Creating Consumer Society

Dick Proenneke

I think the easiest way to see our consumer culture society is by comparing it with people who don't live that way, but still live very successfully. One of the templates I go to in my blog time and again are the Amish. Other more relevant examples are Richard Proenneke and any of a number of "homesteader" YouTubers like this guy.

I was going to write a longer essay on this topic, but I think it's actually easier to just show it. Go browse through photos of older versions of the consumer culture, e.g. 1920s America and you can see it.

I think the formula for creating consumer culture is simple: parade royalty around on stage (or some version of royalty) as models, then sell watered down dollar store versions of their lives to the average person on credit. Immerse the whole society in a swamp of credit until it drives all the value out of every single thing: houses, modes of transportation, clothing, etc... et voila you've got a consumer culture.

The antidote to it is to avoid credit, and to be conscious of the value of things.