The Real Trap of Consumerism

Summary

The video critiques consumerism in capitalist societies, particularly the United States, arguing that it's a symptom of capitalism's relentless push for profit. It highlights how corporations manufacture false needs through advertising to drive consumption, leading to environmental degradation and social inequalities. The video suggests that true change requires collective action and systemic reforms rather than individual consumer choices. The creator also discusses the financial challenges of running the channel and appeals for support through Patreon to maintain their work.

Takeaways

• 🛍️ Consumerism is deeply ingrained in imperialist societies, like the United States, where shopping is often seen as a solution to boredom, a means to feel good, or even a way to be ethical by choosing 'right' brands.
• 🌏 The script argues that consumerism is not the root problem but a symptom of a larger issue within capitalism, which drives overconsumption and environmental issues.
• 📈 Overconsumption is evident in the US with retail sales more than doubling since 2013, an increase in households with multiple cars, and the expansion of home sizes, leading to a booming self-storage industry.
• 🌱 Despite high consumption rates, the US has a significant environmental impact, consuming a disproportionate amount of the world's fossil fuel energy and contributing to food waste and high carbon emissions.
• 😔 The paradox of consumerism is that despite material abundance, happiness levels in the US have not improved, with only 25% of Americans reporting satisfaction with their lives.
• 💔 The script highlights the stark inequalities within the US, where some individuals accumulate excessive amounts of goods while others struggle with poverty and homelessness.
• 🏭 The real issue behind consumerism, according to the script, is overproduction driven by the capitalist need for constant capital accumulation and expansion.
• 📊 The script suggests that consumer demand is often manufactured by corporations through advertising and marketing strategies, creating 'false needs' that drive consumption.
• 🎭 Advertising is portrayed as a manipulative tool used by capitalists to assign emotional value to products, making consumers believe they need the latest trends for happiness or to save the planet.
• 👥 The script calls for a collective approach to combat consumerism, suggesting that individual choices are less effective than systemic changes, such as worker control of companies and democratic planning.
• 🔄 To escape the trap of consumerism, the script advocates for a shift away from a focus on profit-driven production towards meeting actual needs of people and the planet, potentially through a socialist economy.

Q & A

What is the main argument presented in the video script regarding consumerism?

The main argument is that consumerism is not the root problem but rather a symptom of a larger issue, which is the capitalist system that drives overproduction and creates false needs and desires for consumers to fulfill.

How does the script suggest consumerism is related to the current environmental problems?

The script suggests that consumerism, driven by capitalist overproduction, leads to excessive waste, accumulation of stuff, and high levels of resource consumption, which are unsustainable and harmful to the environment.

What is the 'Easterlin paradox' mentioned in the script?

The 'Easterlin paradox' is a concept that posits that after basic needs are met, economic growth and higher incomes do not necessarily lead to greater happiness.

How has the script described the role of advertising in the context of consumerism?

The script describes advertising as a tool used by capitalists to create and promote false needs, giving products emotional value and meaning to entice consumers to buy, thereby driving the cycle of consumption.

What is the M-C-M’ process referred to in the script?

The M-C-M’ process stands for 'Money-Commodity-More Money' and represents the capitalist cycle where money is invested into commodities, which are then sold for even more money to accumulate capital.

How does the script link the concept of 'false needs' to consumerism?

The script links 'false needs' to consumerism by explaining that capitalists manufacture desires for products that are not essential, using advertising and marketing to convince consumers that they need these products for happiness or to fulfill a certain lifestyle.

What historical example is given in the script to illustrate the manipulation of consumer desires?

The script refers to Henry Ford's strategy in 1919, where he and other capitalists increased workers' wages, bank credit, and leisure time to encourage higher rates of consumption, thereby maintaining the capitalist status quo.

How does the script address the issue of overproduction in the context of capitalism?

The script addresses overproduction by explaining that capitalists must constantly expand their productive capacities to stay competitive, leading to an excess of commodities that need to be sold to the masses, which in turn drives consumerism.

What is the script's view on the effectiveness of individual consumer choices in combating consumerism?

