Dear Editor,

Years ago, Ralph Nader led a movement to expose the practice of “planned obsolescence”. That means, a product is built so that it breaks down in such a way that its repair is more costly than purchasing a “new and improved” model.  His first target was U.S. auto manufacturers, who he argued knowingly sold cars that were deemed “unsafe at any speed”. He exposed business memos that proved the manufacturers knew about but ignored deadly engineering flaws. Then the tobacco companies, which enticed consumers to switch to their brand rather than cutting down or quitting smoking. They purposefully hid evidence of the harms of rampant habitual tobacco use. This consumer safety movement was radical for its time. 

That was the old days, when we remembered tools, clothes and toys that were made to last a lifetime or more. Nowadays, it’s difficult to think of any item we use that was made to last and work. About 20 years ago, we bought a washing machine that had mechanical switches, and ran on generator power. After 13 years, the ballast wheel broke apart, which made it inoperable. We went to the same appliance store and bought the newer model, which had electronic controls that would not work on our generator. We had to buy a newer generator to operate the “new and improved” washing machine. 

My iPhone is primitive and outdated, according to the latest corporate interests. It received a mandatory system update, and my old chargers don’t work. I thought the phone was dead, but a new charger and cable brought it back to functionality, to the extent that I need or want a portable phone/camera/messenger to work. 

Do you remember when people had faces and names, and thoughts of their own? That’s next to go. Planned obsolescence has just about caught up with the human race. Artificial intelligence doesn’t care, and the billionaires who are pushing it onto us care even less. To them, we are as lovable as cluster flies on a window sill. 

Robert Wills, Shawville and Thorne