Both teacherken and GrannyDoc have very good diaries today talking about the consumer culture and what exactly it means for both individuals and the world. Teacherken reminds us that changes to the status quo may have real-world consequences for individuals who work in those affected industries. GrannyDoc points out that regardless, the status quo is simply unsustainable, and absolutely must be changed.
So who's right? Well, as most of us probably know, both are. But what I think was missing, and what really brought this from a comment to a diary, is how to move forward, and especially what pitfalls there are in trying to move this over. THIS IS NOT FIRST AND FOREMOST A POLITICAL ISSUE. This is a cultural issue. And without the realization of this, any hope of substantive change is null.
Very few people will doubt that we live in a consumption-based society. Everything is based around that. For most people, opting out of the mainstream of society will come with possibly significant social costs. They may be looked down upon for it, in fact, in a lot of cases they WILL be. Breaking down this social dynamic is what is needed, however, it will not be done overnight. It will take time. And it won't be easy...so with that said. A few comments on this dynamic, and what I see from proponents of this.
#1. Don't be insulting. The change is not going to be done overnight, unless its being done basically by circumstancial force. And in this case, what you're really doing is basically rubbing in the circumstances. It's the moral equivilent of pointing and laughing. Don't be a jerk.
#2. Along that note, there's another common trend that tends to create feelings of division among those feel significant change is needed. Be self-aware of the natural feeling, quoting Carlin, that everybody else's stuff is crap, and that your stuff is crap. Just because you prefer reading over watching a movie does not make you a better person. Your hobby of say..photography isn't more worthwhile than someone who plays an instrument.
This is a very common trap that I see always come up in threads about this issue, and quite frankly, I think it turns a lot of people off.
#3. Relying on a sort of "Disaster Socialism", quite frankly is no better than the opposite...and in any case, I really doubt it'll work anyway. Pain tends to bring out the bad in the public at large, making them more selfish, not less. There's a reason why Disaster Capitalism works.
#4. Have a vision for what change would look like. And a blueprint. This is something we're all going to have to think about on our own. Mine?
Simple. I think we need to get the personal economic numbers balanced so people can work and live rewarding and well.."competitive" lives. We need to be able to afford making a living working a 25-30 hour workweek so the jobs exist to maintain a stable society. Where we spend most of our money on "cheap plastic crap", right now, I can see a situation where we spend our resources on low-cost but high (personal) quality 1's and 0's. Digital distribution can provide the consumption we desire, but in a sustainable method. Oh. And we'd have the time to enjoy it.
That's where I see us going. Well..that's after the boomer retirement and a labor crunch to overcome that bump, but that's neither here nor there. But it's an idea. And you may not agree with me..but that's hardly the point.
The change has to happen. But it's not going to be easy, and it's going to be bottom up and not top down. Truly grassroots. But it can only happen if we make it seem like a positive change, and not a negative forced-upon one.