Freeing minds from the Matrix of consumption capitalism.....

[marmar]

.... I had a conversation with a friend today about the economy, and what bad shape it's in. We talked about gas prices, the dire straits of the airline biz., light traffic at the malls, etc etc. And this friend, a good Democrat and an intelligent person, started talking about how when this all ends, gas prices will be back to what they were a few years ago, people will be shopping and traveling again, cars and SUVs will be selling again, and on and on and on.

He just doesn't get it. And I think there are lots of people who think the very same way he does: This turmoil is all going to end, and we'll be able to go back to doing exactly what we were doing before. He, like a lot of us (me included at one period), sees this economy based on endless, mindless consumption as the only acceptable version of the so-called American Dream.

I'm planning my own propaganda party next weekend, with showings of "The End of Suburbia" and "Escape from Suburbia". But I really worry about how difficult it will be to get masses of people to accept and cope with our new energy/economic reality, let alone the politicians.

[Lorien]

1. Follow those with "affluenza" and "escape from affluenza"

also, I suspect that neither you nor your friend remember the 70s very well. It was still a consumer culture, of course, but not to the degree that it is now. Everyone was cutting back, but I don't remember it as a bad time because people were spending time with one another instead of at the malls.

[Ian David]

2. That's a great idea! You should sell magnetic ribbons to promote it! n/t

[greyl]

3. Just keep talking about it, at least. One mind at a time.

You'd probably appreciate the movie What A Way To Go - Life At The End Of The Empire.
A review:

As an historian I particularly appreciate Sally Erickson’s assertion in the film that in order to begin addressing the issues, we must develop a historical perspective and understand how we arrived at this point in human history. This is exactly what I have attempted to do in my recently-published book U.S. HISTORY UNCENSORED: What Your High School Textbook Didn’t Tell You. Americans in particular are loath to investigate causes and prefer to hastily “move on” to solutions; however, without understanding causes, it is impossible to construct viable solutions.

Especially validating for me was the perspective this documentary lends to the issue of Peak Oil in relation to climate chaos. While experts on hydrocarbon energy such as Richard Heinberg leave no doubt in the viewer’s mind that Peak Oil is a frightening reality, those same experts, including Heinberg, acknowledge the gargantuan climate change monster that could surpass Peak Oil not only in its consequences but how quickly those consequences manifest the collapse of civilization and make the planet uninhabitable.

As for the tiresome “technofix” argument—you know, the one that says that because humans are the superior specie and have created such highly sophisticated civilizations, we will ultimately invent technology that will adequately reverse the “Big Four” pivotal challenges, Daniel Quinn, author of Ishmael and The Tales Of Adam, compares humans living in developed countries to people living in very tall brick buildings who every day go to the bottom of their building and remove 200 bricks and bring them to the top of the building. Obviously, such ludicrous behavior is unsustainable and will inevitably result in the demise of the building’s foundation and its collapse.

Ultimately, “What A Way To Go” meanders into the root causes of our planetary nightmare: our disconnection from ourselves, each other, and the earth; the cultural stories that have been forgotten and replaced with newer, self-destructive ones about growth, domination, and hubris; the systems we have created and the addictions that feed those systems, and of course, our denial.
www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2007/03/01/p14846

Another review: http://survivingwithincivilization.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-way-to-go-life-at-end-of-empire.html

Also,

Now what? What do *I* do now?!

The question people ask most (in one form or another) is "what to do?" Or put another way, "Where do I go from here? Besides telling other people, what more can I do to save the world?" So many different ways we hear the cries. They all scream, "What NEXT? What more can I do?!"

Since this is, by far, THE MOST Frequently Asked Question of Daniel and others that have become the message (B), Daniel has worked very hard to provide some advice by answering this question many times in many different ways. Here are 29 ways the question has been asked and Daniel's replies...this will get you started--where will you go from here? :
more

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. We need a national conversation on Peak OIl

and other effects

As is in this house we are cutting up severely, but we understand the future will look very different from the present

Also most people are convinced of that since nobody is really talking to them about how different the environment is. Hell, when Carter tried to talk about it, he was sent to the curb... But that conversation will have to happen and will have to start from above

We may have to have a President start by personally cutting his salary

The PRI is not the best example of clear and well run government, but I still remember a Mexican President taking over in the midst of a crisis. He took a pay cut and for that, he is remembered... for showing something called leadership

If the President did that, ten seconds after taking the oath, it would send a very strong signal to the nation

[izquierdista]

5. Start with the young

Old people are not the problem here. The 50+ demographic is a desert wasteland for advertisers (except for pharmaceuticals) because they are in the process of downsizing all the crap accumulated over a lifetime. But young people, they fall into the trap of consume, consume, consume like moths to a flame. Start with the Disney channel, which turns little girls into ravenous mall munchkins, buying everything in sight. They need to expunge conspicuous consumerism from their shows, where the underlying message in "Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and "Hannah Montana", to name just two, is buy, buy, buy!

I often wonder if bringing back arts and crafts to the school system would put a damper on consumerism. One piece of clothing that you make by yourself, putting your own individual touches to has to be a greater source of pride than having half a dozen "Made in China" items that anyone can buy.