The script suggests that individual consumer choices, such as buying ethical or green products, are not enough to solve the crises caused by consumerism, as they do not address the root cause of overproduction and the manufacturing of false needs.

What solutions does the script propose to combat consumerism and its effects?

The script proposes a systemic change, including mass revolution to upend the capitalist system, worker control of companies, democratic planning, and restricting advertising to reduce the manufacturing of false needs.

How does the script reflect on the role of social media and influencers in promoting consumerism?

The script reflects on the role of social media and influencers as extensions of the advertising industry, using algorithms and data collection to push products and create a constant pressure to consume, which affects mental health and perpetuates false needs.

What is the script's stance on the idea that consumerism can be solved by simply buying less or choosing different products?

The script's stance is that solving consumerism by simply buying less or choosing different products is insufficient, as it does not tackle the root cause of capitalist overproduction and the systemic creation of false needs.

How does the script discuss the impact of consumerism on mental health and well-being?

The script discusses the impact of consumerism on mental health by highlighting how the constant push to fulfill false needs can lead to unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and increased stress, even in the face of high consumption rates.

Outlines

00:00

🛍️ The Allure of Consumerism

This paragraph introduces the pervasive influence of consumerism in modern society, particularly in imperialist countries like the United States. It highlights how consumerism is deeply ingrained in daily life, with shopping and purchasing used as means to fill emotional voids, alleviate boredom, or demonstrate ethical consumption. The paragraph challenges the notion that consumerism itself is the root of environmental and social issues, suggesting instead that it is a symptom of a larger issue within capitalism. The speaker acknowledges the financial support from Patreon viewers, emphasizing the impact of declining ad revenue on the sustainability of content creation.

05:03

📈 Overconsumption and Its Discontents

The second paragraph delves into the statistics and consequences of overconsumption in the United States. It presents data on the increase in retail sales, household car ownership, and average home size, as well as the growth of the self-storage industry. The environmental impact of this consumption is underscored by the disproportionate use of fossil fuels and food waste in the country. Despite the high levels of consumption, the paragraph notes the paradox of unhappiness among Americans, as indicated by life satisfaction surveys, and the stark inequalities that persist in society.

10:04

🏭 The Hidden Engine of Capitalism

This paragraph examines the role of corporate overproduction as the driving force behind perceived consumerism. It explains the capitalist cycle of capital accumulation and the necessity for constant expansion, which leads to overproduction. The narrative challenges the common belief that corporations merely respond to consumer demand, arguing instead that they create and manipulate desires to maintain profitability. The paragraph also discusses how advertising and marketing strategies are used to create a sense of false freedom and choice for consumers, who are ultimately influenced by corporate interests more than their own demands.

15:06

🎭 The Manufacture of Desires

The fourth paragraph discusses the concept of 'false needs' as identified by Marxist scholar Herbert Marcuse. It describes how capitalists use advertising to create a sense of necessity around products that are not actually needed, but are made desirable through emotional and social appeals. The role of advertising in obscuring exploitative production practices and justifying higher prices is highlighted. The paragraph also touches on the psychological impact of social media and data-driven marketing on consumer behavior, suggesting that these tactics contribute to mental health issues and a distorted perception of happiness and fulfillment.

20:06

🔄 Escaping the Consumerist Trap

The final paragraph addresses the question of how to combat consumerism by looking at its root causes. It suggests that the current system is capable of meeting global basic needs but is instead focused on wasteful practices and advertising. The speaker acknowledges their complicity in the system as a content creator and the challenges of operating within capitalism. The paragraph calls for collective action and制度改革, advocating for worker control and democratic planning in production to meet actual needs rather than manufactured desires. It concludes with a call to action for viewers to support the channel on Patreon, emphasizing the importance of community in sustaining independent media.

Keywords

💡Consumerism

Consumerism refers to the social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. The video portrays consumerism as a trap that is not only a symptom of capitalism but also a factor that leads to environmental degradation and social dissatisfaction. The constant push to consume more is depicted as a way to maintain the capitalist cycle of production and profit.

