Consumerism

In my mind, Consumerism is the primary illness of Western Civilization.  The quote I found below beautifully sums up why I believe Consumerism undermines the healthy workings our society.

Consumerism interferes with the workings of society by replacing the normal common-sense desire for an adequate supply of life's necessities, community life, a stable family and healthy relationships with an artificial ongoing and insatiable quest for things and the money to buy them with little regard for the true utility of what is bought.

In my life, I have rarely felt a need to become an activist for anything, but as I grow older, I continue to grow frustrated with the lack of maturity and judgement of human beings to disregard such hurtful mindsets and turn their attention to more healthy activities.

Consumerism, as a disease, is most effective when taking hold of the most vulnerable in our society - the poor and undiscerning.  Christmas-time is the most destructive time of year for the American people.  Each year, people that do not have the money are seduced by our media to consume items on debt that will take them months, years, foreever or never to pay off.

What if we simply bought what we needed, invested in our children and saved money such that we could pass it along to the next generation such they may have a sense of security.