It’s gone virtually unchecked and we’re in arguably the worst economic crisis ever. The consumer industry is collapsing and the casualties are piling up – real human suffering is happening. Why don’t we face it? We’re under attack. There’s a war on our way of life. No I am not talking about terrorism, I am talking about consumerism. What makes matters worse? The enemy is us. How do we battle a war against ourselves?
War on Consumerism? You hear those words put together and jaws drop. Two reactions follow: One camp will read those words and more or less think about how to save our sacred institutions. The other camp sees those words and says – thank-you for helping me get out from underneath that pressure.
But make no mistake, we are under siege. Think about it, arguably government backed banks appear to be withholding taxpayer dollars for loans. Just a few days ago, “insurgent” groups of consumers boarded busses to knock on doors of banking CEOs in New York and Connecticut – demanding the executives stop blocking foreclosure prevention efforts. And, in my line of work, consumer anthropology for corporations, we’re seeing more examples that a war is on. From conversations we’ve had, it’s clear that informal war rooms are hatching up everywhere – from credit card companies to consumer packaged goods companies to living and dining rooms across America. All of us are in this together and all of us are creating survival strategies, resource plans and back-up plans. The lucky ones are able to see the opportunity more clearly and are already on their way to grounding their consumerism in a deeper understanding of the differences between want and need. However, many millions are already well into their plan Bs and Cs as they figure out how to reduce the carnage from lost income, lost homes and more.
As a consumer anthropologist I believe we need to frame this situation in provocative and stark terms in order to push the conversation further. It’s kind of funny, I’ve never seen and heard so many people sounding like consumer anthropology colleagues of mine! We’re all able to see the way our way life works and truly examine its implications. We have a rare opportunity at this time to take what we learn and create something a new. I just believe that we need to formally declare a War on Consumerism to get us to enter into the necessary transformation process and begin to officially do battle with – ourselves. It is only in this way that we have the opportunity to realize the desire that consumers across the US have been sharing with us – the desire to reground their spending, their lives, and return the American Dream to its roots, and those aren’t about the opportunity to buy, but rather the opportunity to really enjoy life.
I believe people are ready to frame the discussion in a way that helps us all move forward. I believe they’re ready to hear what they need to hear and to feel the pain it will take to move forward. I’m certain we will emerge from this crisis with a functioning consumer economy that more or less chugs along. But what I am not certain about it is whether we will seize this opportunity and create a new kind of consumerism – a Grounded Consumerism – where we can all truly achieve what we desire most. To live better, for real. It’s for this reason that I declare a War on Consumerism today and invite you to join me in battle.
February 17th, 2009 - Posted in Anthropology, Behavior, Consumer Products, Cultural Trends, Ethnography, Habits, Robbie's Thoughts | |
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