💡Capitalism

Capitalism is an economic system where private individuals or corporations own and control the means of production and distribution of goods, driven by profit. The video criticizes capitalism for creating and perpetuating consumerism and overproduction, arguing that it leads to environmental harm and social inequality by prioritizing profit over human and ecological well-being.

💡Overproduction

Overproduction is the production of goods exceeding the demand in the market, leading to surplus and waste. The video discusses how overproduction is a consequence of capitalist economies that need to keep producing and selling more to sustain profit, resulting in environmental issues and the manipulation of consumer desires to buy unnecessary products.

💡False needs

False needs are artificial desires created by advertising and capitalist interests to drive consumption of products that are not essential for well-being. The video highlights how companies manufacture these false needs through marketing, making people believe they require more products than they actually do, which keeps the capitalist system running and leads to excessive consumption.

💡Environmental degradation

Environmental degradation refers to the deterioration of the environment through the depletion of resources, destruction of ecosystems, and pollution. The video links this degradation to overconsumption driven by capitalism, noting that high consumption rates in countries like the United States contribute significantly to global environmental problems.

💡Advertising

Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade consumers to purchase products or services. The video explains how advertising is a tool used by companies to create false needs and desires, thereby maintaining consumerism and the capitalist cycle of overproduction and profit accumulation. It also mentions the role of social media and influencers in perpetuating consumerism.

💡Inequality

Inequality refers to the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities among people. The video discusses how capitalism and consumerism contribute to social inequality, with wealth being concentrated among a few while many struggle with basic needs. It highlights the disparity in living conditions, with some over-consuming and others experiencing poverty and homelessness.

💡Carbon footprint

A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, organization, or product. The video criticizes the focus on individual carbon footprints as a distraction from the systemic issues of capitalism and overproduction that are the main drivers of environmental problems. It argues that the emphasis on personal responsibility diverts attention from the need for collective action and systemic change.

💡Happiness

Happiness in the context of the video refers to a state of well-being and contentment that is often falsely associated with material consumption. The video discusses the 'Easterlin paradox,' which suggests that beyond a certain point, more income and consumption do not lead to greater happiness. It argues that the capitalist system promotes the idea that buying more leads to happiness, despite evidence that it often results in dissatisfaction and stress.

💡Collective organizing

Collective organizing involves coordinated efforts by groups of people to achieve common goals, particularly in challenging established systems and advocating for social change. The video advocates for collective action, such as labor unions and strikes, as a means to combat the capitalist system that drives consumerism and inequality. It contrasts this with the ineffective strategy of 'voting with your dollars,' emphasizing the need for systemic change.

Highlights

Consumerism is a pervasive aspect of life in imperialist countries like the United States, influencing emotions and behaviors.

The cycle of working and spending to fill a void is a characteristic of consumerist societies.

Consumerism is not the root problem but a symptom of the larger issue of capitalism.

Overconsumption is often blamed for environmental issues, but it's the capitalist system that drives it.

The video discusses the impact of consumerism on environmental sustainability and social well-being.

The speaker's Patreon support is crucial for the continuation of their content creation.

Rising consumerism in the US is reflected in the doubling of retail sales since 2013.

The increase in household possessions and cars has not led to increased happiness among Americans.

The US, with 5% of the world's population, consumes a disproportionate amount of global resources.

The paradox of increased consumption not leading to greater happiness is highlighted by the Easterlin paradox.

The capitalist system's drive for profit leads to overproduction and the creation of false consumer needs.

Corporations manipulate consumer desires through advertising to maintain profitability.

Advertising assigns emotional value to products, often obscuring their true production costs and labor practices.

Social media and influencer culture contribute to the pressure to consume and the creation of false needs.

The speaker acknowledges their complicity in the system they critique, as their channel also relies on consumer support.

The solution to consumerism involves collective action and restructuring the system, not individual choices.

The video calls for a shift away from consumerism towards a system that prioritizes needs over profits.

