Materialistic Madness

[Iris]

Published on Friday, November 12, 2004 by the Boston Globe
Materialistic Madness
by Derrick Z. Jackson

The biggest moral value of all was on display in a parking lot in Hershey, Pa. Five cars, four of them SUVs, were clustered together. All of them had the yellow ribbon magnet in support of our troops in Iraq. The ribbons glowed against the grayness of a drizzly fall day. Circled by fallen leaves, the hulks were an impenetrable metallic forest resting on asphalt soil.
This forest spoke as powerfully about our moral values as the debate over gay marriage and Iraq. Americans are still voting for denial. The SUV forest thickens. The real forest thins. America voted for the asphalt jungle.

That is the moral value that most threatens America. It is consuming itself with consumption. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue, even though Republican President Bush is a stunningly convenient symbol. This is the president who, when faced with telling Americans what their responsibilities were in the days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, went to Chicago's O'Hare Airport and urged Americans to fly to Disney World.

Three thousand Americans were killed by terrorists, we were about to send soldiers off to die, eventually by the hundreds, in Afghanistan and Iraq, and all a president could ask of civilians was to have a photo taken with Mickey Mouse. You cannot be more escapist than that. Had Democrat Al Gore been presented with the same Wall Street pressure to get commercial aircraft up in the air, there is a good chance that he would have done something just as Goofy.

The return of Bush to the White House and the failure of challenger John Kerry to offer a bold, clear alternative is the culmination of a half century in which the early 1960s presidential rhetoric of equality at home and ending poverty abroad faded into an escape from those challenges with Richard Nixon's "law and order" campaign in 1968. Pretty much ever since, Americans have sought out leaders who made them feel good about walling themselves off from those left behind or being global gluttons.

The only one who arguably tried, Jimmy Carter during the oil crisis, was drummed out of office. His chagrined successors have charted a steady course away from individual responsibility for consumption, no matter how much they preach it to attack mothers on welfare and black prisoners. America has come to be seen as the nation of me, my SUV and eye-popping portions of greasy French fries.

Since the 1970s, our cars, homes, and stomachs have become the biggest in the world. The mayor of Washington, D.C., wants a publicly funded $530-million baseball stadium a half year after the city slashed 285 teachers. Little about daily life in America has changed after 9/11 except for long lines at airports and allowing fear to become an excuse to cling even more desperately to cash. That must be why Americans cheer for a few hundred dollars out of a trillion-dollar tax cut while public education becomes a fossil.

We went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq saying we're promoting freedom, democracy, and the American way of life. It is a lie to promote the American way of life as it is at this moment. The great Harvard biologist, E.O. Wilson, said in his 2002 book "The Future of Life" that if the rest of the world were to actually live like we do, it would take four planet Earths. Our promise is a recipe for mass extinction of animals and plants, massive wars by humans over scare resources. Do we not invite more terrorism against the United States by entities who will increasingly say we are stealing their energy, food, air, and water?

We all participate in this lie, Republican, Democrat, and independent, rich, middle class, and even a fair number of the poor. Somewhere on the checklist of big car, huge house, thundering television, wasted food, lights left on, packrat possessions, and paper thrown away, we can pencil in our share of the madness.

Forty-three years ago, John F. Kennedy said, "We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty." Today, we returned to office a president who tells us our burden is to go to Disney World.

That is an unsustainable vision for an unsustainable society. The biggest test of America's moral values is whether we and our leaders find the courage to say that liberty for all means liberating ourselves from materialism before it drives us mad and makes us a target for the world's next madman.

© 2004 Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editor ... le?mode=PF

[Cherry Kelly]

SO why not go after the car manufacturers to make cars with better MPG? seems too logical I guess, for people to get together and start demanding better mpg cars. SUV's minivans - just another name for station wagon (well not really, but some of these do look more like glorified station wagons).

Matrialistic agendas are the rule of the day. We all want our HDTV ready TV sets with big screens (and good quality pictures), and a new car (or newer one) every 2-3 yrs. We also shower our kids with toys and gifts that cost 3-4 times the value the kids will get - how many teenagers DON'T have cell phones? or iPods or the latest and greatest computer at home - notepd - lappie?

So who do we blame? The government or the people? Or the media hype on the latest and greatest MUST haves??

[seattlegal]

IMHO, gluttony is a personal vice.

[Westward Ho]

My new symbol for this self-centered material way of life in the USA is taken from my neighborhood, where a petite 5'4" woman drive a Hummer to the local Safeway, which is within walking distance. Another neighbor lady drives her Cadillac SUV to the end of the block (no kidding) to wait for the school bus to drop off her son at 3:00 each day. When her son comes, she makes a large circular turn and drives the 500 feet back to her house.

I give up. Let Bush strip mine America. No one cares.

[BenSlain]

While sitting at the school parking lot I notice the teacher parking area is full of big suv's. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't these people for the most part Democrats? And Kerry sucks a lot of fuel with all his toys also. I wouldn't go pointing at Bush. I would start by pointing at the consumer for buying these ridicules things.

[Westward Ho]

While sitting at the school parking lot I notice the teacher parking area is full of big suv's. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't these people for the most part Democrats? And Kerry sucks a lot of fuel with all his toys also. I wouldn't go pointing at Bush. I would start by pointing at the consumer for buying these ridicules things.

