A customer just wants a good price as things go up in cost in this country the demand for goods with lower prices grows. Consumers can't be faulted for not being rich. Maybe the US should subsidize new businesses and help the little man, in turn providing America with more business and jobs for itself. That will never happen though. Too many people in our Government have business interests, ties and investments and they are always looking for the cheapest investment with maximum profit.
Share holders, okay but the controlling share holders only. Not Grandma who just did what her broker told her to do to make a few bucks in retirement.
Corporations, absolutely to blame. From Real Estate to Oil to Cars they have been known to manipultate political and finacial atmospheres to their advantage.
Consumers? Well maybe in some cases. If consumers keep consuming without paying attention to the results of all their consumption then okay we are to blame as all businesses rely on our willingness to buy, to consume. So if we restrict what we consume and find alternatives then MAYBE we can sway industry, government, etc to our collective agenda.
However, with corporate and would be corporate entities continuing to squeeze cash and credit out of every Americans pocket at every possible angle(Medical, Real Estate, Taxes, Low minimum wage, Oil/Gasoline, Utilities, etc) The consumer is just doing what they think the need to do in order to get a decent product at a decent price.
As far as Capitalism is concerned, there is no reason why a US company shouldnt go over seas to maufacture a product, spending less on said product's production in order to make more money than they would with a US manufacturer with higher production costs.
There is no winning here. The only thing to do would be to completely detach yourself from "things". Buy nothing, remove yourself from the list of consumers. Live as bare as possible without the need for toys, amusements, tools, etc. That is easier said than done and usually achived by those in Monastic orders.
All I can say for myself is, while I'm not living like a Monk. I do what I can to alleviate suffering in this world, I am also not rich. I also realize that a man is a man whether he is Chinese or American or German or Indian, etc, and we all need work regardless of our country of origin. So when I know my money puts food on someones table, I am happy no matter what. When I know my money gets invested by say a Bank I used to use in certain industries I do not like and lines the pockets of people who's pockets are too well lined already, I am not happy. So I pull out of that Bank and find a lesser Bank. Maybe it has fewer branches but whatever. So we have to pick and choose our battles and choose the biggest of the bunch first, the little ones will eventually either cure themselves, stay little, or if they grow too large then they will need to be taken down.