Transcripts

With every passing moment, a chance to buy  something is at your fingertips. That new pair  

of pants you just saw on Instagram, the latest  gaming PC that your favorite streamer uses,  

or the newest line of Teslas to make you feel  like you're saving the planet all bombard you  

with visions of what could be. In the imperial  core, buying things has become the stuff of  

life. To feel good, you shop. If you’re bored you  browse things to buy. If you want to be ethical,  

you don't stop buying, you just need to find  the "right" brand to buy from. Seemingly our  

whole lives are wrapped up in the vicious cycle  of working all day and then spending to fill the  

void in our lives. Consumerism is a problem that  runs rampant in imperialist countries like the  

United States. It’s right up in our faces at every  moment. It’s easy to see this conspicuous spending  

and claim that overconsumption is the source of  many of our environmental problems. Consumers are,  

after all, the ones making the choices at the  checkout counter. They’re the ones voting with  

their dollars. But today, we’re going to dive  into this mistaken worldview. Consumerism is  

not the problem, it’s a trap. It’s a symptom  of a much larger and more insidious problem  

of capitalism that lurks in the shadows. Today  we look at the real problem with consumerism,  

and how we really combat the out-of-control  waste and accumulation of stuff.

This video is made possible by my amazing viewers  who support me on Patreon. Over the last two  

years, my revenue from ads and sponsorship have  dropped substantially. So much so, that if this  

trend continues, making videos like these will  become less and less financially viable. Which  

is why I need you. Our Changing Climate will  always be free for everyone regardless of how much  

I make, but OCC is a one-person operation and it  would be nice to earn enough to pay for rent and  

my health insurance, both of which seem to grow  yearly. So, if you’ve been a long-time viewer,  

or just stumbled across the channel, thank you  for watching, and please consider supporting  

Our Changing Climate on Patreon with the link  in the description. Just one dollar a month  

from a small portion of my audience would be  huge for the channel and to be honest, me.

Overconsumption is everywhere? Spend enough time on the internet and you’re  

bound to buy something. How could you not when  Amazon offers free shipping and an option to click  

just one button to speed you through the checkout  process? Or when the new online marketplace, Temu,  

offers rock-bottom prices for basically any good  you could want. Consumerism in the US has risen  

precipitously, with total retail sales in the  US more than doubling since 2013. Indeed, the  

percentage of households with two or more cars has  increased dramatically from 22% in 1960 to 59% in  

2020, while the average home size expanded by 149%  from 1,595 square feet in 1980 to 2,383 in 2022  

according to the Census Bureau. And when families  run out of space to put all of their stuff,  

they’ve turned to storage units. In the United  States, an estimated 14.6 million households  

rent additional storage to keep all of their stuff  generating the self-storage industry $29 billion  

in revenue every year. All of this growth hasn’t  been to accommodate larger families, because the  

average family size has actually decreased by 16%  from 1980. This expansion of consumption has had  

disastrous effects on the environment. Despite  being home to just 5% of the world’s population,  

the United States consumes 15.7% of the world’s  total fossil fuel energy. In the United States,  

between 30-40% of food gets wasted through a  combination of on-farm loss, transportation,  

store overstocking, and lack of at-home planning.  The average American emits 14.9 metric tons of  

carbon dioxide equivalent, which is more than  triple that of the global average of 4.7.

Yet, despite unprecedented consumption  rates and a glut of almost every gadget  

and appliance imaginable flooding the market,  people in the United States aren’t that happy.  

According to the General Social Survey, only  25% of Americans are satisfied with their life.  

A percentage that’s slowly declined since the  1970s and plummeted during the pandemic. In part,  

this is due to the vast inequalities that  cleave the United States. As some fill up  

their oversized homes and shipping containers  with stuff, many struggle to survive. Over 42  

million rely on food stamps to put food on  the table, while more than 650,000 people  

experience homelessness across the country.  As the economist William Gibson observes:  

“The future is already here – it's just not  evenly distributed.” Even for those who do  

enjoy excessive and conspicuous consumption of  the newest Tesla or Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro,  

more consumption and more income don’t necessarily  lead to more happiness. A phenomenon that has  

been deemed the Easterlin paradox. A concept  that claims that after basic needs are met,  

economic growth and higher incomes don’t  necessarily lead to greater happiness.

