American society has always been powered by the saying "Whoever dies with the most toys wins." This saying had been around since the early settling periods when America had only begun to expand but not just in America as Laurence Shames beliefs. We the people have always had the need for more things; in the past, it was land and wealth, and now it is everything else. In "The More Factor" by Laurence Shames makes connections with America's frontier history and today's modern consumer behavior. However, in his writing I do not believe he takes it far enough, wanting more has influence humanity throughout history and not just in America.
There are many connections between the sayings of "More is better" and "frontierism" in American history. Laurence Shames describes the "More Factor" as the acquisition of things such as more land and more money (Shames 81). While Shames is correct in his theory of how modern day capitalism emerged, I do not think he took it far enough. While the growth of America was the starting point for the development of the modern American economy, the American expansion did not start in America. It began with all of the settlers that migrated to the new world from Europe nations. Even the discovery of the new world was part of an overall attitude of "more" for the exploration of rulers trying to expand their world and power. Shames' opinion of the "More Factor" being unique to only America is wrong. America exists because of our natural tendency to better himself or to out due the next person. The frontiers in America are shrinking just as they did in the old world because of the land being used up for their resources and money making purposes. .
Power has always been the primary motivator in the American economy, to gain and obtain more power has always been a problem or a problem causer. It is so hard to keep track of this because it takes place in different forms; political and economical being the main ones.
