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consumerism, consumers

Thursday 2nd of October 2025

1%ers The latest real estate trend among internet billionaires and hedge fund tycoons is, apparently, buying bunkers. These individuals, who have made fortunes disrupting the present, predicting the future and then making the future happen, are preparing for the end of civilization. … This new group of tech-savvy survivalists prefers the name “preppers”. It implies something preppier than the redneck gun-nuts in battered pick-ups with whom they might otherwise be confused. Financial Times, April 9, 2017 © 2017 Kwiple.com
1%ers say The best souvenir I've brought home is a pair of spectacular knee-length, embroidered black silk folkloric boots called tsholhams  that I bought at a market in Bhutan. I also treasure the brightly coloured mandala given to me by the King and Queen of Bhutan after a magnificent dinner at their palace. It hangs in my office and reminds me of that special trip and their friendship. Diane von Furstenberg, fashion designer and former princess, How to Spend It, June 16, 2014 © 2015 Kwiple.com
1%ers say I only acquire hotels I fall in love with, and they must have history and a soul for this to happen. Jocelyne Sibuet, founder-owner of Maisons & Hotels Sibuet © 2017 Kwiple.com
1%ers say My personal style signifiers are wearing colour and a high heel [sic] by Gianvito Rossi. I like to experiment with fashion and to look both polished and feminine but not overdone or intimidating. My go-to pieces are usually by Proenza Schouler, Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy, Céline, Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana, but I'll try anythong once and love discovering new designers. Every new season brings a thrill. Lauren Santo Domingo, fashionista also known as LSD, How to Spend It, April 27, 2015 © 2015 Kwiple.com
1%ers say People pay fortunes for paintings and things, so why not for this? Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One racing magnate, on The Official Formula 1 Opus, an 18×18×8-inch, 77-pound, 850-page coffee table book with 1,200 photos, auctioned off with a reserve price of one million dollars © 2015 Kwiple.com
American Dream Affording all the tattoos I want © 2018 Kwiple.com
American Dream Buying all the limited-edition sneakers I want © 2018 Kwiple.com
Bullshitters say I am NOT proposing a National Sales Tax, as the Democrats say in their Advertisements against me. Dems know what they are saying is a blatant lie. I am proposing tariffs on other countries that take advantage of us, hardly a NST. These tariffs are paid for by the abusing country, NOT THE AMERICAN CONSUMER. They do not cause inflation, and will MAKE AMERICA RICH AGAIN! Donald Trump, Oct 24, 2024, 3:43 PM © 2024 Kwiple.com
Consumer complaints I don't see anything in here that says I have to run a Yelp for financial services sponsored by the federal government. Mick Mulvaney, Acting Director of the Consumer Protection Financial Board, defending his decision to limit the public's access to databases used by the Board to investigate consumer complaints © 2018 Kwiple.com
Consumerism The culture of consumerism exerts far more influence on the thinking and behavior of Americans than what I'll call a culture of citizenship. Robert A. Dahl, On Political Equality © 2017 Kwiple.com
Consumerism The report concludes that today's average global rate of consumption would need 1.5 planet Earths to sustain it. But four planets would be required to sustain US levels of consumption, or 2.5 Earths to match UK consumption levels. The Guardian, September 29, 2014, on a report by scientists at the WWF and the Zoological Society of London  © 2017 Kwiple.com
Consumerism There was a time when we were able and motivated to maintain and look after products. Beyond just buying something, we were caring for it, which is obviously better than recycling. Jony Ive, Financial Times, May 6, 2022 © 2022 Kwiple.com
Debt As the fabulous Michael Pettis explained a few days ago in an FT Markets Insight, US national debt levels will continue to rise unless we can spread the wealth more broadly, because as much as the rich can consume, they can’t consume enough to make up for a shrinking middle class, nor do they create enough jobs to make a sustainable labour market. Rana Foroohar, Financial Times, July 31, 2023 © 2023 Kwiple.com
Ethics The capitalist and consumerist ethics are two sides of the same coin, a merger of two commandments. The supreme commandment of the rich is ‘Invest!’ The supreme commandment of the rest of us is ‘Buy!’ Uyval Noah Harari, Sapiens © 2016 Kwiple.com
Food Pile it high and sell it cheap  Grocers' maxim © 2021 Kwiple.com
Kwiplers say Rename Mick Mulvaney's  Consumer Protection Financial Bureau the Payday Lenders' Protection Bureau © 2018 Kwiple.com
Lobbyists We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress. If you're a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn't talk to you. If you're a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.  Mick Mulvaney, Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Board, urging bankers to lobby Congress to screw consumers by castrating the Board © 2018 Kwiple.com
Memory I don't remember ever buying something for myself. Donald Trump © 2024 Kwiple.com
Profiles in courage Republicans buy sneakers, too. Michael Jordan, acknowledged marketing maven, refusing to endorse Harvey Gantt, a black Democrat running against Jesse Helms, the segregationist Senator from North Carolina © 2017 Kwiple.com
Sleepers at the wheel say Arbitration benefits all parties © 2016 Kwiple.com
Sleepers at the wheel say Arbitration is not in the pocket of corporations © 2017 Kwiple.com
Sleepers at the wheel say Countries having a McDonald's don't go to war with each other  © 2015 Kwiple.com
Sleepers at the wheel say The customer is always right © 2016 Kwiple.com
Tech bros say Customers bear legal responsibility for misuse --> © 2019 Kwiple.com
Trumpists say The notion that tariffs are a tax on US consumers is a lie pushed by outsourcers and the Chinese Communist party. A “Republican spokesperson” quoted by Edward Luce, Financial Times, June 26, 2024 © 2024 Kwiple.com
Wealth inequality Wealth management loans at JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citi and Morgan Stanley have grown 50 per cent in the past four years, compared with only 9 per cent for their overall loan book. … JPMorgan and Citi are now lending more to a small number of ultra-high net worth clients than to their millions of credit card customers. A decade ago, JPMorgan was lending five times as much to credit card customers as it did to private clients. … Controversially, the borrowings can also serve to lower taxes. Instead of selling assets to raise cash — and facing a capital gains tax — high net-worth clients obtain funding by borrowing against the value of their investments. Financial Times, May 27, 2021 © 2021 Kwiple.com
 
Work Low prices mean low wages. Speed, reliability and convenience mean pressure, monitoring and unpredictable hours. In other words, the same things that make this a wonderful time to be a consumer make it a terrible time to be a worker. Sarah O'Connor, Financial Times, November 30, 2016 © 2017 Kwiple.com