I ran into an article today that raises a point similar to one that troubled me earlier, about the seeming panacea of purchasing power. This is a fantastic, if a bit lengthy, piece from 2002, a diary of one woman’s regular calls to the White House Comment Line. By the end of her phone tag with George, Jenny Flynn realizes
- “that even at its best, the customer model of citizenship is pretty limited. Amid the infinite possibility of the marketplace, where there’s supposed to be a product for every desire or need, we won’t find one to magically right a changed climate. In fact, most problems are too complicated to be solved with a cheery greeting, the latest software patch, or a free appetizer if your meal is taking too long in the kitchen. Once the grizzly is gone, as a species, it’s gone. Adventures in cloning aside, nobody’s going to bring out an improved version Griz.6 for 2006. Once somebody drills for oil, there’s no such thing as undrilling. Better schools for a few children whose parents have consumer clout won’t make for an educated citizenry. Though the customer model—you pay your money, you get good service—has an appealing symmetry, customer satisfaction isn’t an expansive enough ideal to create a good world.”
