"And the worse they were to wear, the more people had to buy to keep themselves shod, and the more the shops proliferated, until the whole economy of the place passed what I believe is termed the Shoe Event Horizon It became no longer economically possible to build anything other than shoe shops."
I'm currently rereading his takedown of religion, Small Gods.
I find something new every time I revisit his works. Deep wisdom hiding in plain sight among the laughter¡
Being poor is expensive, if you want to do something about it, support soup kitchens, socialized healthcare, soup kitchen organizers, etc
Just make sure you don't donate to churches, the money goes so many places it's hard to follow and sometimes goes to poking holes in church-state separation
We have to buy poor quality items and the rich usually get the good shit for free… you’d love to save up 50 dollars but you need to work and NEED the shoes so you’re forced to waste your money. That 10 dollars may not seem like much … unless you’re one of us.
I don't think many consider Pratchett to be a philosophical pioneer, including himself but he did make ideas more fun and understandable through very good and accessable fiction.
I think that’s a good way of looking at it. There can’t be many pioneers of new ideas- the real talent in art is probably more likely finding fresh ways of presenting old ideas better.
A friend of mine who was chronically broke and whose feet always hurt told me he bought the cheapest shoes he could find whenever he needed new ones. Once when he had a tax refund come through I convinced him to pay for a good pair of shoes. The difference shocked him.
Meg, that theory applies today in so many ways. I was thinking about cars the other day & how poor people have to buy cars that may not get them to work reliably. When their cars break, they may miss a day of work. It applies to health care and children are sick and parents have to miss work.
I love Terry Pratchett. I have a signed copy of one of his books.
But I think there's a flaw in this reasoning. A rich man can afford having many pairs of shoes. Even expensive shoes get worn out fast if you wear them all the time, and in situations a rich man would never get into.
He was indeed, and gone far too soon. His story here on shoes is so true. I thought of it years ago re: the poor not being able to afford a 'large economy size' anything, resulting in them having to buy many more-expensive-per-ounce smaller boxes of laundry soap or whatever.
Walmart has ruined any notion of buying "quality goods". It's all about cheap shit from China that lasts a year or two. Think about it. If Walmart is where America shops, millions of people have zero idea about what "quality" goods are. No notion whatsoever.
We are accepting all these Chinese goods from a communist country who are a threat to world peace..the west is enabling this..it's destroying our industries...the west should ban Chinese goods and encourage craftsmanship back...
Worth noting that the US is currently involved in 15 armed conflicts (including 5 major ones) while China is involved in none. Not really seeming like a "threat to world peace" at the moment.
And Amazon, And Costco, And Dollarstores, And .. cheap chinese goods are the norm now, Quality goods are nowhere to be found. QUality goods are now the hand-made, homemade stuff... which no one makes anymore.
In my fantasy world it flips the cliche, and the people are united in an Alliance, where there are no poverty. The whole system works differently, so that people can live long and happier lives. Naturally there is Magick, making things easier for the Kingdoms to run.
There must be something wrong with me. It doesn't matter whether I spend a lot or buy cheap shoes, neither one seems to last more than six months. I am just more pissed off that the expensive shoes only last as long as the pair from Wal-Mart.
I on the other hand have never worn a pair of shoes for less than about 5 years. I'll tape and glue until I'm basically wearing tape and glue in the shape of a shoe.
The Boots Theory of Economic Unfairness is one of the most spot-on things Sir Pterry ever wrote, and that man wrote a ton of gems. GNU Terry Pratchett.
We are LITERALLY Set-Up for LIVing IN Justice Liberty Equality Peace and Happiness, IF; and ONLY If, you-WE-Each VOTE to make Single Payer Health Education Welfare Food Shelter Transportation Entertainment Infrastructure and What All to EVOLVE Into; Legislation, Law of The Land and Prime Directive💜
When I got my aid money a while back, this passage came to mind, so I made sure that a decent pair of shoes was among the things I invested in, and you know what? It's true. Having to buy cheaper goods really does cost more in the long run.
@noahlugeons.bsky.social did a very good diatribe on this subject a couple of years ago using his own experiences with dentistry as an example.
I wish I could remember the episode for a link
In a world where the price of a product depends entirely on the quality of it, indeed.
In reality, this is not the case.
E.g. the more expensive boots might be marketed for more affluent buyers, in which case the profit margin would be set higher. Those boots would only last 3 years then e.g..
So 'more expensive' does not imply 'more quality' and a better deal.
