[Tanada]

When I was a kid way back in the 1970's I am pretty sure some of the cheap very old paperback books that I learned to read from were printed in blue ink.

These days everything I find is printed in the same boring dull black ink.

What happened to the idea that Globalization was going to make everything so cheap you would have a bouquet of choices? Instead it seems like we get whatever the cheapest alternative is from everyone on the planet and zero variety at all. Even economy cars all basically look alike in a given size range as they slavishly imitate each other trying to get market share.

Bah humbug, I want blue ink and technicolor choices!

[dissident]

One of the key features of globalization is the disappearance of small and medium companies to be replaced by transnationals. Supposedly the large companies can better compete on the world stage due to their economies of scale. An example would be Walmart and how it guts local retail.

But economists believe that this is the best of all possible worlds where only optimal choices are made. I have a question for these "theoreticians" (more like witch doctors): how come the standard of living of the middle class was higher back in the 1970s and people could afford to buy from their local retail selling nationally produced goods? According to your dogma we were all poor and deprived and the current trickle down of $10 an hour McJobs has made us all so much better off.

[Pops]

This kinda strays into my territory.
Black inks have been made from carbon (soot, charcoal, etc.) since wayback.
Blue ink was once made from oak galls (tanin)
Blue/black inks were blue when wet (tanin) and as iron in the mix oxidized they dried black.

"Modern" synthetic blue inks (anlines) were first compounded in the mid-19th century from, what else, coal tar (benzine). The blue in yer blue jeans (indigo) comes from "coal tar", good thing we have centuries worth.

[Subjectivist]

Now that I think about it, over the path of my lifespan choices have narrowed considerably. It seems like since the accountants took over what 40 years ago now, it has just piled on itself. It used to be competing companies tried to look as distinct as possible, like those blue ink books menthioned in the OP. Now it is the super generic competition where every company makes their stuff generic and dull as flat beer. Sure it still has the alcohol in it, but its not the first choice for having drinks with your friends.

I don't know what can be done to combat this slide into mediocer sameness, but if anyone has some ideas how to fix it that would be great.

[SeaGypsy]

Squid ink was commonly used also in some parts.

[Subjectivist]

Squid ink was commonly used also in some parts.

Interesting, I just looked it up. Regular fountain pen ink in a bottle is about $15 but you can get authentic squid ink by the bottle for $54!