Big Ideas That Changed The World - Consumerism (1/4)

[NextStarfish]

Nice videos - I used them in a post on consumerism on my blog Nextstarfish

[ISMOPANAMA]

Three Words.....

New World Order (and not the Humane version)

[attemptingtobehumble]

Notice there is nothing about Judaism only Christianity and Islam. Hmmmm I wonder why?

[lemonadeez]

NZ Applas are ptetty good though eh bro.

[MissJuicyCathy]

@lemonadeez bro, NZ apples are teh best!

[boarding5401]

Buying future garbage is as bright as a broken light bulb, even if it gives you or your children the illusion of happiness. 

[tasmanfist]

what we do is keep digging our land, transform them into products for better or worst like condoms, guns, atomic bombs, knives, drugs, then we spend them, waste them, and land fill them back to the land...somewhat like foods, doesn't mean better we eat better we shit, whatever we eat we shit the same shit, don't we???

[Conspiracy2Riot]

industrial civilization, an artificial construct, must be dismantled. capitalism must die. localized economies must reshape our future and meet our needs.

requiring exponential growth using finite resources on a finite amount of space is unsustainable. you don't have to like this to understand how this works and that we have no choice but to transition voluntarily or the change will be made without our preparation. our lifestyles are going to change radically on the down slope of peak oil.

[69salford69]

If we are fighting Wars to spread consumerism we are worse than Nazis

[MTCoblivsicas12345]

Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.

Benjamin Franklin.

[MTCoblivsicas12345]

It is the eye of other people that ruin us. If I were blind I would want, neither fine clothes, fine houses or fine furniture.

Benjamin Franklin.

[Titaniumgoblin]

A rich person isn't he who has more but he who needs less.

[Theowest]

Isn't that kinda.. Capitalism..? Kinda?

[Bas167]

'name it, i've done it'.

-Well, to which barber did you go?

[kryptonite0909]

@Bas167 irrelevant and not contributing to the discussion at all

[skuflix]

If you are into consumerism commentary and sarcasm, I'd like to bring to your attention channel "StillUsing". We're looking for other users who, instead of buying the latest technology, are happy to keep using older ones, for the lousy reason that they still work.

They're hoping for some real finds: typewriter, tape recorder, etc.

[StillUsing]

We're also making fun of consumerism with our "still using" channel. Pretending that using outdated technology is like drug use that needs to be cured. Because that's the message we get from ads and media. Gotta have the latest iPad, iPhone, etc. We're hoping that other youtubers will come and share their usage of "outdated" technology...

[HelenaXVI]

What consumerism has to do with individualism I don't understand. Individualism is about being independent and thus living with unfulfilled desires, while consumerism is about always needing more. Not just more, but stuff you don't need at all, crap invented by other people. Plus producing all this stuff requires a lot of discipline and cooperation.

[MTCoblivsicas12345]

@HelenaXVI individualism is realated to consumerism because consumerism creates secularisation take religion for example people use to believe in one religion for UK it was mostly Christian now their are so many religions. We have become spiritual shoppers picking and choosing religions. We live in a post modern society

[rhocassiopeiae]

The only good that capitalism has ever done was put an end to racism.

[ssssshhhhhhhNo]

@rhocassiopeiae what.....?

[modularfish]

this video is nonsense. People consume because they need a job to suvive.

[nofxmike06]

Is this video for sale?

[elstonieo]

@nofxmike06 I did a quick search I couldnt find it on sale

[Tougemaster06]

@elstonieo Its from public television, why would it be for sale?

[dezmundo1251]

@nofxmike06 The irony!

[nofxmike06]

@dezmundo1251 You do realize I was being sarcastic, right?

[dezmundo1251]

@nofxmike06 oh ok....the sarcasm!

[Alex29787]

no, but i guess our lives are... according to this video...

[CesarManiaX]

People should be lucky that they live in a society where we have the freedom to choose what to buy. Nobody is forcing you to buy those brand products. There's places in the world where you don't have the freedom to buy these products.

[HelenaXVI]

@CesarManiaX You're right, nobody is forcing us to buy anything, we're just brainwashed from birth to identify ourselves with stuff, so by shopping we're just acting out who we were molded into. It's worse than forcing people, actually.