I do blame the consumer, Ben. But Bush is now pushing already for drilling in that Arctic preserve again. THe Republican party is not well known for caring about environmental protection if there is a buck to be made for some CEO crony. Frankly, the times I've been in Los Angeles I have been repulsed beyond the contents of my stomach by the air quality, and I wonder "How can these people live this way? Why aren't they rioting against this pollution? Why don't they demand better mileage on cars?"

[racehorse]

THe Republican party is not well known for caring about environmental protection

It should be. Republican President Theodore Roosevelt was a true Environmentalist. Republican President Richard Nixon cared deeply about the environment and created the Environmental Protection Agency.

[Westward Ho]

It should be. Republican President Theodore Roosevelt was a true Environmentalist. Republican President Richard Nixon cared deeply about the environment and created the Environmental Protection Agency.

The year is 2004.

[BenSlain]

I do blame the consumer, Ben. But Bush is now pushing already for drilling in that Arctic preserve again.

They should have done it 15 years ago. The land mass for drilling is less than1/10th of 1 percent of the preserve. Also other land could be added to the preserve.

[Westward Ho]

They should have done it 15 years ago. The land mass for drilling is less than1/10th of 1 percent of the preserve. Also other land could be added to the preserve.

I disagree. Fuel economy alone would save the USA all the feeble oil reserves available in the preserve, but from Washington all we get in subtle and not so subtle ways is "pig out, oinkers! A standard SUV is not manly enough - to be a real man how you gotta get a Hummer!"

I refuse to support any acts that serve to put even more wealth in a few peoples' hands (corporate oil interests) when those same interests have no interest in conservation of oil reserves by the piggish american public. I don't believe in digging up a preserve just so McDonalds and other ticky tacky strip mall outlets can have massive flood lights all night long.

I expect this is just a very different view of what planet earth is for, plunder or preservation.

[Devastated]

Materialism.
That's largely what led me to move to Mexico in 1977.
While it's true that rich Mexicans are among the richest people on earth, and that they exercise the same kind of casual, unthinking materialism that we expect from people with deep pockets, the society itself is still unmaterialistic. Instead of shopping mall windows we are surrounded with beautiful architecture, art and nature.
It's great to live in a society where you can buy one sheet of paper, one egg, one Band-Aid. Much less waste.
I am much less materialistic than I would have been had I "stayed home."
It's wonderful to have everything I want and not have to want to be rich in order to accomplish the goal.
In the US there's a lot of sensual pleasure attached to spending... Everybody works so hard and the only reason for working is to buy the next thing. I'm so sorry.

[Cherry Kelly]

My oldest step-daughter has a mini van - also has four small children (three of whom sit in child safety-seats). For her family - its a necessity for going places. The one next door neighbor also has a mini van - three kids. (Guess they just don't make station wagons anymore - they changed the name to minivans...

I drive an older car 91 Saturn SCII - sports car - gets 33-35mpg (sometimes more on long trips). Low mileage - cause I don't make wasted trips when I go to store or town.

- - -
Now as for the drilling for oil in that far northern region... I am of the firm belief it should have been done some time ago. As other pipelines have shown the animals have prospered -- heat from the lines means they have more food growth - thus produce more offspring. (good bad ?)

There are numerous wells in the neighboring state -- quite often they are just sitting there - not working - and I wonder why.

[alaskandevil]

I disagree. Fuel economy alone would save the USA all the feeble oil reserves available in the preserve, but from Washington all we get in subtle and not so subtle ways is "pig out, oinkers! A standard SUV is not manly enough - to be a real man how you gotta get a Hummer!"

I refuse to support any acts that serve to put even more wealth in a few peoples' hands (corporate oil interests) when those same interests have no interest in conservation of oil reserves by the piggish american public. I don't believe in digging up a preserve just so McDonalds and other ticky tacky strip mall outlets can have massive flood lights all night long.

I expect this is just a very different view of what planet earth is for, plunder or preservation.

so you seem to know alot about ANWR...care to enlighten me?

and before we get of course please remember to back up any statements with facts. Actually form more than one source would be even better.

I would enjoy hearing another point of view on this subject.

[Lord Moon]

I don't drive a large car, I ride my mountain bike everyday in the morning to do errands. It's amazing to me how much gas I can save just by doing without a car, for just a small amount of time.

I also feel that people vote with what they consume, and those votes are counted more loudly sometimes than the other ones because corporations do endless research on products they sell.

Years ago I remember shopping at Mrs. Gooch's in Los Angeles. She started her health food store because she almost died from drinking Soda that had preservatives in it, that she didn't know about. THen when she was in recovery at the hospital her father, being helpful gave her another can of Soda, and she almost died again. People pooh hooed her, they thought organic foods were just a fad. The medical profession also pooh hooed it. But not now, Whole Foods Markets that bought her out, has at least 4 large supermarket sized stores in the Pasadena area, and most days it's hard to get into the parking lot.. To top it off, Von's started carrying some of the organic brands Whole Foods Carry's so I don't have to go very far to get what I want. WHole Foods is one of the most profitable investments on the stock Market.

Just remember every time you fill up, it's likely that some of your money goes to Saudia Arabia or OPEC. And it that doesn't make you mad nothing will.

If we did have a more sustaining energy policy just think of how much money they would loose, and we would gain..

[Cherry Kelly]

LordMoon - its nice you can ride your mountain bike and are close enough to places you need to go....

unfortunately not everyone IS - people live several miles from the nearest shopping area.

HOWEVER - a wise shopper makes a list before he/she goes, gets it all done same day with minimal driving... but then some people dont think anything of driving to the store with oops I forgot the bread or ....