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Comment by guappa | Hacker News Reader

It's economics!

Farmers plant trees, then cut them down, then send to a paper mill, then they get printed, then they travel hundreds of km to be spam ads in my mailbox, then I have to put them in the garbage. Then (supposedly) they go on to become paper again, travelling hundreds of km again in the process, or most likely are burnt for heat in the city garbage disposal.

All of this shows the rich people that our country is doing well and they should invest more, to produce even more spam!

Isn't capitalism amazing?

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What has capitalism to do with it? It is just division of labor. And upgrading products so they become other products. And i think its fantastic. Because, to be honest, i dont know how to cut trees, how to shredder them, how to make paper out of it, so i can finally apply my skill to draw advertisement on the spam, that you receive.

(Reminds me of old communist days, where you get some gray paper. I was so happy when i got that shiny reflective paper from wrigleys i could glue to my matchbox!:)

Division of labor?

It should just not be done! The entire process I described is a complete waste of resources. But it's "growth" from an economic point of view.

If your job is to make things so that I can drop them in the bin… can't you see there's some kind of waste?

It's not solely waste, though. Advertising works.

If you can figure out how to separate the waste advertising from the effective advertising, and only spend money on the second segment, The System will reward you with fabulous cash and prizes (in theory).

> Advertising works.

By weaponizing psychology to manipulate people into buying shit they don't need. No one should be trying to figure out how to categorize advertisements between waste and effective. They are all waste.

> shit they don't need

Any colour you, as long as it's black?

> Advertising works.

How? Touching it makes me want to buy whatever is on it? I don't even look at it. When there's enough I do a trip to the paper recycling bin.

Depends on the point of view. I think it is awesome that everyone can do something to their abilities AND get paid for it. If drawing would not be needed, all the artists would be basically out of work from one day to another.

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