re: Is Consumerism harmful?

Quoting KTBEAR:“ so a peaceful revolution is impossible? I certainly hope not for my kids sake. But you are right that ... [snip!] ... re-educating would help a lot but you would have to get people out of the paradigm that the have been living in for ages. ”

I hope so too, I wouldn't bring another child into the world if I didn't have hope, but... come on we STILL can't accept something simple like homosexuality.

Granted it has come a long way from before when the common cure for homosexuals was.. you know, death. But it takes too long.

I do believe that it's possible, I just think this planet will be dead before then. Well not the planet specifically.. just our relationship with it.

Like Lister said on Red Dwarf: "That's the reason all the other planets are so distant.. Stay away from Earth, it has some sort of disease, it might be contagious"

Quoting KTBEAR:“ I've heard other people voice that opinion. I don't think we would be if we handled things a bit smarter. "Science has failed our Mother Earth" but can it re-deem itself???”

I guess my view is just more pessimistic. I think we manifested on Earth because we're meant to be a cancer, since I think of every single thing on Earth as being analogous to our cells inside of us.

C.

Yes, consumerism is a great issue in our society. I was recently speaking with a friend who is from Ethiopia. She said that she didn't grow up with toys at all and that despite the poverty in her country, people were generally more happy than Americans. However, with the advent of TVs, she says people in her country want what they see on TV and what they perceive America to be, people having fun, living in big, beautiful homes, driving expensive cars, etc. Is this what our Founding Fathers intended for America, to inspire others through consumerism, false idols, and misleading images?

Consumerism is not the devil. A country has to have a strong set of consumers and producers in order to have a thriving economy. Sure, we seem to have an unhealthy focus on "things," but most of that is perpetuated by the media that is focused on creating a population that hates those with more money and/or things.

Yes I think Consumerism is harmful. Honestly I would rather have been born into another time where people were more concerned with nature and each other and less about technology and "stuff". We're supposed to be a world which is advancing yet people are losing the simple ability to have a face to face conversation with each other because they are too lost in their brand new iPhone or iPad or iPod, having upgraded to the brand new one even though there was nothing wrong with the last. You know the world is completely screwed when there are children starving to death all over the world and the problem isn't that there isn't enough food it is because there isn't enough money to pay for the food so instead perfectly good unused food is being dumped outside of supermarkets at the end of the day, they spray that food with chemicals too so people can't come along and eat it. The World is also multi trillions in debt, to who exactly?   ....... Advancing World my ass  

Quoting Bangtail:" Consumerism is not the devil. A country has to have a strong set of consumers and producers in order ... [snip!] ... of that is perpetuated by the media that is focused on creating a population that hates those with more money and/or things."

Just having commercials play on tv/radio ect makes people want what they don't need, makes people wish they had more. Politics is lost on most people so I don't think that the media is what has created the general "hate" some people feel for the wealthy. I mean maybe in the last few years it has gotten a bit more intense and the media is using that to their advantage.. but I don't think that is where our materialism stems from.

Quoting Bangtail:" Consumerism is not the devil. A country has to have a strong set of consumers and producers in order ... [snip!] ... of that is perpetuated by the media that is focused on creating a population that hates those with more money and/or things."

Also, our economy.. at least they way it is set up today... is fairly new. It was in the 1930's or 40's when built capital took priority over natural capital that we started on this destructive slope. I think as a system, the economy can be easily changed to meet our current needs rather than try to hang on to how we do things today. However, I would leave that up to the economists to figure out, lol.

Quoting Madame Joy:" Yes, consumerism is a great issue in our society. I was recently speaking with a friend who is from Ethiopia. ... [snip!] ... this what our Founding Fathers intended for America, to inspire others through consumerism, false idols, and misleading images?"

how did you find this thread! lol Blast from the past   I agree that North Americans and people in general would be happier if our life styles were not economically based.

Quoting xTJ:" Yes I think Consumerism is harmful. Honestly I would rather have been born into another time where people ... [snip!] ... come along and eat it. The World is also multi trillions in debt, to who exactly?   ....... Advancing World my ass  "

agree, people are too distracted.