Together with the notion of 'planned obsolescence', you can see the situation is a whole lot more complex.
Cheaper products can be better for your wallet. Just with a whole lot more waste.
Exactly. I've always opted for shoes in the $15-25 range, and they tend to go in a year or two. When I had a chance to, I got an $80 pair with some nice, thick soles. Guess what? They last much longer than the cheap shoes.
I remember as a young girl getting really cheap shoes and my dad telling me not to walk in puddles. If I did they would fall apart. We couldn't afford more expensive shoes and with a growing shoe size it didn't make sense to buy better shoes. Expensive shoes were out of the question.
Terrific take. Total HF dbag comment, but the number of friends of mine who bought Ferraris on the "total cost of ownership" theory was non-trivial. They just don't depreciate.
This reminds me of a scene from the movie "None But the Lonely Heart", with Cary Grant and Ethel Barrymore as his widowed mother. Both are impoverished. He asks her "Did you love my old man, Ma?" And she replies "Love"s not for the poor, son. There's no time for it."
I love Pratchett and I think he was being sarcastic here, pointing out how some people think of themselves as socioeconomically disadvantaged, while not noticing they could just make better choices without the need to spend more money.
It doesn't make sense to buy the "cheaper" shoes. The only barrier is the up-front cost. There are ways to overcome it, but many people are simply stuck in perpetual victim mode. Unlike Vimes. Pratchett's satire is so amazing, because it's both kind and stinging at the same time, towards everyone.
Not much, but enough. Wasn't always like that. And my father was actually in a situation where he had to share boots with his mother to be able to go to school in winter for a while. But why would a personal situation matter in this case of talking about general ideas and principles?
The story of Vimes as a character is a story of rags to riches. He was born into poverty, he started out as a "drunk" (stating that he was too poor to call himself an alcoholic) later building the City Watch, becoming both a knight and a duke and marrying the richest woman in Ankh-Morpork.
Yes. And nobody is entitled to the world being fair. But we can actively do fair things. People who are smart can innovate and make cheaper and longer lasting "boots", or set up fairly priced loan services to not have to pay all amount up-front.
Comments
It's really effective
I find something new every time I revisit his works. Deep wisdom hiding in plain sight among the laughter¡
"I've not been feeling well"
They're my "chicken soup for the soul"
While re reading them gives me comfort I always also find something new!!
Just make sure you don't donate to churches, the money goes so many places it's hard to follow and sometimes goes to poking holes in church-state separation
P.S. Love his works. Haven't read them all, but Good Omens (written with Gaiman) is a favourite.
The very richest now pay Balenciaga for 1000 dollar single use (slightly thickened™) bin bag shoes.
I've used this as an explanation to my kids about the injustices of being poor!
Yrs ago my son wanted a $50 PC mouse. I was like " dude no! There's like $20 ones out there"
He quoted Vimes boots...he got his mouse 😂😂
Theirnlike battered wives.
It makes it difficult to help them.
cold toes and utter defeat
It's very expensive to be poor.
Ask anyone who's gotten a ticket for a burned out taillight.
But I think there's a flaw in this reasoning. A rich man can afford having many pairs of shoes. Even expensive shoes get worn out fast if you wear them all the time, and in situations a rich man would never get into.
Why aren't there more accessible good-boot loans or rentals?
#6'Elon
JFK & LBJ didn't serve long enough to complete their reformist visions.
Lincoln and Eisenhower were reactionary
And Bush Sr. seems to be an anomoly of a conservative paragon
What do you think?
Simple way to explain the economic part..
Terry then writes about the century old interior that is passed from generation to generation.
Guess which family pays higher auto insurance rates, the one driving new expensive models or the one driving old clunkers?
I wish I could remember the episode for a link
Terry Pratchett was the greatest satirist of all time IMHO.
Most insightful, funniest, kindest.
In reality, this is not the case.
E.g. the more expensive boots might be marketed for more affluent buyers, in which case the profit margin would be set higher. Those boots would only last 3 years then e.g..
Together with the notion of 'planned obsolescence', you can see the situation is a whole lot more complex.
Cheaper products can be better for your wallet. Just with a whole lot more waste.
Part of capitalist crapification.
Also called Crapification
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/104648884
- T.P.
GNU TP.
The whole point is they can't "just make better choices" without spending more money.
As a kid we got the cheap stuff, and it took me well into my adult life to realize better quality = lasts longer, and is more enjoyable.