The reckoning of cheapness.

How did we keep things so cheap for so long? We've been sold this mythology that everything can be cheap. It's happened so long in America that it feels like "forever." There are trade-offs—both implicit and explicit.

Consider America's infrastructure. Our entire system is built on the foundation of cheapness: subdivisions without public transit, poorly maintained roads, and developers passing off maintenance to counties that just want the tax revenue right now. We're starting to see the consequences of our obsession with cheapness. And instead of complaining about rising prices, maybe we should reconsider the value of what we're paying for.

We drive to the cheap house on the cheap road across the cheap bridge.

There's a part of me that welcomes higher prices. Better things should cost more, and quality, durability, and resilience are worth paying for.

The future will be better if we pay for it.

Steve Berry
Principal, Thought Merchants