Consumerism is the Problem NOT Capitalism

William Greider has created, in "Work Rules", an overview of the social responsibility movement that is full of hope. While he never fails to note the overwhelmingly concentrated wealth, as well as the corruption and disinterest, which keep the forces of insatiable capitalism in a position of enormous power, Greider truly believes in that the reality of human interdependence will, in the long run, yield economic democracy and sustainability, blessings and not curses. I'd agree with his arguments, but it seems to me that it's not capitalism that's the problem, but rather rampant consumerism. While I'll concede that perhaps advertisers have influenced people into believing this lie, I can't put the fault on capitalism alone. I think it's precisely their abundance that's left people feeling such despair. They work hard to gather things, and realize that they're not really any happier than before. But they haven't been forced to play the game. There are other options, but they require hard work and ingenuity, something few people seem willing or able to expend nowadays.

People are only trapped in a "master-servant" relationship because they choose to play the game. One could, in theory, play by the rules for a few years to earn enough to cash out, head out west where land is cheap, and build an earthship, grow crops, harness the sun's energy & recycle grey water, living quite comfortably off of the grid. Few people would choose this path, though, because it would require a lot of hard work, and they'd get their hands dirty. Instead, they'd rather work in soul-deadening jobs to buy their half-million dollar plastic houses, and gas-guzzling SUVs, because after all they're entitled, and they "need" these things to be fulfilled. However, when they say they "need" something we must ask the question, why you feel as though you need it. If their idea of needing something is based on the prediction that they will be happy, than we can say that their preconceived notion is nothing more than what Gilbert and Tim Wilson describe as "the gap between what [we] people predict and what we ultimately experience" (Gertner 168). People fail to realize there is always something bigger and better out there, and because of this their predictions will continue to be inaccurate and over exaggerated. For example, a person who has a