car (for example, no one has ever expected a Kia to perform like a Mercedes or BMW).

We also have a much higher tendency to complain about something than compliment, we're a negative nation. You don't believe me? Look at the news. We're spoon fed war, death, destruction, kidnappings, disease, accidents. When was the last time you saw more than a 5 second blurb on a new school that was built on the national news? How about a mayor who gave a million dollars to help a struggling community? We hear about layoffs, but rarely about mass hirings. We see war and death, but rarely peace and life. Currently, we're almost non-stop hearing about terrorist attacks in Iraq killing hundreds of civilians every day, but how many people have heard of the number of jobs that were created, the number of schools and hospitals that were opened, or the countless opportunities given to people every day? I haven't.

So, Draggar, you're acting like you know it all, but what can we do about it?

The solution isn't an easy one, nor will it happen overnight. First, we need to look at the products that we're about to buy. Look into unbiased reviews on sites such as Epinions.com, Amazon.com, CNET, and countless other sites that allow Joe average to review the products that they're purchased and used. Feel free to share your opinions with your own products, too. Talk to your friends and/or family who might have used these products and see what they say, and don't be afraid to spend an extra few dollars on a good quality product. Then, let other people know about your experiences with the product, the good and the bad. My friends know I can't shut up about my two printers, I think they are excellent printers. Be open and honest, and try to support your opinions with facts and also feel free to share them on the before mentioned sites.

Dogs are a different story. I see puppy stores, and I'm despised at this. The vast majority of puppy store puppies come from puppy mills, places where dogs are bred and bred until death, think of mass producing dogs without a care for the dogs' health. People seem to rather pay $500 for a puppy store puppy than $1000 for a "pet quality" dog from a reputable breeder, because it is too expensive. Sure, you save $500 up front, but it may up end up costing you thousands more in vet bills in as little as a few months later. Feel free to read A pet store puppy on a view on what it is like for a puppy store puppy to live, and what an over has a higher chance of going though. Don't be afraid to go to dog shows and talk to people, if a good breeder thinks you're going to be a good owner, a lot of them will allow you to adopt a "pet quality" dog, meaning a dog that isn't show or working quality, but will still come with the same genetic guarantees, for the price of a spay or neuter. We got one of our dogs though that process, and not only did we get an over-excellent dog, we also know that if, for some catastrophic reason, we cannot care for her, the breeder will without hesitation take the dog back and re-home her (but it would be a very serious situation if we did do that). If you don't know a breeder, contact a local rescue organization, they'll temperament test the dogs and do home checks, even if that is not available, visit your local shelter. Many are overcrowded and would love to have someone pull out a dog or two (or any animal for that matter).

So, don't be afraid to spend an extra few bucks for something good, it can be worth it in the long run and maybe, just maybe, other countries will look at America and say "hey, they know their stuff!".