Michael
Hey Class!
In the above statement regarding the relative easy life of middle class Americans comes at the price of other’s pain (Ervin, 2005), I would have to respond that I completely agree with this statement but from a different perspective. The North American middle class is usually the target of both big business and the government. Many middle-class Americans do not realize the size of their role in this system of consumption and waste. No to mention, this a system of economics that is shared among many first world countries around the world and not just a problem that is associated with the United States. The United States has a large middle class that is designed to be taxed more and subsequently spend more. It is a daily grueling system that is at the heart of bad financial habits, such as living month-to-month, that are near impossible to get out of. Advertising is a poison that eats away at us and effectively encourages us to make wrong decisions. Our fascination with celebrities also compounds these bad decisions by planting deceptive seeds into our minds that we can be more like them if we follow a certain product. However, regardless of their awareness, the North American middle class is at the heart of the worlds consumption of resources and it is a machine that needs to be stopped.
The video was a fascinating representation of Americans and their consumer culture. The golden arrow, and the average Americans focus on it, was brilliant (Free Range Studios & Fox, n.d.). I was unaware of the horrifying statistics regarding America’s percentage of the global population compared to its consumption and waste or the world’s resources. Also, the turn-around of America’s economy growing but the average American’s happiness shrinking, was pretty profound. I agree with Annie Leonard when she says that it may seem like a dream to be able to change the system into something that works better but doing nothing and keeping the same system and hoping for a better future is definitely a dream (Free Range Studios & Fox, n.d.).
Sources:
Free Range Studios (Producer), & Fox, L. (Director). (n.d.). The story of stuff with Annie Leonard. [Motion picture]. Unites States: Free Range Studios. Retrieved fromhttp://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Ervin, A.M. (2005). Applied Anthropology: Tools and Perspectives for Contemporary Practice. (2ndEd.). United States: Pearson Education, Inc.
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