[funnyfacerful]

@CesarManiaX hahaha i think you kinda missed the point

[reikiflame]

This video had my attention until it began the global warming propaganda. There is so much reputable evidence to the contrary. He says its no longer a debate. That's only because we have been so conditioned through media to accept it as fact. When you repeat a lie over and over and over again people believe it with out doing their own investigation.

[MikDonsen]

This guy is presenting a pretty extreme view. Humans are made to produce and gather. The problem is our current system is unrefined.

[ednuttah]

I don't think Consumerism has effected the Shoalin monks very much, Porritt you have put your foot in your mouth here. Native American indians seem to get along O.K. with the SAME consumption every year, Also the Inuit population seems to cope very well using the same amount of food and equipment for centuries. Porritt you fool.

[HmzIqblTV]

so true!

but at the same time, its really very difficult to give up all the amenities or "luxuries" we take for granted, i mean now that social status has gotten deeply involved with what we buy, and also our inflated egos which question us about what people with think if we adopt a simplistic lifestyle.Besides we do horrible stuff to living beings in our daily lives, we take shopping as a mean of venting our frustration about things that we cant change and feel guilty about like poverty

[TheMatey1]

anything worth wanting is worth having.

[stg213]

Civilization did not make life better but substantially worse. Scarcity only appeared once consumption was based on production and no longer on what is freely available. Material insecurity is an artefact of civilization not of human nature.

[PeteJones100]

Consumerism is pretty much the worst thing to happen to the human race but its not exactly difficult to get yourself out of the trap. All you really have to do is work out the difference between 'need' and 'want'. Some things you need (food, drink etc) and others you just want, or rather think you want. Do you really 'need' a new tshirt, a new mobile phone, a new car? or would you be better keeping/repairing the old one? If other people think your daft for not comsuming relentlessly theyre dicks

[JonnyMuzz]

Check out my latest video on Affluenza if you like this video. Cheers. Thanks for sharing.

[Izahdnb]

Bernays wet dream?

[nihilozero]

The idea of prehistoric resource scarcity among primitive hunter-gatherer societies is a continuing myth started as a justification for western genocidal activities. This idea has largely been disproven by modern anthropologists including Marshall Sahlins's pivotal work The Original Affluent Society. I just wanted to correct this one point in the documentary.

[cobolt13]

Everything and everyone hear is retarted,It's not the people,It's 1 thing everyone has some people have more some people have less,Some people have none.That is Money,Think of it.Money Drives the world,Go to the shop's and try buy a pack of M&M'S without money.

[discussourfuture]

If you would like to discuss the problems and issues our planet is facing, and, even more important, possible solutions, please visit our website discussourfuture org (send me a pm for the full link if not clear) and contribute to the discussions. If we all contribute we can overcome these problems and make structural change.

[elstonieo]

Ive added your URL to the google website it should show up in google searches in the next few weeks.

[discussourfuture]

Thank you elstonieo, I am very thankful for that. This project can only succeed (i.e. structural changes can only be achieved) if we reach as much people as possible. Thanks again!

[NearAbbeyRoad]

@discussourfuture

"If you would like to discuss the problems and issues our planet is facing, and, even more important, possible solutions,"

Look into Geoist economics. It uses Land Valuation Taxation as its core.

[2012alterego]

čoklklk

[LordBifford]

This guy doesn't really give much context to attitudes towards "materialism" as they were in the past and in the present. What if materialism meant something a bit different in pre-industrial times?

[vikramtheone]

Just take the case of Laptops and Cell Phones. Why make so many versions of a laptop or a cell phone?

When IPhone was released some years ago it was promoted as though that it is the final solution of for a cell phone. Two years later Iphone 3G is released and once again promoted that it is the best phone ever made, drop the price of the first version of the phone so that all their stocks are through. Then start selling the new version and draw new plans to make a newer version of the phone...

[vikramtheone]

(Conti...)

In this process so many phones are put out into this world. Imagine the amount of power and raw materials need to make the newer versions.

