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The Story of Stuff will take you on a provocative tour of the consumer-driven culture in the US and the increasing consumerism and materialism in the rest of the world - from resource extraction to iPod incineration - exposing the real costs of our use-it and lose-it approach to stuff. -- ISLAM is against materialism because it results in social injustice and oppression. But also because Islam wants to nurture the inner spirituality and other potential noble qualities in human beings - and materialism - that is the slavery of this world - takes them in exactly the opposite direction. Often non-religious movements choose to resist materialism because of its consequences on society - that is they resist materialism for instrumental - means to ends - reasons. Islam however places importance on simplicity and modesty because they are valuable in themselves for human perfection. Hence even if the world becomes full of resources and everyone has more than what he or she needs Islam would still stress on simplicity and modesty in the lifestyles and pursuits of its followers. With its ideals of human perfection and emphasis on the eternal life in the hereafter Islam provides a powerful rational and emotional stimulus for individuals to abstain from materialism and channel their self-interest into attaining lofty human ideals and qualities. For more on this see Shaheed Mutahhari-s following works available on al-islam.org - a. Spiritual Discourses b. Perfect Man.

The Story of Stuff will take you on a provocative tour of the consumer-driven culture in the US and the increasing consumerism and materialism in the rest of the world - from resource extraction to iPod incineration - exposing the real costs of our use-it and lose-it approach to stuff. -- ISLAM is against materialism because it results in social injustice and oppression. But also because Islam wants to nurture the inner spirituality and other potential noble qualities in human beings - and materialism - that is the slavery of this world - takes them in exactly the opposite direction. Often non-religious movements choose to resist materialism because of its consequences on society - that is they resist materialism for instrumental - means to ends - reasons. Islam however places importance on simplicity and modesty because they are valuable in themselves for human perfection. Hence even if the world becomes full of resources and everyone has more than what he or she needs Islam would still stress on simplicity and modesty in the lifestyles and pursuits of its followers. With its ideals of human perfection and emphasis on the eternal life in the hereafter Islam provides a powerful rational and emotional stimulus for individuals to abstain from materialism and channel their self-interest into attaining lofty human ideals and qualities. For more on this see Shaheed Mutahhari-s following works available on al-islam.org - a. Spiritual Discourses b. Perfect Man.

The Story of Stuff will take you on a provocative tour of the consumer-driven culture in the US and the increasing consumerism and materialism in the rest of the world - from resource extraction to iPod incineration - exposing the real costs of our use-it and lose-it approach to stuff. -- ISLAM is against materialism because it results in social injustice and oppression. But also because Islam wants to nurture the inner spirituality and other potential noble qualities in human beings - and materialism - that is the slavery of this world - takes them in exactly the opposite direction. Often non-religious movements choose to resist materialism because of its consequences on society - that is they resist materialism for instrumental - means to ends - reasons. Islam however places importance on simplicity and modesty because they are valuable in themselves for human perfection. Hence even if the world becomes full of resources and everyone has more than what he or she needs Islam would still stress on simplicity and modesty in the lifestyles and pursuits of its followers. With its ideals of human perfection and emphasis on the eternal life in the hereafter Islam provides a powerful rational and emotional stimulus for individuals to abstain from materialism and channel their self-interest into attaining lofty human ideals and qualities. For more on this see Shaheed Mutahhari-s following works available on al-islam.org - a. Spiritual Discourses b. Perfect Man.

A lecture by CA M.R. Venkatesh in India. Notice that this lecture was uploaded on googlevideo on 10 Feb 2008. The Economist cover that he refers to was published in Jan 2008. This is a very insightful and interesting lecture. Worth a consideration even if you do not agree with all what he says. --- By encouraging LOCAL CONSUMPTION I think he means developing a locally sustainable economy with a savings culture and responsible consumption.--- The point about the connection between family and consumerism may have been loosely argued in the lecture but it is not totally baseless. If considered in the broader context of the rise of individualism and materialism in America it makes sense. Individualism seeks identity. Materialism suggests finding that in competitive consumption of material goods. Hence the idea of shopping for identity - what you consume and how much you own define you.--- Also see Story of Stuff and Confessions of an Economic Hitman videos on this site.

