Expensive watches & ethics

[David]

Peter Singer writes a good article here on the insanity (and, in his view, immorality) of spending for the sake of status:

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/the-moral-shortcomings-of-conspicuous-consumption-by-peter-singer

[luvdids]

[David]

[Tannin]

[think positive]

I don't wear watches either, and after last week, im never wearing a ring again either!! most jewellery annoys the crap out of me for some reason.

but I did snag a cool Columbia sport watch which is waterproof from the states, and a nice Pandora one (for going out, when you cant sneak looks at your phone!!) from Buyinvite. $79 against $450, bugger that!!

I paid more for my heart rate monitor that doesn't need a chest strap than I did for both watch, that's my kind of jewellery!

Luvdids what do you do with the mugs??

[Wokko]

Peter Singer writes very well but I disagree with everything he says on almost every topic. What someone does with their personal property, be it cash or goods is their own business and nobody elses. The only reason I would say that laughing at someone for a cheap watch is bad is because it's causing unnecessary distress for a stupid reason. Sometimes people prefer a more economical product.

If someone wants to sell their house and buy a Maserati, a $100k watch and a snappy tailored suit then that's up to them. Sure it's not a good investment, but their property, their business.

Deciding what people 'need' is collectivist bullshit.

[Tannin]

^ Misses the point comprehensively. As any intelligent reader should be able to discern without trouble, the point here is that some people have gathered so much ill-gotten wealth to themselves that they can and do waste vast amounts on utterly useless frippery. In many cases this wealth gathering isn't just immoral and unethical, it is downright criminal (especially when we are talking about modern capitalist Russia, which is little more than Mafia meets Reinhardt on a grand scale).

Further, this absurdly wasteful ostentation points to an enormous lack amounting to a mental illness on the part of the wealthy watch buyers. These people are so crippled in their emotional life that they can think of nothing else other than taking yet more ill-gotten wealth from their poor countrymen and squandering it on useless waste to butter up their own crippled egos.

And further again, it says something very bad about our society. Not just that we let these scumbags get away with their theft, but many of us actually want to emulate them. There are people locked up in mental hospitals or prisons who are smarter than that.

PS: I don't wear a watch. If I want to know what the time is, I look at a computer if I'm indoors, or perhaps a wall clock. Outdoors, I just look at the sun. (Or the stars at night time.)

[Wokko]

And what makes you or anyone else the moral arbiter of what is a 'good' use of ones personal property and what is a 'bad' use? Any issues of how someone obtains their wealth is another issue. If a reputable businessman who happens to have a couple of million in liquid assets decides to buy a stupidly priced watch then that's up to them.

How is buying an expensive watch for yourself any different than someone spending 10s of thousands on jewellery such as an engagement ring?

I agree it's a stupid purchase, so is buying $500 shoes or handbags but if that's what people want to do, then that's up to them. It's not unethical, it's unethical to say they CAN'T do it.

[Tannin]

^ Still misses the point, which was explained in my previous post. I agree that there is no difference worth mentioning between one form of stupid, selfish waste of money taken by illegitimate means from the people who actually earned it and another form of stupid, selfish waste of money taken by illegitimate means from the people who actually earned it.

[think positive]

[mandy]

I bought a new watch a few years ago. (Not cheap, but nowhere near in the Rolex range) Went to Chadstone where I knew 2 stores stocked what I wanted.

First store - Price tag $1600. Asked what their best deal was, straight away it was $1250.

Second store - Price tag $1600. Asked what their best price was, straight away it was $1250. When told the other store said that it was suddenly $1200.

25% off just like that. Makes you wonder the insane mark ups put on the others.

[stui magpie]

Without reading all the article, just the highlights, I take it the point is about the excessive indulgences of people who were basically creating wealth for themself by corrupt means at the expense of others, and flaunting it on status symbols.

Fair point.

On the other hand, David finished his OP with the lines

[luvdids]

TP - I did drink out of one once, the rest are fairly new purchases and I've just sold my house so I'll christen them once I buy a new one. New house must have a couple of glass window doors in the kitchen so they're on display - would be a waste to just have them sit in a cupboard.

And mandy's right, jewellery stores have the most massive mark ups of almost any retail trader - if you walk in & pay full price for anything you're just silly.

[Tannin]

[stui magpie]

^

thank you. Indeed it's different from the situation in the article, but unless I was mistaken the tone of David's OP he would also consider my indulgences to be inappropriate.