Rant-o-Rama: Trinkets of Death

Do you love the planet?  Or the poor?  Or low gas prices?

Boycott Dollar Tree*.

Okay, not specifically Dollar Tree.  Just all cheap plastic trinkets.  The adorable ones from Target.  The bargain ones from Walmart.  The pious ones from Oriental Trading Company.  And especially the ones in your McDonald’s happy meal.  Here’s why:

1. Plastic trinket are made from fossil fuels.   Better to ship those barrels of oil straight to the strategic national fuel reserve.
2. More fuel is spent manufacturing the trinkets.  At factories that might not be so zero emissions?
3. Using labor that could have been spent producing something a person actually needs, such as food, shelter, or clean water.
4. More fuel (and labor) is spent shipping the trinkets to your local trinket store.
5. Where you waste your time wandering around dazed and confused until your mind deforms under the glare of the flourescent lights.
6. When you could have been doing something wholesome and productive, like playing video games, or gambling.
7. And then the children who receive the trinkets will fight over them with their siblings.
8. If they have no siblings, they will find some.
9. The trinkets will end up lodged in some essential piece of household machinery.
10. And then you will put them in the landfill.

Trinkets do not build wealth.  Trinkets do not help the economy.  They are a transfer payment that wastes natural resources.  If you want to do a good work with your $.97,  invest in the production of a good or service people actually need.

End of rant.

*No bloggers darkened the door of Dollar Tree to ascertain what portion of the merchandise is trinkets.  100% of the Dollar Tree items purchased for the Fitz home happen to be trinkets.  But no doubt Dollar Tree sells worthy items as well.  Purchase those.