The Story of Stuff will take you on a provocative tour of the consumer-driven culture in the US and the increasing consumerism and materialism in the rest of the world - from resource extraction to iPod incineration - exposing the real costs of our use-it and lose-it approach to stuff.

The Story of Stuff will take you on a provocative tour of the consumer-driven culture in the US and the increasing consumerism and materialism in the rest of the world - from resource extraction to iPod incineration - exposing the real costs of our use-it and lose-it approach to stuff.

In the global economy corporations demand enforceable laws - intellectual property and copyright laws - backed up by sanctions to protect their products. However when we ask these same companies - Cant we also protect the rights of the 16-year-old who made the product - the companies respond - No. That would be an impediment to free trade - Young garment workers in Bangladesh share their experiences working for companies like Disney and Wal-Mart.

A segment from the documentary - We - where Arundhati Roy - the writer and activist - talks about the growing gap between the rich and the poor in the world. See the entire documentary at www.weroy.org. Roys comments in this segment end at a very insightful point where she says that both socialism and market capitalism are inherently flawed and are bound to fail. Because both are conjured up by the human-mind but they destroy themselves by human nature! I am reminded here of Shaheed Sadrs profound analysis at the beginning of his book - Our Philosophy. Any social system that does not take into account the various dimensions of human nature - including the material and the spiritual - any system that does not have a program for curing the problems in hearts and for developing the good potentials in human souls and only focuses upon the material factors is bound to fail - be they the socialist states or the welfare systems in capitalist economies. The strength and beauty of Islam is in its comprehensive-ness - in its comprehensive and wholistic guiding principles for all dimensions of human nature and for both individual lives and collective issues of society.

A leftist critique of the new imperialism. -- We lost because we were crushed. Sometimes we were crushed by army tanks and sometimes we were crushed by think tanks. And by think tanks I mean the people who are paid to think by the makers of tanks. -- Naomi Klein - ASA annual meeting.

A leftist critique of the new imperialism. -- We lost because we were crushed. Sometimes we were crushed by army tanks and sometimes we were crushed by think tanks. And by think tanks I mean the people who are paid to think by the makers of tanks. -- Naomi Klein - ASA annual meeting.

A leftist critique of the new imperialism. -- We lost because we were crushed. Sometimes we were crushed by army tanks and sometimes we were crushed by think tanks. And by think tanks I mean the people who are paid to think by the makers of tanks. -- Naomi Klein - ASA annual meeting.

A leftist critique of the new imperialism. -- We lost because we were crushed. Sometimes we were crushed by army tanks and sometimes we were crushed by think tanks. And by think tanks I mean the people who are paid to think by the makers of tanks. -- Naomi Klein - ASA annual meeting.

A political allegory based on the introduction to Amy Tans novel - Saving Fish From Drowning - which contains an anonymous quote that reads-- A pious man explained to his followers- It is evil to take lives and noble to save them.- Each day I pledge to save a hundred lives. I drop my net in the lake and scoop out a hundred fishes. I place the fishes on the bank - where they flop and twirl. - Dont be scared - I tell those fishes. -I am saving you from drowning.- Soon enough the fishes grow calm and lie still. Yet sad to say I am always too late. The fishes expire. And because it is evil to waste anything I take those dead fishes to market and I sell them for a good price. With the money I receive I buy more nets so I can save more fishes.

Courtesy vikesfreak on youtube. Some parts may not be available on this site. Viewer discretion advised. CONSUMING KIDS - WITH VIRTUALLY no government or public outcry in the US the multi-billion dollar youth marketing industry has been able to use the latest advances in psychology anthropology and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. American kids now influence an estimated 700 billion dollars in annual spending targeted virtually from birth with a relentless bombardment of sophisticated commercial appeals designed to sell everything from Hollywood merchandise and junk foods to iPods cell phones the family car and vacations. The result is that childhood itself has been commercialized. Drawing on the insights of experts industry insiders and children themselves Consuming Kids traces the evolution and impact of this disturbing and unprecedented phenomenon exposing the youth marketing industry-s controversial tactics and exploring the effect of hyper-consumerism on the actual lived experience of children.

Directed produced and written by Deborah Koon Garcia. THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled patented genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.

a really nice story about a boy who regrets not thanking his father.

