I guess I would counter that the sort of project you have in mind isn’t likely to be part of what I’d call “consumer capitalism.” You’re building something as opposed to buying that thing.
It’s more like I have to buy things so I can build/fix other things, and tbh kinda the main input I still require from “the system”. Belts, bearings, seals, gaskets, relays, control boards, pumps, props, etc. Recent outboard motor refurb is a great example: a new one would be $5-8k, I spent ~$300 doing rings and bearings, new impeller, new seals everywhere, new zincs, new prop, fresh paint, new spark plugs. Still had to do a lot of shopping! Arguably more than the high roller who just buys a new motor, that’s a low double digit number of parts vs one big thing
Anyways it wasn’t meant as an argument or some kind of rhetorical gotcha, more a long shot at making a new friend and not having to shop anymore lol. People have a lot of different ideas of fun, mine’s closer to tearing something apart and seeing how it works than trying not to get ripped off while meeting material needs
I guess I would counter that the sort of project you have in mind isn’t likely to be part of what I’d call “consumer capitalism.” You’re building something as opposed to buying that thing.
It’s more like I have to buy things so I can build/fix other things, and tbh kinda the main input I still require from “the system”. Belts, bearings, seals, gaskets, relays, control boards, pumps, props, etc. Recent outboard motor refurb is a great example: a new one would be $5-8k, I spent ~$300 doing rings and bearings, new impeller, new seals everywhere, new zincs, new prop, fresh paint, new spark plugs. Still had to do a lot of shopping! Arguably more than the high roller who just buys a new motor, that’s a low double digit number of parts vs one big thing
Anyways it wasn’t meant as an argument or some kind of rhetorical gotcha, more a long shot at making a new friend and not having to shop anymore lol. People have a lot of different ideas of fun, mine’s closer to tearing something apart and seeing how it works than trying not to get ripped off while meeting material needs