Consumer

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The dismal science Economics

Economic systems

$  Free market   €  Social democracy   ☭ Socialist economy

Major concepts

Homo economicus Post-normal science Third Way Michael Snyder Distributism

The worldly philosophers

Murray Rothbard Brad DeLong Dick Armey Robin Hanson v - t - e

A consumer is an end user of a product or service.

In modern capitalist economies, it is important that they truly "consume" the product, and throw it away, so they will have to buy another one. This keeps the cogs of the invisible hand turning and the pin factories hustling and bustling.

In kinder, gentler systems, they are also considered to be "people," and as such, to have "certain inalienable rights" not to be consumed themselves by the product or service — but this is a moot point, as in such systems they are not actually allowed any "products" to be "consumed" by; this would distract them from their task of being "liberated" from "oppression."^{[note 1]}

See also[edit]

• Consumerism
• Planned obsolescence

Notes[edit]