http://marketplace.publicradio.org/s...200703226.html
I think this guy is on to something. Consumerism has practically redefined what it is to be human. It's made us self-centered, impatient, and unsympathetic to real problems. I'm reminded of it everyday when I hear my young coworker blabber on about the drama of her MySpace "friends" or the tragedy of her old cell phone... Not as bad as when I worked at Radio Shack where salesmen are expected to try and convince people further that they NEED the latest cell phone (yes, NEED)... and strangely it works. Not a shocker. Most of the salesmen and women believe it too! (that's why I needed to quit that job
)
It also, I believe, explains the way we look at politics these days... kind of as a mix of spectator sport and soap opera.
We are turning into creatures that do not create but want things created for them (which we will then take credit for the existence of)... and our cell phone model is far more important than
their running water or infrastructure...
Blame the loss of values in this nation on multiculturalism, on secularism, on capitalism itself all you want. Name your boogeyman. For me, this is definitely the primary embodiment, if not the root cause, of the amorality and apathy of our generations and the one we're seeing into existence now.