With all this in mind, it’s clear that  the capitalist hub of the world is on a  

dangerous path. A path that is not only leaving  us overworked, in debt, and unhappy but is also  

driving us headlong toward a ruinous collision  point. Paraphrasing scholar Timothy Jackson,  

Diana Stuart and fellow researchers write in a  paper that considering the biophysical limitations  

of the Earth, extreme resource and material  consumption on a finite planet means “ ” In short,  

the imperial core is consuming far more than  is sustainable for human well-being and the  

planet. But is consumerism really the problem?  Are the consumption habits of the masses really  

the driving force between our environmental and  social ails? These are the crucial questions,  

ones that hand us the keys to what Karl  Marx calls “the hidden abode of production.”

What’s really causing these problems? Behind every dollar spent on that butter melter  

you saw on TikTok, or that automatic pot stirrer,  lies a corporation. A company eager to offload its  

product into your hands to generate profit. The  core engine of capitalism is its constant demand  

for capital accumulation. Capitalists must  constantly expand their productive capacities  

through new technologies and decreasing labor  costs to create the most commodities for the  

lowest prices. If it fails to do so, it gets eaten  alive by other, more capable owners who’ve managed  

to create more products at cheaper prices. This  process of constant accumulation and expansion  

creates increased overproduction. Production  that generates piles of commodities must be sold  

to the masses to continue the cycle of capital  accumulation. Exchanging products for even more  

money is essential to complete the last leg of the  money invested into commodities and sold for even  

more money also known as M-C-M’. In a sense,  consumption is a release valve of production,  

it expands and contracts, but never creates the  flow of goods. As scholar Allan Schnaiberg notes,  

“Consumption cannot be the leading factor in the  expansion of production. Increased consumption  

may permit expanded production, but it does not  generally cause it.” Unrestrained capitalist  

production, then, is the root cause of what we  see as the ails of consumerism. According to the  

average person living in the capitalist stronghold  of the United States and indeed, most economists,  

however, corporations are merely responding  to consumer demand. This is a skewed view of  

reality. The true culprit of all the stuff  in our houses, in our landfills, and in our  

atmosphere is overproduction. Companies like Best  Buy, for example, supply a false freedom when you  

walk through their stores. The range of brands  and products on the shelves might make you feel  

like you have freedom of choice but in reality,  you are only served cameras, laptops, or phones  

that generate profit or allow corporations to stay  competitive. Factors that are often determined by  

labor costs, raw materials, and transportation  logistics much more than consumer demand. In the  

housing market, for example, most people want  affordable, comfortable living spaces. Yet,  

the buildings developers construct are often  luxury condos or turnkey mansions– dwellings  

that are unaffordable for the majority, but rake  in extensive profit for real estate companies. So,  

capitalists produce goods based on factors outside  of the realm of consumerism. That being said,  

they still need people to buy their stuff. To  complete the cycle of Money-Commodity-More Money,  

capitalists must sell their products on the  market to the masses, regardless of whether  

their products have any use. So, instead of  focusing on producing only things that are  

useful and necessary, capitalism has built  a massive apparatus that manufactures false  

needs and desires. Here lies the true trap of  consumerism. To assure the continued success of  

their businesses, capitalists manufacture desires  and needs. We believe that it is wholly inherent  

wants, needs, and desires that are driving our  consumption, that it is human nature, when,  

in fact, the forces of corporations are constantly  whispering in our ear: consume, consume, consume.

