7/27/2021 Capitalism and consumption

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Capitalism and consumption Prince Harry, Meghan

(https://www.thenews.com.p
)
Speak Out Against
Inequalities Plaguing Today's Paper (https://www
Capitalism today is best represented by the sprawling retail malls and extravagant Media Industry
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869437-
restaurants we see the world over, and by online shopping giants such as Amazon prince-harry- (https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869437-
which guarantee complete customer satisfaction at the expense of the livelihoods of meghan- prince-harry-
speak-out- meghan-speak-out-
millions of workers. Underpinning this opulence is a culture of consumption that against-
permeates today’s capitalist world and drives this oppressive system. inequalities-
against-
plaguing- inequalities-
Consumption is in fact essential to the efficient workings of capitalism. On the media- plaguing-media-
surface level, consumption in the form of accumulation ensures that the capitalist
industry) industry)
machine keeps working. Consumers accumulate in the form of commodities. New M. Night
Producers accumulate capital which they invest to accumulate more profit. This Shyamalan Horror
Thriller 'Old' Takes
incessant cycle of accumulation and production results in the proliferation of goods The Lead At N.…
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869435-
and services, and in the economic downturns – which are in fact a product of new-m-night- (https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869435-
capitalism’s penchant for over-production – that we see today. shyamalan- new-m-night-
horror-thriller- shyamalan-horror-
old-takes-the-
Capitalism and consumption, however, have a far more visceral and sinister lead-at-n-
thriller-old-takes-
relationship as well. This relationship is evident in how capitalism shapes the psyche america-box- the-lead-at-n-
of its subjects and alters the way individuals desire things. Academic Todd McGowan office) america-box-office)
makes this argument in his book ‘Capitalism and Desire’, where he argues that Royals Update Line Of
capitalism – through its emphasis on uninterrupted accumulation – forces Succession With
Abrahim Shah individuals in a state where they constantly desire and seek something new. Harry, Meghan's
Daughter Lili’s Name…
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869432-
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/writer/abrahim- (https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869432-
royals-update-
shah) This desire, in turn, stems from the fact that capitalism attaches a value to line-of- royals-update-line-
commodities that cannot be satisfied by their use alone. A good or commodity under succession- of-succession-
October 7, 2019 capitalism, therefore, becomes something more than what its inherent purpose is. with-harry-
with-harry-
meghans-
Clothes, for instance, become symbols of status and of belonging. A house, instead of daughter-lilis- meghans-
serving as a place of shelter, depicts one’s wealth and prestige. Consumption under
(https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?
(https://twitter.com/share?
(https://api.whatsapp.com/send? name-after- daughter-lilis-
text=Capitalism capitalism therefore seeks to satisfy desires that exist beyond what a commodity has
u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenews.com.pk%2Fprint%2F537570-
text=Capitalism outrage) name-after-
capitalism-
andand to offer. outrage)
and-consumption&url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/537570-
consumption
Ed Sheeran Reveals He
consumption)
capitalism- Consumers in a capitalist system thus face two significant challenges. The first
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/537570- Stopped Playing Music
and-capitalism- challenge emerges when we realise that basic commodities cannot satisfy the For A Bit
consumption)
and- desires we come to associate with them. A house can provide us prestige and status, (https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869436-
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869436-
consumption) but bigger houses provided a more powerful status, which gives birth to a vicious ed-sheeran- ed-sheeran-
reveals-he- reveals-he-
cycle of accumulation and hence to a desire for more. stopped-
playing- stopped-playing-
Another drawback of this paradigm – and this is where capitalism’s guilt is evident – music-for-a- music-for-a-bit)
bit)
is that our desires are products of the desires of those around us and can thus easily
be manipulated. This is exactly how advertising works, convincing us that society Lady Gaga Risks
desires a particular product, and that to have a position in that society, we too must Tumble As She Wears
High Heels During Her
desire that product. Appearance In NYC
