TV presents commercials that encourage us to buy. That is prompted by capitalism
Its prompted by the people who buy those commercials.
Who are capitalists.
You are going off track.
We each think the other is going off track. I think it is because of a difference in how we use the word capitalism. I am using the word primarily to describe a free market system. You apparently use it to describe the specific way some people operate in our current example of such a system.
The US is considered a prime example of a capitalist system so of course, I reference the behavior of the people within that system.
The problem isn't that we have different terminology or meaning for the word, capitalism, but rather the discussion seems to make you uncomfortable to the point where you try to move it in another direction.
Capitalism makes consumption very desirable.
Capitalism creates the wealth that allows the consumption, and it gives people the freedom to use that wealth for consumption, but consumption is desirable for most people with or without capitalism.
Not necessarily......if there were only two clothing styles for each gender, I suspect the purchasing of clothes would drop preciptiously. Capitalism encourages competitiveness in the market place which, in turn, encourages the creation of many different products which, in turn, encourages consumption. There are people in a capitalistic society whose entire job is about figuring out ways to get people to buy more products.
Feudal lords, communist leaders, the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, none of these people lived in a highly capitalist society, none of them were excessively influenced by advertising, but they all consumed a lot, esp. considering the relative poverty of the areas they controlled. Capitalism gives people beyond the leadership and its cronies the wealth and freedom to consume.
The consumption habits of the above people may have appeared great for their economic system and societies but it appears puny when compared to their equals in a capitalistic society. To use an extreme example, Cleopatra may have had a two dozen pairs of sandals or whatever passed for footwear back then in her wardrobe but Imelda Marcos had over 3000 pairs, thanks to the bounty of capitalism.
It may well be true that humans are innately consumptive but capitalism enables that consumption in the same way liquor enables an alcoholic.
ted |