The Trap of Consumerism: In 1919, Henry Ford and his fellow  

capitalists were scared. A rising insurgence  of anarchist and socialist movements seized  

the hearts and minds of Americans across the  country. Labor strikes, walkouts, and protests  

seeking a better workplace threatened to disrupt  the profit-making machines of Ford’s car-making  

factories. Then Ford had an idea. A double-edged  sword wielded against the worker to maintain the  

status quo. Ford and his fellow industry leaders,  as one paper describers, “decided to reduce the  

chances of a worker rebellion by giving workers  increased wages, bank credit, and more leisure  

time—all for the purpose of encouraging increased  rates of consumption.” As we’ve already seen,  

producers require the endless consumption  of their commodities to stay competitive and  

profitable within a capitalist market system.  Capitalists must keep consumers on an endless  

treadmill of consumption to reap maximum profit  and continue accumulating capital. This leads to  

the real trap of consumerism. The manufacturing  of what Marxist scholar Herbert Marcuse deemed  

“false needs.” To offload all of the useless  gadgets, new iterations of the same tech,  

and just general junk onto the masses, capitalists  need to make us believe that we actually need the  

latest iPhone or the Slapchop, or that latest  TikTok trend, rather than just want it. This  

is where the vast apparatus of advertising comes  into play. With ads like this: [XX] and this [XX],  

companies assign emotional value and meaning  to objects whose actual value stems from the  

labor and costs needed to make that product.  This process not only obscures exploitative  

practices employed during production but also  allows companies to set higher prices because  

the commodity is now imbued with certain politics  and values. Tesla has been extremely effective at  

this task. Its brand imbues its cars with ideals  of luxury, clean, and sustainable futurism. These  

values, in turn, mask the exploitative practices  throughout Tesla’s supply chain. Fellow YouTuber,  

Yougopnik, cheekily describes this process  of value formation through a chocolate bar:  

[“Advertisers consciously understand that  purchasing patterns directly correlate  

to personal values, therefore, the chocolate  bar becomes a locally grown eco-friendly saw  

infused chocolate bar with a hipster biodegradable  wrapper and from whose every purchase two cents  

go to starving Sri Lankan children. Now what's  the actual difference between this world-saving  

chocolate bar and just a chocolate bar? Almost  none. They’re made in the same Factory with  

the same ingredients and for the same profit  motive.”] In short, the advertising industry  

works tirelessly to wrap products in values like  happiness, power, connection, or sustainability,  

because they know that it’s much easier to sell  a product to someone based on appeals to their  

principles rather than describing the utility of  the commodity. This value generation apparatus,  

otherwise known as the advertising industry,  has become an essential lever in the capitalist  

machine. Indeed, advertising revenue has  nearly doubled since 2012. With spending  

on digital display advertising in just the  US alone reaching $63.5 billion in 2022

But in the age of social media, it’s not just  advertisements directly from companies that are  

pushing us to buy to boost our happiness or save  the planet. Your favorite streamer or Instagram  

star is constantly influencing you to buy stuff,  regardless of whether they’re paid to or not. Even  

I support myself through the ad revenue, which  I’ll get into later on in the video. This has  

disastrous consequences on our mental health as  we constantly strive to fulfill those false needs  

generated for us. Especially as corporations  wield algorithms and data collection to hone  

in on what product will best seduce you into  buying. In essence, every day, a social media  

advertisement is placed in front of you with a  product that you never even thought about buying,  

but because of data tracking and algorithmic  decisions, that product now wiggles its way  

into your head like an earworm, and you can’t stop  thinking about how your life would be better with  

those slippers or that new watch. As a result,  the “good life” becomes synonymous with consuming  

things. Happiness is equated with shopping. Even  streaming services keep you hooked and numb with  

features like the autoplay button. It allows  us to constantly consume content and search  

for that next dopamine hit. But in the process,  we stay up way too late, leaving us tired, and  

burnt out. In 2017, Netflix’s CEO, very bluntly  claimed that their biggest competitor was sleep.

Yet, all of this advertising leads us to  believe that the current system we live in  

actually benefits us. That keeping up with the  Joneses, going deep into debt to buy a new car,  

or going on a shopping spree is the answer to our  loneliness, alienation, and disconnection from the  

people and places around us. As Diana Stuart  and her co-authors write, “The ruling class,  

benefiting from the labor of others, perpetuates  ideas that mystify, elude, and deceive workers  

into falsely believing that they benefit from  the current system, can move up in the system,  

and have freedom in the system, as well as that  no other system is possible.” And many of us  

have become so distant from the cogs of capitalist  production that often political activism has been  

