Freedom From Commodification

Don Arthur pens an amusing ode to the potato and Clive Hamilton's philosophy. I suspect Hamilton gets up the nose of most people as the basis of his views is that individuals are unable to perceive through the 'spectacle', the advertising or marketing and are literally slaves to the commodity process and social climbing mores.

This fails incredibly. I do not know anyone who enjoys the half time shows at the grand final or superbowl as an example of how that isn't true. Another good example, I don't own a television. If I was truly a slave to the marketing process as an individual then I would have one. So his philosophy has limitations.

Hamilton's view is also arrogant in that a 'philosopher king' is required to perceive what is going on and save the masses from the spell of commodification. Fortunately there is no shortage of self-appointed moralizers to undertake these tasks and lobby government to ban all manner of behavior and activity in order to save people from themselves.

I feel free-er already.
avocadia: Fifteen varieties of organic potato available to today's shoppers? At my Woolies there are four. Washed, not-washed, purpley and chat. And you could argue pretty succesfully that chat are just small washed. I think maybe the stores Clive is engaging in a spot of identity manufacturing in his grocery shopping choices. What kind of store actually has the kind of shelf space available to fritter away on fifteen varieties of potato?

Consumption For Living

Andrew Sullivan channels Clive Hamilton;

We have mistaken consuming for living.

I don't think so. When money is cheap, and the labor market plentiful with rising salaries it is rational to live to the edge of income as more money can be easily found. It might not be wise, but it is rational. I don't consume heavily but I enjoy my sports car and eating out a lot; both of which are luxuries and can be termed consumption in the Hamilton mode.

I am completely meh on that meme of their being some spiritual and moral superiority in avoiding consumption. Capitalism is what it is, and one thing it does exceptionally well is reduce the cost of consumptive goods to the cost of production. It should be celebrated rather than decried as some sell-out of the soul and we should harken back to some mythical golden age where people survived without digital media, wide screen televisions and mass produced 400hp engines.

Me, I would rather live today and under capitalism than even fifty years ago and the crappy technologies from back then.

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