America, The Consumerist Society

Many folks, especially during political season, lament that it's the lack of morals that has led to what they believe is the downfall of America. You constantly hear the chant "We have to take America back", whatever that means. Usually they don't like who is in power because it's not whom they voted for.

I would contend the problems we face in regard to the economy, broken families and crime have nothing to do with politics or government programs or even racism and bigotry. Certainly one can point to all of these as symptoms of a decaying society but I think the structural problem is consumerism. Marketeers have convinced us that we need the newest, fanciest, multi-funtional, cant do without it products on earth... like a computer in a watch, spray on hair or a way to crisp up bacon in the microwave.

Us Americans constantly buy crap we don't need because some marketing genius (watch QVC for an hour if you really want to feel naseous) convinces us it's a great value. Meanwhile, you got so excited about your new toothbrush steam cleaner that you forgot to pay your power bill and have fallen a month behind. Worse yet, you may have taken out a new credit account to buy the crap you don't need. Miss one payment and watch the interest rate on that baby jump to 26%.

Then you listen to Fox News tell us how poor people are lazy moochers who just want our tax money and that they choose to be that way. I would assert that most poor people have two issues... 1) They could probably use a class in money management which is simply ignorance, not laziness and 2) they need to ignore rich jerks that target them for high interest rate credit cards and stupid products which keep them poor.

You want to save America, stop vulture capitalism. Don't support companies who manufacture goods with the use of foreign sweat factories and credit card companies who have unfair lending practices. As comedian Louis CK said in a great routine... "They (the bank) charged me $15 because I only had $20. Now I only have $5. Have you ever had negative money? Once I had negative 5 dollars. I have less than nothing. If something was free I couldn't afford it. When you're rich the bank pays you for being rich. When you have a lot of money the bank gives you money. Take this guys $15, #$&% him".

These sorts of greedy companies going out of business would be a good start toward a newly prosperous America. One where saving money and charity are valued over getting the hot new computer or pair of sneakers first.