boiled down to “voting with your dollars.” This  narrative is exactly what the fossil fuel industry  

has been hard at work creating for over 40 years  through its popularization of carbon footprints,  

recycling, and individualizing action. When we  as worker-consumers are placated into believing  

that the most effective means of change is to  transfer our money from one capitalist to another,  

the owners of production have won. They’ve  distracted us from what’s actually a threat  

to them: collective organizing, labor agitation,  union power, walkouts, and strikes. Activities  

that directly disrupt that cycle of capital  accumulation. As scholar Douglas Kellner writes,  

capitalists wield “image and spectacle to  manipulate people into social conformity and into  

behaving in ways functional for the reproduction  of capitalism.” In essence, consuming not only  

perpetuates the endless cycle of production and  capital accumulation, but it also pacifies the  

masses by narrowing the possibilities of a  “good life” to the purchasing, having, and  

watching of more stuff. So, if we know the root  causes of consumerism, how then do we escape it?

How we combat consumerism: We already have the means and capacity  

to fulfill everyone's basic needs worldwide. Let  that sink in. We already produce enough food to  

feed everyone globally, but we’re wasting nearly  a third of it. We have the technology to create  

renewable energy for everyone on the planet,  but we’re nowhere near that level. We can build  

a world where everyone lives a good, meaningful,  and environmentally ethical life, but that world  

will mean an end to only shopping at Temu or  Shein. It means no Amazon one-click purchases.  

It means an end to incessant advertising. And  here is where I struggle. I am complicit in that  

manufacturing of consumer desire. My channel is  run on manufacturing false needs for people. My  

livelihood is based on getting you to become a  Nebula member or sign up for Ground News. Does it  

make it better if I actually like those services  and use them? Or that Nebula is ad-free and based  

on membership revenue? I tell myself “yes” because  I still live under this massive apparatus that  

is capitalism. Perhaps I could end YouTube ads if  there was more Patreon support, but at the moment  

it’s not feasible. At the end of the day, I have  no good answer to how to live under capitalism  

while also struggling against it. In a sense, this  is capitalism at work. It insidiously corrupts the  

very messages of those working to dismantle it.  Blaming those who must live within it for living  

within it. But even if I did cancel all ads, it  would only be like spooning a small drop of water  

out of a vast ocean. This is why we need more than  just an individual, vote-with-your-money approach.  

Ideally, a mass revolution would upend our current  capitalist system, and the adoption of full worker  

control of all companies and production would  take root. Democratic planning through worker,  

consumer, and community councils would mean  an emphasis on producing for actual planetary  

and personal needs rather than manufacturing  false needs for profit. Of course, this kind  

of worker-led socialist economy could be a ways  off in the future. We’ll need to build mass power  

globally if we are to see it come to fruition.  This is why we need to employ non-reformist  

reforms like restricting and regulating  advertising on the road to building that power.  

To beat back the manufacturing of false needs  we need to restrict the reach of corporations  

in our everyday lives. This could start as simply  as reinstating child advertising laws that were  

stripped away under the Reagan administration  or tamping down social media and influencer  

marketing. We cannot simply hope that encouraging  everyone to buy ethical, green, or just less stuff  

will somehow work to solve the multiple crises  in front of us. Especially as mass marketing  

and overproduction peck at individual consumers  incessantly to “buy buy buy.” To truly escape the  

trap of consumerism we must approach the problem  from the root. We must dismantle and reimagine  

the factories and offices of production that  manufacture our desires. And on their rubble build  

a world based on useful goods. A world where the  stuff we make facilitates, rather than alienates,  

our connection to people and the planet. In an effort to depend less and less on  

YouTube ads and in-video sponsorships,  I need your help. Recently, my revenue  

has been slipping because of a combination  of demonetization and fewer sponsorships  

conversions. My wonderful Patreon supporters,  however, have been keeping this channel and  

myself afloat. My Patreon supporters have given  me financial consistency over the last seven  

years so I can pay my rent and ever-increasing  healthcare premiums. So, I’m turning to you,  

the wonderful people who watch my videos  month in and month out. If you have the means,  

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