i beg to differ...

Do you agree or disagree with the message in the picture above? ;)

I bet most of you are familiar with the picture above. Let me guess... You've seen it from your facebook newsfeed shared by your friends or acquaintances, right? Or you might be one of them who had shared it?  Oh-ho! No offense, peeps. The first time I saw this picture, I didn't give it much thoughts. Was being oblivious to it back then. However, when I kept seeing this post on facebook, I began to spare a thought for the message in this picture. This picture is depicting that the big supermarket owners do not need your money as much as the fruit sellers on the street. How true is this notion?

It may be true in certain cases but not all. To me, this picture is spreading a generalized notion. And generalization is usually unfair. 

Back in my hometown, my neighbour is a fruit seller at the market - and he is not as pathetic as depicted on the picture above. He can afford to buy a car without government loan (unlike my parents who needed it) and his income exceeded RM3000 permonth. Yes, I am aware that he can afford to live this way because a lot of people buy from his stall. Hence, another reason that this picture is not needed - consumers need not have picture like this to tell them where they should shop for their groceries. If you sell something of quality, I do not think the consumers would prefer to buy second class quality from the supermarket with just a few ringgits or cents difference over your goods. I know I am using only one example but if you have a background check on the fruit sellers around, you might be surprised to find out the actual amount of money they earned. Oh, and don't get me wrong... I am not asking you guys to boycott the street sellers in reverse -  I am just pointing out that the message in this picture is unfair and generalized. 

"Hey, we need income too!" -->  the voices of the supermarket workers were silenced in the previous message picture.

 

Let's put it this way. If you want to boycott the big supermarket just because you want to channel your money as 'charity' to the needy as reckoned in the first picture above, you are being ignorant too because your act of charity may defeat its own purpose. Just so you know, the big supermarkets are the sources of incomes for the supermarkets' workers. These workers, I can assure you they are the neediest of all. Most of them do not own a farm, orchard, garden or even a backyard to plant the fruits and veggies like most of the fruit sellers do. They depend wholly on the supermarket to earn a living. So, just imagine... what will the future holds for them if you start boycotting the supermarket to help the street sellers? They could be sacked to save the company's budget! They will have to find a new job, or left on the streets - but without fruits and veggies to sell!

And another thing - what's up with the statement 'they spend their money on cars and trips abroad?' Sounds like an overstatement to me. Have it ever occur to you (this question is for the person who came up with the message) that the trips abroad are for business purposes, and not just merely for luxurious lifestyle? Well, I know, the rich and famous always spend a lot of money, but isn't it better that way than for them to keep that money to themselves and stop the cycle of money? Oh I know this previous statement is irrelevant to the issue at hand but.. Okay. Another question: What makes you think that these supermarket owners do not donate or contribute to any charitable organization? I do not deny the possibility of these people to spend their money unwisely, but not each and everyone of the rich businessman are like that. The thing is... I want to point out the generalized notion in the message of this first picture. The message in this picture is just too shallow for me to follow.

And most importantly, we are free to choose where our money goes. It's consumer's democracy no?