- Most Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25. For
Eastern Orthodox faith adherents, it's January 7. It commemorates Christ's
birthday, even though it's widely acknowledged not to be that day.
-
- Many African Americans also celebrate Kwanzaa from December
26 - January 1 to reconnect to their cultural and historic heritage. In
addition, Jews commemorate Hanukkah. The eight-day Festival of Lights observes
the rededication of Jerusalem's Holy Temple at the time of second century
BC the Maccabean Revolt.
-
- Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, the season also
involves obsessive consumerism. Merriam Webster calls it "the promotion
of the consumer's interests; the theory that an increasing consumption
of goods is economically desirable; (and/or) a preoccupation with and an
inclination toward buying consumer goods."
-
- Investopedia defines it as the "theory that a country
that consumes goods and services in large quantities will be better off
economically."
-
- According to Wikipedia, it's "a social and economic
order based on fostering a desire to purchase goods in ever greater amounts."
Its zenith is reached during the yearend holiday period.
-
- In 1915, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) first used
the term to mean the "advocacy of the rights and interests of consumers."
Over time, other meanings developed, including OED in 1960 calling it an
"emphasis on or preoccupation with the acquisition of consumer goods."
-
- It reflects a "keeping up with the Joneses"
mindset. In 1899, Thorstein Veblen's "The Theory of the Leisure Class"
coined the term "conspicuous consumption" to mean spending to
reflect income, wealth, and social status. He distinguished between industrial
productiveness and other forms of business, producing products and services
for society's leisure class.
-
- Applicable to his day's nouveau riche, today it reflects
excess discretionary consumption overall, especially during holiday season
binge shopping.
-
- Critics like Fr. Timothy V. Vaverek denounce consumerism's
"destructive hold." In a "Faith and Culture" article,
he expressed concern about "the social and economic instability which
consumerism is fostering," and advocated "break(ing) the hold."
-
- Steven Miles calls it "the religion of the late
twentieth century" that's flourished in America earlier throughout
the past century. In his essay, "Consumerism and the New Capitalism,"
Rip Cronk said it's degenerating Western society's values.
-
- Worldwide Institute's Christopher Flavin believes "(r)ising
consumption has helped meet basic needs and create jobs, but (today's)
unprecedented consumer appetite is undermining the natural systems we all
depend on, and mak(es) it even harder for the world's poor to meet their
basic needs."
-
- According to National Geographic News (NGN), almost 1.7
billion people comprise the "consumer class." NGN calls them
"the group of people characterized by diets of highly processed foods,
desire for bigger houses, more and bigger cars, higher levels of debt,
and lifestyles devoted to the accumulation of non-essential goods."
-
- In his essay, "A Crisis of Consumerism," Amitai
Etzioni distinguishes between consumption and consumerism, saying:
-
- Consumerism's "the obsession with acquisition that
has become the organizing principle of American life. (It's) not the same
thing as capitalism (or) consumption."
-
- "Consumption turns into an 'ism' when material objects
are used to express affection and to seek self-esteem, and when they dominate
the quest for self-actualization." This "ism" then becomes
a destructive social disease.
-
- Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of human needs is useful.
It begins with essential ones like food, water, shelter, healthcare, education,
and homeostasis, etc. In most societies, obtaining them involves consumption.
-
- In contrast, consumerism depends on satisfying discretionary
desires. In excess, it's indeed socially destructive.
-
- The term "consumption" originated hundreds
of years ago. It referred to infectious tuberculosis (TB). Its original
meaning is relevant in today's acquisitive society where consuming for
essentials is worlds apart from overindulgent consumerism.
-
- It involves excessive, intemperate shopping for desires,
not needs, irrespective of personal or societal consequences.
-
- Untreated, TB (or consumption), consumes victims slowly
and painfully. Consumerism mimics it through over-indebtedness, ecological
destruction, unhealthy and unsafe consumer products, corporate empowerment,
greed and profits, militarism and imperial wars, neglected vital needs,
and democratic decay in a corporatist state disdaining human values.
-
- Overindulgent spending involves what clinicians call
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). For addicted consumers, it reflects
obsessive shopping, spending, and accumulating excessively.
-
- Nonetheless, millions in America and elsewhere buy stuff
they don't need. Economist Paul Baran described it as "want(ing) what
we don't need (consumer unessentials) and not what we do," including
safe food, clean air and water, education, healthcare, and good governance.
-
- It's worst at Christmas when frenzied spending dismissively
becomes getting into the holiday spirit until bills arrive. Institutionalized
self-gratification diverts people from what matters most, including ending
imperial wars, eroding civil liberties, human rights and other democratic
values, lack of jobs, gutted social services, ecological destruction, and
policies benefitting America's privileged at the expense of beneficial
social change.
-
- Consumerism also enhances corporate power by satisfying
its insatiable need for profits by any means. They're used to consolidate
to greater size, exert more influence, and exploit new markets, resources
and cheap labor at the expense of popular needs gone begging.
-
- Tragically people succumb. Whatever Christmas was, it's
no longer. Seasonal sights and sounds subvert its meaning. Consumerism
glorifies receiving, not giving. It ignores predatory capitalist harm,
neglects what matters most, and legitimizes overindulgence instead of condemning
it.
-
- It's also mindless of those most needy. For them, Christmas
is "Bah Humbug," and Santa a heartless Scrooge - all take and
no give.
-
- New Year's Day
-
- A week after Christmas, it concludes the long holiday
season. Beginning after Thanksgiving, it climaxes at Christmas, ebbs briefly
when its over, then builds for a celebratory new year's welcome with more
overindulgent eating, drinking, partying, and binge-shopping for bargains
or whatever Santa didn't bring.
-
- It's also traditionally time for resolutions, excluding
ones mattering most. They include peace, civil and human rights, equity
and justice, good will toward others, sharing and respecting everyone's
rights, and working cooperatively for what's fast eroding in Western societies.
-
- It was that way long ago in simpler times before the
old world became America. Restoring what's lost should be goal one for
everyone each year. Imagine what's possible if millions resolved it, and
made it a promise to keep.
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
-
- Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive
Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central
time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy
listening.
-
- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
|
