2.
According to Naomi Klein, we cannot simply choose to ignore brands – branding is everywhere
. Do you agree? How realistic would it be to simply remove brands from your environment – or, likewise, to remove yourself from their presence? What would doing either of these things require?
Yes, I agree that according to Naomi Klein, we cannot simply choose to ignore brands – branding is everywhere. It would be very difficult to remove brands from our environment. We would have to avoid all advertisements, logos, and products that are branded. This would be very difficult, as brands are everywhere in our society. We would also have to remove ourselves from the presence of brands. This would mean not going to stores, not watching TV, and not using the internet. This would be very difficult, as brands are a part of our everyday lives. If we were to remove brands from our environment or remove ourselves from their presence, it would require a lot of effort and commitment. We would have to be very intentional about our choices. We would also have to be very aware of the presence of brands in our society.
3.
Klein argues that brand-based companies are not about products but about brands. To make up for the exorbitant amounts of money they spend on marketing their brand, companies usually pay and invest in workers
as little as possible to cut costs and increase profits. A key question is this: Why do workers stand for this? If it is so bad, why don’t they just organize to better their work and living conditions?
The answer to this question is complex, but some of the reasons include:
1) Workers are often afraid of retaliation from their employers. If they speak out or organize, they may be fired or lose their benefits.
2) Workers may not have the time or resources to organize. They may be working multiple jobs or taking care of their families, and they may not have the energy to fight for better conditions.
3) Workers may not be aware of their rights or how to organize. They may have been told that unions are bad or that they can't do anything to improve their situation.
4) The government has not done enough to protect workers' rights. It has allowed corporations to get away with paying low wages, denying workers benefits, and firing them for organizing.
Until workers can overcome these barriers, they will continue to be exploited by corporations.
4.
How is being seen as a “consumer” different from being seen as a “citizen”? Do you think consuming is your main role in life? Do the media giants? Is consuming products important to you? What is
important to you? If you had one thing to say to the corporate/media giants, what would it be?
I think that being seen as a consumer is different from being seen as a citizen in that consumers are seen as people who only care about buying things and spending money, while citizens are seen as people who are involved in their community and care about the well-being of others. I don't think that consuming is my main role in life, but I do think that it is important to me to have the ability to choose what products I buy and how I spend my money. I think that the media giants do see consuming as our main role in life, because they constantly bombard us with advertisements and tell us that we need to buy their products to be happy. I think that consuming products is important to me, but I also think that it is important to be a responsible consumer and to think about the impact that my purchases have on the environment and on other people. If I
had one thing to say to the corporate/media giants, it would be to stop trying to convince us that we need to buy more and more things. We need to focus on living more simply and on taking care of the planet.
