Lostkitty, you’re dead-on. Something is very wrong with our mass consumption lifestyle.
Everybody complains that they don’t make enough or the “fat cats” are greedy, but I say bunk. Even the average American’s life is quite plush.
More importantly, it isn’t a few “fat cats” that are pushing companies like Best Buy to record profits by buying large sceen LCD/Plasma HDTVs. I’m not kidding, the company literally said that the surge in big TVs was the reason along with $300 personal music players.
And while fats cats like Schwarzenegger may be riding in his Hummer, it pales in comparison to fleet of Soccor Mom & Dads driving through SoCal in huge SUVs with individual LCD DVD entertainment centers for the kid.
There is only one driver IMHO, low self-esteem. The powerful marketing engine in US Corporations has successfully defined our value in our minds as what we have and not who we are.
The sad part is, it starts very young. While it may be big brother, the Europeans are better at protecting their children from marketing through regulation. We on the other, turn over the printing of our school lunch menus to McDonalds best they do it a little cheaper since they turn into an chronic advertisement of their products.
