Materialism in America?

Question

I feel that the social perspective of many Americans has grown to become highly materialistic. Comments?

Answer 1

h**l yeah!!! There aren't any poor people in America besides the small 1% homeless people. Compared to the rest of the world, a low class citizen would be seen as a millionaire in the eyes of everyone else in the world. But what does that have anything to do with America? Poverty in America is relative. In other words your poor if you don't have something most Americans have. If you have 10 flat screens, your rich. If you have 5 flat screens, your middle class. If you have 2 flat screens, your poor and if you have 1 regular tv, your living in the ghetto. 10 iPods means you wealthy, 5 iPods means your mid-class, and 1 iPod or non-mac brand mp3 player means your dirt poor. We judge each by the things we have nowadays and see ourselves as equal or superior by how much we buy. We are all competing in a game where nothing matters except having more than your neighbor and we put that above all else, our family, education, etc.

Answer 2

conspicuous consumption ..... look up Veblen

Answer 3

Absolutely.  Most Mid East countries hate the USA because they see it as a Christian society.  If that was true, wouldn't we, in general, be nearly the opposite of what we are now?  We, in general, have become so accustomed to being on top of the world, we take everything for granted and want more and more and more.

Answer 4

Yes we have,but don't get me wrong I like the fact that I have the choice and don't have the government telling me what I can own.

Answer 5

How old are you? Our American Society is like overstuffed sofas! So greedy for more plushness that it can't even be used! Like the houses so huge with mortgages to match that the owners are never home to live in and enjoy them! They are both husband and wife working and the kids are in child care! The dogs have the house! So greedy for everything, got to have everything, must be smaller size, common--a size zero, right! If that isn't playing to the derranged ego of these, body altered, pierced, drug influenced, materialistic people I don't know what is!

Answer 6

Agreed.  I recommend "The Century of the Self."  Here's a link to the 1st of 4 parts http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...

Answer 7

True. They are also ethical egoists.

Answer 8

Yep, it's got us all hooked.