h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

that this is what you do for a living. I have friends who do this, and they seem to like it, as well as you can like any job that puts you in front of a computer in a cubicle.

Frankly, more power to you. But don't try to tell me that they aren't selling anything...they are selling your name to other companies!

that you think tailored capitalism is a GOOD thing. No, Alex, I'll take "Awful Controlled Environments" for $500. This is long and boring, so just skip to my main point at the end, IN CAPS.

See, one solid argument for capitalism begins thusly: "I want to choose what I buy." (I prefer this to the argument "People can't be expected to work for each other's benefit regardless of their own gain," which burns to a crisp under scrutiny from the child of philosophy through the giant magnifying glass of non-profit organizations (yes, dumb metaphor, it's late over here, and I'm tired).)

Right. So we want control over our spending, correct? Can't have the government deciding what to give us. That would suck. (Probably, anyway.) That's why we choose. So far, so good.

Nick Douglas opens up a plastic buffalo shop. Sales fail to impress, but Nick (yes, that's me) is a rich kid with cash to burn. He burns it on advertising. Prime-time commercials dazzle the public with the hipness of plastic buffalos.

So they buy them. Millions of them.

Now, who woke up and said, "I want a plastic buffalo today!"? No one. They got the idea from me, right?

And why wouldn't this work? Because no one could really convince America that they need plastic buffalos. How do we know this? Aha!

Market research!

Those innocent surveys give the supply side control over the demand side of economics. When Nick learns what America wants, he sells it to them. If he can't meet their needs, he shapes their needs through advertising.

Main point: SURVEYS ARE A COG IN THE CORPORATE MEGA-MACHINE OF SHAPING PUBLIC DESIRE. FORGET THEM. IT'S MORE FUN TO PLAY AROUND WITH THE SURVEYER, WHO LIKES THAT MORE THAN NORMAL SURVEY-TAKING ANYWAY. DON'T WE ALL LOVE A BREAK?

G'night.