The problem with free-market alternatives is that sooner or later force is part of the transaction


Probably SOONER
This is one where I am trying to play nice.

Wren's Nest at Witchvox is one of my news sources, but after some medium-level flaming, Wren had to change the commenting rules. One of the semi-official rules is no commenting on another's comments.

And that brings us to this entry.

I absolutely agree that there is too much packaging in modern products.

But I can't justify taking away someone else's choice to satisfy my ecological concerns.

Modern life is a series of tradeoffs. Let's take orange juice as an example.

Fresh, packaged, or frozen? Pulp or no pulp? Calcium enriched or no? And that is before we get to the packaging or the brand.

In order to get those choices, we have to sacrifice the available in bulk option. And in some ways, this is a good thing.

For example, the best and most consistent grapefruit juice I've ever had is Langers Ruby Red. Now there is a restaurant in east Texas that makes the best freshly squeezed, but good luck getting that anywhere else.

In order to get the Langers Ruby Red, I have to put up with all the other brands existing on the shelf, most of which aren't as good to begin with. You see, in the fall and winter, one of my favorite hot beverages is grapefruit juice, and most brands don't do well in the microwave. Ocean Spray holds it's own, but Langers is still much better.

The great disadvantage of bulk buying is that the choices among products are limited.

And as the poster points out, we do have bulk buying available now, most people just want the variety.

Oh, and the poster is right about our current recycling being very much a transitional technology.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Tue - December 9, 2008 at 06:59 AM  Tag


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