--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nowadays, of course, just about our only…" description: "\"Nowadays, of course, just about our only solvent industry is the merchandising of death, bankrolled by our grandchildren.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/kurt-vonnegut-41_courses_nowadays-of-course-just-about-our-only-s_683955.jpg" --- # Nowadays, of course, just about our only solvent industry… ![“Nowadays, of course, just about our only solvent industry is the merchandising of death, bankrolled by our grandchildren.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/kurt-vonnegut-41_courses_nowadays-of-course-just-about-our-only-s_683955.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/kurt-vonnegut-41_courses_nowadays-of-course-just-about-our-only-s_683955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/kurt-vonnegut-41_courses_nowadays-of-course-just-about-our-only-s_683955.jpg) > “Nowadays, of course, just about our only solvent industry is the merchandising of death, bankrolled by our grandchildren.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern economies profit from death‑related products, funded by future generations, exposing moral contradictions. **In simple terms:** Profit from death fuels the economy. Key Takeaway Question consumption, demand ethical alternatives. Themes capitalism death future generations ethics consumerism Mood cynical thought‑provoking Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - healthcare marketing - war profiteering - funeral services - environmental impact Key Concepts moral satire economic critique intergenerational debt Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives exist to death‑driven markets? - How do we hold future generations accountable? A Different Perspective Not all profit is sustainable or ethical. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Grandchildren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandchildren/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Merchandising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merchandising/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“Nowadays, of course, just about our only solvent industry is the merchandising of death, bankrolled by our grandchildren, so that the message of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/nowadays-of-course-just-about-our-only-solvent-industry-is-the-2/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [It is an anomaly that information, the one thing most necessary to our survival as choosers of our own way, should be a commodity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-liebling/it-is-an-anomaly-that-information-the-one-thing-most-necessary-to-our/) [A. J. Liebling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-liebling/) > [When I was a kid, if I liked something from merchandising, I'd have to go to the toy store.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-luna/when-i-was-a-kid-if-i-liked-something-from-merchandising-i-d-have-to/) [Diego Luna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-luna/) > [I always wanted to be a fashion designer and I learned costume illustration in high school. That was an incredible high school. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-ross/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-fashion-designer-and-i-learned-costume/) [Diana Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-ross/) > [I was always into fashion because my mom has always been interested in fashion. She majored in fashion merchandising in college, and it's always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakota-fanning/i-was-always-into-fashion-because-my-mom-has-always-been-interested/) [Dakota Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakota-fanning/) > [I wanted control over the merchandising, the actual packaging of the product. That was a big factor. The only way for me to exercise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-wanted-control-over-the-merchandising-the-actual-packaging-of-the/) [Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/) > [Designers are by nature more inquisitive, more connected. They dig a little deeper in terms of insights. They turn those insights into innovation. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-parker/designers-are-by-nature-more-inquisitive-more-connected-they-dig-a/) [Mark Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-parker/) > [I wasn't so interested in merchandising through CD or whatever form. I wasn't really so aggressive about promoting my own work. I had my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshi-wada/i-wasn-t-so-interested-in-merchandising-through-cd-or-whatever-form-i/) [Yoshi Wada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoshi-wada/) > [The shaping of taste is essentially the science of merchandising, whether of detergents or cars or books or objects of fine and decorative art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-lynes/the-shaping-of-taste-is-essentially-the-science-of-merchandising/) [Russell Lynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-lynes/) > [Merchandising, merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/merchandising-merchandising-where-the-real-money-from-the-movie-is/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [“The retailer features them in advertising to generate store traffic, but once the shopper is in the store the retailer has every incentive via…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-thain/the-retailer-features-them-in-advertising-to-generate-store-traffic/) [Greg Thain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-thain/) > [Relentless improvement of the product and upgrading of consumer tastes are the heart of mass merchandising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/relentless-improvement-of-the-product-and-upgrading-of-consumer/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [I didn't make good money on 'Nightmare' until part three. I eventually got some nice merchandising checks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-englund/i-didn-t-make-good-money-on-nightmare-until-part-three-i-eventually/) [Robert Englund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-englund/) > [Of course, neither David or myself ever saw a penny from them; it was the early days of merchandising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-vaughn/of-course-neither-david-or-myself-ever-saw-a-penny-from-them-it-was/) [Robert Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-vaughn/) > [The most puzzling thing about TV is the steady advance of the sponsor across the line that has always separated news from promotion, entertainment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/the-most-puzzling-thing-about-tv-is-the-steady-advance-of-the-sponsor/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. 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