Consumerism and Simplicity

In more innocent days, before We the People were transformed into Consumers, the government actually encouraged people to be economical - save gas, save money, buy bonds, plant gardens, recycle metal - even fat! These were considered patriotic things to do. Much of it was necessitated by a wartime economy - but we've been fighting wars of one type or another my entire lifetime, so one can argue that we're still in a wartime economy.

It certainly felt like war after September 11, 2001. But our politicians, instead of urging sacrifice, urged most us to 'go shopping' (...while a few others were requested to go off and fight the war).

Things were different decades ago. Corporations weren't running the government to the extent that they do today. A corporation has to grow to survive and growth relies on unbounded consumerism. Consumerism was given a huge boost by the advent of television and its symbiotic relationship with propaganda-based advertising (commercials). Corporations ended all pretense of independence by essentially putting our elected representatives on their payroll.

A Seattle politician once stated that if Boeing "wanted us to bulldoze Mount Rainier so their planes would take off easier, we'd have done it". The City of NY gave two profitable sports teams, the Yankees and Mets, nearly $2B in subsidies to build new stadiums. Such events are so commonplace today that they are barely newsworthy.

Our government, essentially an obedient servant of corporations, now encourages wasteful consumerism. Gardens, clotheslines and even chickens are commonly banned by ordinance. Here's a typical example of a clothesline ban in NY:

"Laundry poles, lines and the like outside of homes are prohibited, nor may any laundry be hung in any manner whatsoever outside of the home." 

Debt is encouraged, even among students who often graduate with unmarketable degrees and a mortgage-sized debt before even landing their first job. Wasteful practices, such as the 'cash for clunkers' program, whereby the government paid people to trade in serviceable cars (which were scrapped) for new ones - and new debt.

The Unsustainability of Stuff

Getting rid of  TV was a huge step in simplifying my life. I became indifferent to consuming. I grew up during the Cold War and readily accepted that the US is a free and democratic society with the government accountable to the citizens. Eventually I learned that my vote or opinion isn't important, but I can vote with my dollars. So I buy sparingly and locally. When I eliminated the main propaganda conduit (TV), corporate influence suddenly became obvious. I began to wonder why taxpayers must pay for a billion dollar baseball stadium...for millionaire players and billionaire owners. And because I don't watch the commercials, I don't vote for the politician who spends the most on advertising.