The resources on this planet are not infinite. Consumerism just expands our WANTS but, our needs still remain very little in life and to satisfy the list of our wants we need more than one EARTH.

[missaquaboogie]

Adam Smith was such a fucking asshole. The myth of individualism (meritorcacy) is what is enslaving us ALL to the capitalist elites. I hate it when ppl say "I'm an indiviual"...well YES WE ALL ARE. HOWEVER the institutional structures, social barriers, economic exclusiveness keeps us incapable of truely expressing ourselves! Consumerism is such a DIS-traction to the real issues. It is so sad how must of us are so in denial. WAKE UP PPL. We are killing the planet, each other for peanuts!

[ali12147]

@missaquaboogie

Mordern cooperate facism does not reflect adam smiths ideology. Although i do not agree with him he wrote his 'theory on moral sentimants' which was to be a basis at his economic ideas. In todays world morality is cast aside and greed, profit and power have replaced it.

[TheElasticJesus]

@missaquaboogie

And the greatest irony is that 'killing the planet for peanuts is EXACTLY what we are doing...

Consumers want supermarket products yet turn a blind eye to the fact that their PEANUT BUTTER and 1000s of other products contains PALM OIL which comes from rainforest clearing where thousands of species are put at risk, indigenous people lose their homes, and every felled tree tips the balance towards global warming.

Well done human race.

Cake or death? They chose cake.

[TheElasticJesus]

@missaquaboogie

cont...

And we all know what happens to people who stuff their faces with too much cake.

It'd be funny if it wasn't so serious.

[NearAbbeyRoad]

@missaquaboogie

Adam Smith formulated the factors of the free-market: LAND, CAPITAL, LABOUR -classical economics. The free-market works, but it is now rigged. He emphasized taxation of land values. Neo-classical economics moved LAND into CAPITAL. LAND is not a car. Without land and its resources which belong to us all, we do not live. Taxing land's "value" and extracted resources, pays for public services. No income tax is needed. Speculation of land and its resources is checked and no busts

[attemptingtobehumble]

@missaquaboogie Actually the planet will survive just fine but we will make it impossible for our species to inhabit it.

[testmark1]

@missaquaboogie Adam Smith was misappropriated. What I mean to say is that he said a lot more than what people claimed he did. You really should hate Bastiat, Senior, Say (and Say's Law) most utilitarians (except JS Mill) and neoclassical economists.

[tehatemachine]

@missaquaboogie You do realize that you whole statement is demagogic right? Yet people praise you.

[missaquaboogie]

Consumerism is the new world religion of our times and is only strenghtened N.W.O since they control EVERY SINGLE MAJOR companies: look at Mcdonalds, Coke, Pepsi for instance. We are all on different levels of consumerrism. I mean not everyone can buy fendi and chanel purses.

[hammad313]

The Quran also prohibit usury which all the great people in Europe from Aristotle to Pluto did, every where you go these capitalist are controlling the countries even US government the most power government on the earth can not do any thing against this global warming thing.

[cdimmm]

This is BS and Organic consumers website is a government front. No doubt we buy to much crap we don't need but climate change is 100% caused by world government chemtrail/HAARP operations. Global warming and cooling has been going on since the beginning.

[system0system0]

7 billion people, this is just amazing .

[FlowCell]

Just more statist bullshit propaganda.

If you want to "fix" the problem, expand property rights and let people self-manage themselves rather then hand them credit cards.

Environmentlat problems are the ultimate in the tragedy of the commons.

[Morgena1]

Whatever we are collecting on earth, it has to be left there once we are passing.

[GoodEvenings]

You too? I thought it was just me! oh i feel relieved.

[hrbear]

Who's gonna pay the bill? :-)

[onebrandofdemocracy]

Al Gore.

[QuixoticM]

A very admirable exercise.

[PeteJones100]

really good documentary, obvious degree of bias against consumerism but very passionately argued, and I happen to agree, consumer capitalism is ruining the world in soooo many ways

[bunnygun1]

I find the bias against consumerism refreshing, since all you ever get is bias in favour of it. The countless adverts and commercials you absorb every day are all forms of propaganda promoting consumerism. Its sad that so many people (this isn't aimed at you by the way) discard programs such as this, or anything that contradicts consumer capitalism as propaganda without seeming to realise the vast amount of propaganda they do absorb without even noticing.

