thoughtportal reblogged
"While Jerry's work becomes increasingly meaningless, he finds release in his music. The fiddle becomes more personal, and almost every day, he practices during his lunch break. But what release is there for other mill workers? There's endless buying, and consuming, which can't be satisfied. And there's the American dream that every man can become a millionaire. What is emerging is the collapse of meaning."
Consumerism and community
The structures that protect and nurture the urge to shop are mighty fortresses indeed. Zygmunt Bauman, a famous Polish sociologist, wrote that one reason we’re so trapped in a consumerist cycle is because leisure — the ostensible goal of wealth — has become both commodified and profitable, making it “the turn of the consumers, rather than producers, to be exploited.” In other words, your boredom or malaise is someone else’s opportunity for profit.
The entire purpose of a capitalist system is to build and accumulate assets (aka capital), and the American experiment has definitely succeeded in that regard. Today, we have many very profitable corporations and wealthy individuals with a vested interest in maintaining our cultural obsession with buying and owning more and more stuff.
Why does Father Christmas wear red and white? It's not for the reason you may think. In an updated version of an episode from 2018, Tim Harford tells the story of Christmas and consumerism.
Capitalism, gentrification, and white privilege come together for a bonkers story.