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Consumerism

Lark

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Jun 21, 2009
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Consumerism is an interesting topic, I think while it has been associated almost exclusively with the liberal, left and spiritually inclined that it needed necessarily be so, I think it is entirely feasible that you could be a capitalist, conservative or materialist and still be interested in consumerism as a phenomenon and perhaps not consider it positively and gainful.

As a foyle to this particular discussion, which I think could involve anyone from any perspective, I've found an article which is anti-consumerist.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/business/08consume.html?adxnnl=1&pagewanted=1&adxnnlx=1307357587-kpwvXp6+WvF9AdZUxcwxGA
 

InvisibleJim

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Let's flip your earlier comments on their head.

I dont have any opinion as to whether the above is trolling or not, I just know anyone who wants to "discuss" Consumerism generally doesnt, they just want people to share their ideas regarding the redistribution of wealth. If they fail to find comrades that agree with their viewpoints then they'll label others as greedy, self interested, small government, traitors, whatever.

Regardless I'm all for... responsible consumerism.
 

Lark

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Let's flip your earlier comments on their head.

I dont have any opinion as to whether the above is trolling or not, I just know anyone who wants to "discuss" Consumerism generally doesnt, they just want people to share their ideas regarding the redistribution of wealth. If they fail to find comrades that agree with their viewpoints then they'll label others as greedy, self interested, small government, traitors, whatever.

Regardless I'm all for... responsible consumerism.

Why?
 

InvisibleJim

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Because the capital structure is key to motivating future wealth generation and providing the provision of future sustainable weatlh. It is irresponsible to dig too deep and deprive our children for our own petty greed.

We do not inhert the earth, we borrow it from our children.
 

Matthew_Z

That chalkboard guy
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Jun 15, 2009
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I'm probably going to purchase a few video games today, maybe a magazine while I'm at it, and I find nothing morally objectionable about this.
 

Lark

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Because the capital structure is key to motivating future wealth generation and providing the provision of future sustainable weatlh. It is irresponsible to dig too deep and deprive our children for our own petty greed.

We do not inhert the earth, we borrow it from our children.

Your verbosity knows no limits.

I direct you to the highlighted part of the quote from yourself that is what I was questioning when I asked "why?".

I would be happy to discuss this topic with you if you want to stop talking at me and instead wish to engage in a discussion. Do you think you can do that? Or would you like to?
 

InvisibleJim

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I would be happy to discuss this topic with you if you want to stop talking at me and instead wish to engage in a discussion. Do you think you can do that? Or would you like to?

Because I can.

It is merely a response to your earlier actions and because I could not care less. Nothing more, nothing less. It is entirely the mirror of you. Think about it.
 

Lark

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Because I can.

It is merely a response to your earlier actions and because I could not care less. Nothing more, nothing less. It is entirely the mirror of you. Think about it.

As always I will think about it because I'm true to type like that, although a mirror of you? Really? Hardly, I dont remember the last time I contradicted myself in the same sentence with something like "a response to your earlier actions", a caring response, followed by "because I could not care less".

Although judging by your reading material (see judging, true to type again there) that sort of logic is about as well as you can do. Still full marks for writing in a style which isnt incomprehensible to the uninitiated.

Who is John Gault? :D :D
 

Not_Me

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Hoarding costly goods. Going on expensive trips. Playing or watching expensive sports. They are all examples of consumerism. You are giving up lots of your free time in exchange for these things. The key question is whether they are worth it or not. Too many simply act without questioning their indoctrination.
 

InvisibleJim

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As always I will think about it because I'm true to type like that, although a mirror of you? Really? Hardly, I dont remember the last time I contradicted myself in the same sentence with something like "a response to your earlier actions", a caring response, followed by "because I could not care less".

Although judging by your reading material (see judging, true to type again there) that sort of logic is about as well as you can do. Still full marks for writing in a style which isnt incomprehensible to the uninitiated.

Who is John Gault? :D :D

You don't need to care to provide information for informations sake. It's in the nature of Te dominants to believe that every action is performed with motive or for opportunity rather than simply for mutual expression, after all it is in the intrinsic nature of extroverts to demand the world mirrors their inner thoughts and themselves. I considered it interesting to see how you would react to yourself looking you in the eye and the result found that you do not like yourself or your tendency to naturally assume opinion superiority rather than parity. I'm interested in seeing where you go next with it for my information.

Have fun.
 

InvisibleJim

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Ah...ahaha....AHA. Ha..hmm...

Ok, carry on. That was all.

Lark is pretty decent, he just doesn't realise I don't mean him any harm or indeed anything. I can understand his confused reaction to me; it's difficult for most people to except that you are making a generic 'for information' and it is easy to assume that everything is a personal issue. He would make a fine staff member.
 

Lark

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Jun 21, 2009
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Lark is pretty decent, he just doesn't realise I don't mean him any harm or indeed anything. I can understand his confused reaction to me; it's difficult for most people to except that you are making a generic 'for information' and it is easy to assume that everything is a personal issue. He would make a fine staff member.

I suspect you mean accept there.

This thread is doomed to deletion if it doesnt get beyond you trolls talking about me and me correctly your bad grammer, social ineptitude and communication fails.
 

Coriolis

Si vis pacem, para bellum
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Back on track -- Lark: just what do you mean by consumerism in the context of your OP? It can be a loaded word. I have some thoughts, but prefer not to elaborate if I am misunderstanding.
 

Mole

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Mar 20, 2008
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Plenty and Consumerism

For the first time in human history we have overcome scarcity in developed countries. But still we think in terms of scarcity. Why, Economics itself is devoted to allocating scarce resources.

We can't quite believe we now live in plenty. And we will know it when Economics devotes itself to allocating plentiful resources.

But worse, after millennia of scarcity we feel guilty that we have replaced scarcity with plenty. So we bad-mouth plenty by calling it consumerism.

We feel morally superior when we call plenty, consumerism, but we are just showing our moral failure to grasp the reality of plenty.
 
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