[PeteJones100]

just to clear things up, im not criticising the fact that its biased, merely pointing out that it shouldnt be taken as an objective piece of programming.

your bang on when you say its refreshing, it provides a valuble counter aguement against what we get fed by the papers, news programmes and the media in general, which may make claims to be objective but is in fact (mostly) biased towards capitalist/consumerist/ruling class ideology

[thefayed]

lol this man looks so silly, i know it is not important but that front bald patch is really unique!

[wobblebrain]

Yep.. from the big bang to capitalism..  I guess that is the meaning of our lives.. consume.. How depressing.

[navazguitar]

excellent...

[chrisobe]

he is hitting the nail in the coffin. and its good. we have been using too much for too long. BUT we can still have great times if the stuff we consume are of good quality and sustainable. the rest is true crap. we still want the clear waters of say Thailand and the powder snow to ski ion.. so we still have as a goal to have great nature aroudn us. lets not spoil it for some stupid label or silly idea like consumerism , that would be just too low of us.

[korkypnoy]

Religion should not be used to promote the cut back on consumerism. It doesn't have to do anything with spirituality, it's just a matter of self control and self evaluation. The idea that this life is not worth living and just waiting to go to heaven is the exact reason why politicians and rich people get away with enslaving the people. It makes to give up on this life so the rich and elite can exploit the middle and lower class

[tommyfuller78]

fuck him! i don't want wipe my ass with a sponge! he is why Europe is going down hill so fast! in another generation or two the Europeans will be bending over for Allah! fuck that!

[carlo1775]

Mr. Jonathan Porritt of the SDS should try some industrial strength colon cleanse and in just several days, he can SH%T his life away, eliminate his own carbon footprint, and make the planet greener. I think that would procure a ray of hope in our environmental future's best interest

[cclarkjones]

Haste makes waste and waste makes want.

We need to stop building car environments.

Looking forward to the day when it will be social unacceptable to own a car.

[YoakeNoUsagi]

Interesting idea. But what could get you around as quickly, and simply as a car (don't say subway, we don't have those on the coast)? That would be the beginning.

[dtobin123]

What happens to humanity once globization is in full gear and hoarding goods makes us too dumb to think? Its pretty close given that higher education in general has been caving to the pressures of capitalism at a ridiculous rate since the end of the Cold War.

[pisces837]

This is really good!. There should be more documentaries like this on TV. Instead of all the rubbish that dumbs us down!

[aminul1984]

When he said about the Quran tells Muslims to focus on the spiritual side and forget the physical side (worldy events) is completely false. I am a Muslim and have been taught that to be a good Muslims I need to engage in both, I need to keep a balance between spiritual life and the worldy life.

[slavantiquity]

"A sane spirit in a sane body" :)

[aminul1984]

slavantiquity: Could you elaborate on that please.

[slavantiquity]

It's a Roman saying that means that a sane spirit must have a healthy and clean body.

[slavantiquity]

Sorry, it appears I misread your message. You were talking about worldly events while I thought you were talking about personal health and hygiene.

But in a way, the saying is still related to what you said. Your body is a worldly matter too and religion tends to neglect it. Like in Medieval Europe.

[aminul1984]

Well, religion especially Islam says that a human body is just like a robot, it cannot function without a soul inside it. Who gives that soul? I ask you.

But what I have been taught in Islam is to keep a balance between everything, in fact hygiene is part of Iman (Islamic Faith). The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also taught that health is very important as well, so we need to look after ourselves.

[ali12147]

The Quran does talk about abstaining from wordly things, not the world itself. The word 'dunya' in the Quran means basicaly consumerism, but one has to engage in social welfare as a muslim also. It is obligatary to work etc inorder to provide for ones family but islamicaly that is not considered dunya. Dunya is to pursue material gain. Hope that clarifies.

[aminul1984]

You are very right, I agree with you 100%.

[mpritchardnz]

I note he said that the apples were air freighted from New Zealand. It has been proven that New Zealand can produce primary sector products at a much lower carbon footprint than Europe due to more efficient practices.

