I am, first and foremost, a consumer. I produce little more than my daily bowel movement. I am employed primarily to gain the wherewithal to consume more. I am a consumer.
I have learned consumerism from practical experience, just by being born an American. Granted, formal education attempts to put a lofty spin on the subject but it still boils down to survival of the fittest, those who consume most efficiently. The weak and unfit are consumed.
It has been the consideration of a Hippocratic, sustainable lifestyle that has led me to this less than flattering view of myself. The proverbial paradigm shift from consumer to producer is virtually unfathomable, and yet this is what will be required if I sincerely desire to become part of the solution rather than be the problem.
I value the opinion of my loyal readers, and my hope is to stimulate some sort of discussion about where we go from here. Christmas 2008 is already being forecast as a disappointment because the recession/depression is going to curtail retail sales. I know that the politically correct response is that this is not what Christmas is really all about, but there is no denying that the health of our economy is dependent upon consumption: make it and we will buy it.
An unprecedented number of Americans feel that our country is headed in the wrong direction; that we are sorely in need of change, etc. Barack Obama symbolizes that hunger, but to what degree are we really willing to fundamentally change our worldview? It has been said that it is more blessed to give than to receive, but such words are just nonsense to a consumer.
Just saw this and thought it worked well with your post:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/13/BAGH3H7DH71.DTL
Personally, I think the consumer/producer dichotomy is a bit oversimplified. How we choose to spend our money or not spend our money can be a powerful tool for change.
Just as we demonstrated we are powerful as voters, we can be powerful as consumers, creating a demand for sustainable, ethically- produced products.
We can also lessen the demand for products we disagree with: gas-guzzling SUVs, food grown using non-sustainable practices, meat produced on factory farms, clothes created from non-sustainable materials in third world sweat shops, etc. (Of course a huge government bailout dilutes this approach.)
It is important to be a conscientious consumer, questioning what practices our dollars are supporting and evaluating each purchase or investment. However if we don't support businesses who are operating ethically and sustainably, they will disappear and we will be left with fewer quality products, good jobs, and compassionate, forward-thinking entrepreneurs.