Chapter 5 - The Heritage of Abundance

A History of Abundance

United States is only around 5 % of the total world populations, yet they use about 25% of the world’s energy per year. It is now probably the most powerful nation in the world and part of the reason was the massive area filled with fertile land and rich resource that the European settlers discovered and took advantage of when they arrived. But the nature wasn’t the only reason, the people who immigrated to the country consisted of three very important beliefs that would secure the country’s future; their beliefs, determination and hard work.

It’s one of the wealthiest countries today because of a man named Tocqueville, who thought that, since the material wealth of the people and their children could change rather fast, they were forced to increase the nation’s overall wealth so they were guaranteed profit, no matter what happened to the individual. Therefore every person in the country worked very hard to earn money, not only for them, but to the state as well. But there was a side effect since every person began to judge other persons according to how much they contributed the cause.

From Producers to Consumers

In the 1700s and 1800s, most Americans were farmers and factory workers, and so they thought of themselves as producers. But with the invention of advertising by radio and TVs in the 1920s and ‘50s, the overall business increased rapidly and by that they became more of a consumer.

Some advertisement campaigns were extremely powerful and convincing, often changing people’s belief and opinions. Such as political campaigns during elections or anti-drug campaigns. And today, the American economy depends on consumerism.

What American Consumers Like

When designing products to the American people they have to rely on four things; comfort, cleanliness, novelty and convenience.

The American love for comfort is seen in the way they furnish their homes, design their massive cars, and travel.

Cleanliness is also a bit part of the American life, mostly because they are being fed up with it from the thousands of soap, shampoo, washing-powder, and deodorant commercials in the TV. The saying “Cleanliness is next to godliness” reflects the belief of the heavily religious country as well.

They also have a strong desire to get their things quickly, which is why the entire fast-food industry was invented over in the USA, it is also why microwaves and dishwashers exists.

An Abundance of Technology

With the recent overflow of TV channels, the advertisers are becoming desperate since there’s a lower chance of their commercials to be seen. To resolve this, they’ve come up with new ways to advertise their products in ways more people will be sure to see them. One way to do this is product placement, where various brands or products are being seen used by celebrities or hidden in the background in various media.

The increasing usage of the internet has also become important and a useful service when talking business, since you can basically do everything on the web.

Challenges of the Technological Revolution

Several issues with the technological revolution, first of all that companies now can provide, television, telephone service, cell phone service and internet, like the Danish company TDC, there’s both good and bad sides of this, the costumer doesn’t pay that much but there is fewer and fewer companies.

The Americans are worried about the internet and their children; they are in a big dilemma how to balance the right to speech and protection for their children. Therefore are they using the Rate system, (15+,18+,21+)

The Ever-Expanding Pie…

During the first 200 years have the Americans always thought that North America was an ever-expanding pie. In most other contries in Europe, people believed in that the rich had a larger piece of the pie, but in America they have believed in that the pie just continued to grow and so all people, rich and poor, just could get a bigger piece of a bigger pie. In the 1900’s the Americans believed that the pie would grow bigger and bigger because of new products and techniques, and it would last as long as they could see in the future.

The belief in an everlasting heritage was a good thing, it made America to an optimistic country and the people had more confidence that human problems could be solved.

…Or the Decline of American Abundance?

Over the last few decades the American economy has had its up and downs. the 1980’

s and 90’s Brought a general turn in the economy, The poor got poorer and the rich got richer, and they were not able to live out The American Dream. Many Americans have problems keeping up the rising costs, Particularly for housing, like in the tv show “ The Middle”

Frankie and her husband Mike, a manager at a quarry, have lived their whole lives in Ors

on, a fictitious small town in Indiana. Frankie is so far the least successful salesperson at the local car dealership, a job she explains she took only after the dentist office she worked in closed down. she is struggling to keep the economy together.

What of the Future?

It is uncertain whether the American position in global economic will remain, especially with the many competitors, crisis’s, upturns, and downturns. One thing is certain though; the American tradition and lifestyle of this ever been abundance will remain the values of the American people. However, when there is a decline in the abundance, there will arise many positive side effects, such as the global warming situation, which resulted in many Americans now recycling aluminum and tin cans, plastic bags and so on. Meanwhile, children learn about environmental issues and how to treat the environment properly in school.

Lavet af: Anders Engbo Christiansen og Andreas Møller Thomsen