Here you will be exposed to some of my eccentric ideas, my warped view of the world, things I think are important. You don't have to go any further if you think you might be bored, incensed, or enraged. Let's keep it civilized. If you want to rebut anything I say, feel free to do so in a calm and reasonable manner. Please don't flame me. That is not nice. So here goes.
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It seems to me that people have forgotten their humanity in their race to obtain more things. Credit cards make it easy to buy, even when you don't have the money and won't for some time. I read recently where 50 years ago the savings rate in this country was somewhere around 25%(don't quote me, please. My figures are meant only to show an example). Now savings rates in this country are in the negative figures. The availability of credit, while making many more "things" available to the average person, has caused people to forfeit their futures to buy now. "Buy now pay later", 125% second mortgages, vehicle leases, and any number of other methods to part one from ones future financial stability are out there for the foolish. People aren't concerned about the consequences to their retirement or to their children should they die untimely. Their only concern is the fact that they can have that fancy car, that huge, expensive house, the expensive clothing, the high ticket furniture. What has become of thinking for the future? Of saving for the child's education, for a well funded retirement, for the child's inheritance? Where has family's importance gone? Oh, wait, I forgot about the stock market/money market investments that many people are making. And what if the stock market takes a major tumble? It's happened before. But, you say, there are safety features now that would prevent that from happening again. Does anyone realize that those "safety features" are being eroded every business day by the movers and shakers in the business world? Why? These protections are stifling business, of course. So what happens the next time there is an "adjustment" in the market? Many small investors could be wiped out. And where is the savings that would keep such people afloat. Nonexistent. The problems with consumerism are 1. that resources are used up faster and faster as more and more is produced. This causes widespread environmental problems. 2. People are no longer concerned with their own future or that of their families. 3. Consumerism only works as long as there is an ever increasing supply of consumers(witness the targeting of children by ad agencies) thus contributing to manipulation of the public to produce more offspring by all sectors of society(you want a stable economy keep people buying). 4. Consumerism, and its philosophy of "get it now", contributes to the short range view of the future that keeps long range improvements in conditions from being pursued(man is a notoriously short-sighted creature). 5. It contributes to the selfish, greedy nature of man instead of helping humanity transcend such intrinsic and destructive parts of our nature. And I could go on. But I think you get the picture. What then can we do about this situation? I honestly don't know. I'm trying to figure that out. The insidiousness of consumerism is that it plays to all the vices of the human creature. Greed, selfishness, self-centeredness, arrogance, short-sightedness, and aggression. It does nothing to teach humanity the value of life, the interconnectedness of all things, the irreplaceable nature of the Earth and Her creatures. In other words it sucks the spirituality from the human kind like a vampire sucks the blood from its victim. And the results will be the same. Death. Death of the spirit, death of the soul, death of the species. Is there hope for us? I can't tell. But I despair of humanity ever reaching the maturity to not need such things as a fancier car or a bigger house or a newer wardrobe. Can we transcend this adolescent phase? If more people would renounce consumption perhaps we could lead by example. I'm not sure what might work. Do you? |
