Discuss: The Gospel of Consumption

ED: That’s very simply done: just levy import or export tariffs to equalize the cost of manufacturing widgets between disparate countries.

Export duties would be kept by the originating countries if it is not willing to force it’s employers to raise the standard of living of their workers, or if a country would not do anything about it, import duties would be levied by the receiving countries.

Now that would “plainly level the playing field”…

In any case, this would spell the end of the crazy shipments of anything halfway around the world.

The decision for a longer hour work day as well as the movement to force the Mothers to work too makes perfect sense. (Double the taxes too). Especially if the goal is to raise a child who has less influence from its parents and more from The State. Obedient consumers mesmerized by Pharmaceuticals, TV and Government Shock Doctrine.
They took the history away from the youth and now they have no future as well. Network programming replaced the Oral Tradition. Each Generation
a shadow of the next. Much was lost for none who live remember it. Until Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness means nothing more than getting the next Iphone. Eager to live in a WiFi saturated nightmare warping and humming 24/7.
Totally lost, distorted and expendable.

@David - You could call this ‘creeping normalcy’ eh?

What a Brave New World we live in. The part that disturbs me the most is that it was recognized that the system we have built would lead to mindless consumption and lethargy.

I’ve been following this post for the past couple of days and it’s been most interesting. I’m interested in what else I may uncover in the Orion archives.

For anyone interested I have created a flow chart of what is my understanding of our current food shortage (perhaps the largest problem that’s been created as a result of our consumption and over production?).
You can find it @ http://shorthandlogic.com/2008/food-shortage-flowchart/

Any input would be appreciated and you’re contributions will be noted. :)

My apologies for the excessive use of “interest”.

This article seems to give credibility to my conspiracy theory regarding our society.

Kaplan clearly shows how the long workday serves as a means of enforcing apathy among “the ruled” and defusing democracy. It’s not just about lost time to spend with the family or on non-work hobbies (which is important in itself), it’s about limiting the time people spend thinking about their situations and wondering why the haves have and the have-nots don’t.

Just a couple of points

1) Socialism is what one finds in Denmark, Sweden, Finland as an example. It does not equal communism which is commenly done in the US.

2) The power of advertisment needs to be better understood by ALL to truely understand what it does and can do. Only after reading a few books about this and what Bernays did, did I fully appreciate the problem.

3) When I watch TV I turn off the sound when the commercials come on. It is one way to limit their influence. Do you recall cable TV’s original selling line, “We are commercial free”, well no more !!!!  :-)

Thanks John de Graaf for bringing in the detailed information of how the working man situation in Europe looks like. Those observations should be eye openers for US people who in most cases can only dream of one month vacations.