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869434-
lady-gaga- (https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869434-
We can, for instance, increase our physical appeal and attract the opposite gender by risks-tumble- lady-gaga-risks-
using a particular brand of deodorant. The deodorant – by serving as a conduit to as-she-wears- tumble-as-she-
high-heels-
increase our appeal to the opposite gender – thus gains a purpose and significance during-her-
wears-high-heels-
that extends beyond its basic purpose of preventing bad odour. Hence, we desire the appearance- during-her-
deodorant not simply for fighting bad odour but to enhance our physical appeal as in-nyc) appearance-in-
well. Capitalism, by shaping the way we desire things, forces us to accumulate and nyc)
thus fall into the oppressive cycle of consumption that characterizes capitalism today. Britney Spears Files To
Replace Dad Jamie
This need to accumulate and to satisfy our desires, however, has significant With Jason Rubin As
Her Conservator
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869431-
ramifications for society and for individuals. Since capitalism attributes to britney- (https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869431-
commodities a desire that can never truly be accomplished – will any deodorant spears-files- britney-spears-
guarantee the opposite gender’s attention towards an individual? – and since this to-replace- files-to-replace-
dad-jamie-
desire always fluctuates (today’s clothes might not be fashionable tomorrow), an with-jason-
dad-jamie-with-
individual is in an endless race to fulfil his/her desires, which they sadly cannot. rubin-as-her- jason-rubin-as-her-
conservator) conservator)
This failure to realize our desires in turn gives birth to a deep-rooted dissatisfaction
Henri Vernes, Belgian
and frustration that has become all too common in today’s capitalist societies. Under Author Of Popular
capitalism, however, we are unable to mitigate this dissatisfaction since we are Novels, Dies Aged 102
unable to identify the mechanism that gives birth to this dissatisfaction. (https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869105-
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869105-
henri-vernes- henri-vernes-
belgian- belgian-author-of-
This dissatisfaction which emerges from our patterns of consumption percolates into author-of-
all segments of our existence. Romantic love becomes commodified as we aim for popular- popular-novels-
grand marriages, wedding receptions, and ostentatious proposals, all to satisfy our novels-dies- dies-aged-102)
aged-102)
desire – and the desire of others – for the grandiose.
Sophie Turner, Joe
Similarly, this lack of contentment breeds intense competition as well, where Jonas Built 10
workers seek to outdo others and themselves in the job market. This is in fact exactly Monstrous Legos
During Lockdown
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869012-
why we see so many overqualified candidates, with multiple degrees and a vast skill sophie-turner- (https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869012-
set applying for basic jobs. Workers desire the ‘perfect’ resume for themselves, but as joe-jonas- sophie-turner-joe-
has already been discussed, the definition of this perfect resumes changes under the built-10- jonas-built-10-
monstrous-
forces of capitalism. We are thus never truly satisfied with ourselves and continue to legos-during-
monstrous-legos-
strive for more, giving birth to even more accumulation and to mental health issues. lockdown) during-lockdown)

It thus becomes absolutely essential that we scrutinize capitalism not simply as an Jennifer Lopez Stuns
In Chic Outfit As She
economic system, but as a paradigm that governs every decision of our lives. Enjoys Solo Outing In
Capitalism is a pernicious force which exploits our basic desires and hence moulds Monaco
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869438-
us according to its needs. We must avidly pursue an alternative that guarantees jennifer-lopez- (https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869438-
stuns-in-chic- jennifer-lopez-
individual health and the health of our environment. outfit-as-she- stuns-in-chic-
enjoys-solo-
The writer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and History from Cornell outing-in-
outfit-as-she-
monaco) enjoys-solo-outing-
University. in-monaco)
Kim Kardashian-
lookalike Imprisoned
For Nearly Three Years
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869296-
(https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/869296-
kim- kim-kardashian-
kardashian- lookalike-
lookalike-
imprisoned- imprisoned-for-
for-money- money-laundering)
laundering)

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7/27/2021 Capitalism and consumption
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