[lonwitness]

Consume and consumed. The love of stuff, a sure way to be consumed.

[JWAYTube8]

Sure, I agree...now. If Cradle to Cradle design ever kicks in then consumerism will be wholly positive. Technology is also key to this process.

[toseeornot2see]

the way i c it, its all about happiness... the only way people get happiness is by consuming, well at least thats the case with most people. truth is v r never satisfied, i guess its not in our nature 2 b satisfied, v need to keep consuming to b satisfied...v have all become materialistic 2 sum extent...

[runnerrk]

global warming is a myth...

get yourself a Hummer and stop worrying...

don't be gullible and naive...it's all an anti capitalist scam...man can not hurt this planet....it is too tough and resilient...stop listening to junk scientists and their mindless dupes...

[boosuff]

runnerrk

The earth will always survive, regardless of human action. The question is; can we survive our own vices?

[gunman806]

I doubt this man has bothered to read the Wealth of Nations in its entirety. Adam Smith did not "invent" modern capitalism, Hell, he didn't even devise an economic model. Smith's genius lay in his observational abilities, he SUMMARIZED a system which was functioning during his lifetime.

With that and a few other complaints aside, this is still a rather interesting documentary.

[elstonieo]

well put. its a long hard book to read (i had the audio version)

[theWanderingLark]

@gunman806 Did you?

[MTCoblivsicas12345]

@gunman806 there are many things that created Capitalism you cant pin point one thing. Mostley however modern technology is most important. There is also Religion look at Max Webers work on Calvinists, Calvinists would reinvest profits into the business. There is also the economy. There are so many things that contributed to rise of Capitalism.

[anthonyo4]

want, disease, squalor, ignorance, idleness

The 5 great evils of the human race

[ericinnit1]

Pure propaganda. The makers of this video really have no clue about "Global Warming".

Go watch The Great Global Warming Swindle video if you want some decent science about climate change.

[erby1kabogey]

good thing i smoke weed or this shit will depress me to death lol, depressing but true nonetheless

[mhb11]

Dude can you get me some?

[erby1kabogey]

lol

[johnmonk66]

i liked how you also touched on the collectivism versus individualism topic, did you intend that? collectivism forces all of us to spend more(taxes), therefore we must earn more to survive

[MelanieTirone]

Thanx you so much for posting this video. I'm writing a thesis about the negative effects of consumerism in english. This helps a lot.

[elstonieo]

Im glad it helped :D

If you liked this i recommend watching "the story of stuff" its in my playlists

[MelanieTirone]

Thank you.

[F4O4U4R4S]

good vid, as a consumer/investor and as i notice the polar icecaps melting as we speak, i would like to give a heads up to people, with the water levels raising on earth it would be smart to invest and buy a set of waterwings, surfbaord, or start investing in things that float, oh yea and dont invest in very small rocks,they dont float, and dont ask, i chalked that one up to a bad investment by myself. anyway gotta swim over to my sump pump and turn it on, take care everyone.

[keynesian1982]

"The whole base of an economic system is consumption" John Maynard Keynes

The economist that many socialdemocratic goverments were based upon after WWII

[audionautix]

It only makes sense. As an industrialized society that no longer produces as much as it needs, the only way to survive it to create the desire for more.

[BCVChannel1]

Your point is more like a way for self destruction rather than survival actually. Industrial societies do not exist in a vacuum, the only way by which an increased consumption can be possible is for these societies to pass on the burden of production to other less industrialized societies. Desire are not abstracts, in one way or the other it has to assume material manifestation and therein lies the danger.

[pennilesscripple]

i don't want to belong to your organization

i'm not interested in any 'achievable goal' you might come up with

get that

[pennilesscripple]

so dario

if you think this is such a great video, which it is

and if you agree with what it says

then why in god's name are you trying to undermine and divide the people on youtube who are trying their best to do something about these problems?

[historywillabsolve]

awesome doc, thank u ! :-)

[elstonieo]

all parts are now fixed and uploaded wahoo =)

[elstonieo]

Part 2 is fixed and uploaded (just click the uploaded Response) will sort out the other 2 parts tomorrow night