The World’s Largest Economy Is Built on Junk.

This morning, I walked into one of the ‘gourmet’ coffee bars near my home, purchased 12 ounces of ‘French brew’ coffee for $5.75 and sat down to write my first story which I then posted online.

If I had gone about a mile further down the road, I could have bought the same cup of coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts for $2.75. And Dunk also has a few tables where I can sit and use their free wi-fi.

Across the street from Dunk is an outlet for one of the convenience store chains near me, where the same cup of coffee minus the table and the free wi-fi costs $1.95. Of course, I also have a hot spot on my droid so I could have gotten my coffee at the convenience store and sat in my car to write and post my brilliant thoughts online.

Why did I spend $5.75 on a cup of coffee when I could have bought thew exact, same item more cheaply at not one but two other locations that were 5 minutes away from where I plunked down almost 6 bucks for a paper cup filled with hot water which had a little taste?

Because like just about everyone else in the United States, the last thing I worry about when I buy food or anything else is whether I could buy the same item more cheaply if I went somewhere else.

Last week I needed some item or other and remembered to purchase the product (I think it was a roll of adhesive tape) as I was driving past a Walmart store. This Walmart is located in a town of some 10,000 residents which used to have several working red-brick factories which kept everyone in the town employed.

The factories shut down some years ago, the kids all left after finishing high school either to go to college or get jobs somewhere else, and the town now survives on the Social Security checks which the current residents receive every month.

As I stood online to pay for my item at the cashier, I noticed that two older women were ahead of me and were in the process of buying what appeared to be the weekly food. Both of them were purchasing, among other food items, half-gallon plastic jugs containing ‘natural, spring water.’

The town where this Walmart is located sits on the edge of a fast-running, mountain brook with water that is as clean and refreshing as any natural supply of water anywhere in…