As a postconsumer I see the Occupy Wall Street movement in a broader context than just huge sit-ins at strongholds of obscene wealth. These sites certainly merit being targeted, yet they are merely symptoms of the greater malaise that Postconsumers was launched to address: the 24/7 consumerist culture that utterly dominates our society and its values.
The real citadels that need occupying are not just physical ones but mental: the whole edifice of the consumerist mindset. Think about it. This economic model has settled over our cultural landscape like a malignant smog, corroding traditional values of thrift, family, and Main-Street community into frenzied indebtedness, workaholism, and isolationist megamall shopping.
Dr. Peter Whybrow warns us about these dangers in American Mania: When More is Not Enough. Even though turbocharged 24/7 consumerism succeeds admirably at producing piles of material wealth, so poorly does it fit our innate human psyche that it is literally making us sick. Runaway greed is only the most obvious manifestation of this illness.
In the broader context, Occupy Wall Street appears to me as nothing less than our collective human psyche developing antibodies against a toxic invasion of our consciousness. The unfocused, visceral nature of the protests certainly suggests an immune response kicking in. As part of this response, Postconsumers addresses symptoms like chronic stress and indebtedness with tailored programs for overriding addictive consumerism (more is never enough) with the ability to say “At this level I have enough to be satisfied for today.”
Occupy Wall Street holds out no guarantees, yet it could potentially balloon into a generational upheaval. After all, the issues it raises are as deep-seated as the ache of an infected tooth that remains untreated. This article is therefore only the first of a series. I plan to explore specific symptoms of our relentless consumerism as they become newsworthy, ranging anywhere from its manufactured addictiveness to its environmental ravages.
Stay tuned. I heartily welcome your responses or feedback either below or on Facebook.
