The advance towards a leased society is a symptom of much larger and fundamental changes that are going on in at least US society. Up until very recently we have had a fundamentally product based economy. People make stuff that other people buy. The more stuff you can make and the better you can make it, the richer you are.
With the incredible advances in production technologies, less money and less energy is needed to produce all the stuff that one person needs, and so more effort goes into making "better" stuff. But how do you sell something to a person that already has a workable item? I have a car from '85 that works great, what can they do to make me 'need' to buy something new? When you look a little deeper though at the economics of time, I am spending money (time), even on something that I own outright. If someone offered the same car to me for $150/month and I didn't have to do any maintenance or worry about it ever breaking down, I would take them up on it in a heartbeat. I would much rather spend my time doing something that I enjoy more and it would be a relief to never have to worry about being stranded somewhere with not enough money for expensive repairs. In some ways, I would much rather buy the pure service of "transportation" than an object that lets me create the service of transportation for myself.
Instead of selling products, more and more companies are selling services. When you lease a car or a house, you are not leasing a physical object, you are buying the service of 'transportation' or 'shelter'.
I think the trend is going to be companies trying to make leasing/renting as absolutely hassle free and transparent as possible. At the point when leasing such a service from them is far less of a worry or hassle then purchasing something, they have won. You have the services that you want/need/desire, they have a steady income that lasts as long as you live and don't switch to a better competitor.
:) The package deal life comes to mind. "Oh, our middle class life package? For only $20,000 a year you get: a standard car, a nice apartment (furnished), quality food every night, modern electronics (TV, DVD, computer), a high speed internet connection with ISP, someone who comes and cleans every week, and new toothbrushes whenever needed....... For only $5000 more you get these great additional amenities......."
Given enough variety in selection, how many people do you KNOW that would trade a lot of money for a life that is nearly responsibility free and provides easy solutions to most of the difficult choices?
The computer loves you. He looks after your every need. As long as you do your duties for the computer, the computer will provide you with all your neccesities and ample time to pursue your own hobbies and interests.......
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With the incredible advances in production technologies, less money and less energy is needed to produce all the stuff that one person needs, and so more effort goes into making "better" stuff. But how do you sell something to a person that already has a workable item? I have a car from '85 that works great, what can they do to make me 'need' to buy something new? When you look a little deeper though at the economics of time, I am spending money (time), even on something that I own outright. If someone offered the same car to me for $150/month and I didn't have to do any maintenance or worry about it ever breaking down, I would take them up on it in a heartbeat. I would much rather spend my time doing something that I enjoy more and it would be a relief to never have to worry about being stranded somewhere with not enough money for expensive repairs. In some ways, I would much rather buy the pure service of "transportation" than an object that lets me create the service of transportation for myself.
Instead of selling products, more and more companies are selling services. When you lease a car or a house, you are not leasing a physical object, you are buying the service of 'transportation' or 'shelter'.
I think the trend is going to be companies trying to make leasing/renting as absolutely hassle free and transparent as possible. At the point when leasing such a service from them is far less of a worry or hassle then purchasing something, they have won. You have the services that you want/need/desire, they have a steady income that lasts as long as you live and don't switch to a better competitor.
:) The package deal life comes to mind. "Oh, our middle class life package? For only $20,000 a year you get: a standard car, a nice apartment (furnished), quality food every night, modern electronics (TV, DVD, computer), a high speed internet connection with ISP, someone who comes and cleans every week, and new toothbrushes whenever needed....... For only $5000 more you get these great additional amenities......."
Given enough variety in selection, how many people do you KNOW that would trade a lot of money for a life that is nearly responsibility free and provides easy solutions to most of the difficult choices?
The computer loves you. He looks after your every need. As long as you do your duties for the computer, the computer will provide you with all your neccesities and ample time to pursue your own hobbies and interests.......