8. The profit motive drives the actions of the corporation and creates a mindset of competition and anything goes. Meet corporate spy and self -described predator Marc Barry as he describes his tactics for gathering intelligence from competing corporations. Juxtapose his attitude with Ray Anderson President of Interface - who - in an epiphanic moment - realized he was a plunderer and it was only a matter of time before the law figures it out.

Americas top public intellectual Noam Chomsky discusses the dark side of globalization. Chomsky argues that globalization itself is not a bad thing. It is the specific form it has taken - under the influence of big powers and multi-nationals to benefit only a few - that makes it negative - English

7. Who bears the moral responsibility for the actions of a psychopathic institution? The employees of the corporation can be the nicest people in their personal lives but still engage in monstrous endeavours at work. Can we separate the individual from the corporation?

9. A trader describes the tragedy of 911 as a blessing in disguise because for some people - it translated into great riches. Brokers celebrated the death and destruction of the Iraq war because - in devastation... there is opportunity -.

Friends, let this not come as a surprise to you. This is the reality we are living in where it is ‘estimated that one billion people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. That’s roughly 100 times as many as those who actually die from these causes each year. About 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger related causes… Three-fourths of the deaths are children under the age of five.’ --HOW YOU CAN HELP -- Don’t waste natural resources. Be thankful to God for His gifts and blessings. Be mindful of your responsibility toward other human beings. Think about what the Prophet (saws) would do. Have mercy and compassion toward all humankind. Next time you spend money on those unnecessary luxuries of your life, think for a moment about the plight of the poor and oppressed around the world. Be aware of the materialistic forces and the contradictions of the dominant economic systems that are at the roots of global inequality. Don’t become a part of this system. Don’t become a slave of consumerism and endless materialistic competition. Understand that it is not enough to just keep yourself from engaging in consumerism. It's not always easy to protect yourself and your family against the multi-billion dollar industry of marketing. Join forces with other like-minded people. Strengthen your communities that can serve as a buffer against corporations. Engage in collective action. Transform people's consciousness and hyper-consumeristic lifestyles. Among other things, join a local organization that is working against subtle forms of oppression, like hunger, poverty, illiteracy, domestic violence, anorexia and bulimia, perfect body images, and endless materialistic competition. If there isn’t any, start one today! For ideas, you can look into doing online activism. Check out moveon.org’s work. Some online organizations also invite web surfers to click on their sites regularly. They say every click earns them revenue to support their causes. The Hunger Site is an example. Some may also invite you to buy their T-shirts and other souvenirs. I guess, you can buy these items if you think they can help spread the word and encourage people to join a good cause. But, in general, more shopping and more consumption cannot be a solution to human suffering. Selling consumers to products through clicks or ads is exactly what we need to shun. Because that feeds into the same loop of consumerism. My suggestion: Donate directly! And, encourage others to do the same! Lastly, remember the advice Imam Ali gave in his Last Will: “My advice to you is to be conscious of Allah and steadfast in your religion. Do not yearn for the world, and do not be seduced by it. Do not resent anything you have missed in it. Proclaim the truth; work for the next world. Oppose the oppressor and support the oppressed.” Become a friend and supporter of oppressed people and an enemy of oppressors and all forms of oppression."

Brings a leftist critique on the table. This speech was given in Los Angeles 2-21-05.

12. Some of our best creative minds are employed to create illusions that divert us from the real issues and manufacture our consent. Beyond their products the corporation sells us the idea of a better way of life and produces propaganda that affirms their power as necessary for human progress.

Naomi Klein talks about her new book - The Shock Doctrine - The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - speaking at a benefit event for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - a social justice research institute. The Shock Doctrine is the gripping story of how Americas FREE MARKET policies have come to dominate the world through the exploitation of disaster-shocked people and countries.

A related story from LA Times: How businesses coax shoppers into buying. http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-shopping-psychology-20101122,0,1283284,full.story This is a good summary of the tactics that businesses use to coax shoppers into spending. The article also illuminates how the ideology of 'choice' can be illusionary. I may think that I am buying this particular item out of my personal, independent choice, but in reality that choice or preference is conditioned by a number of stimuli, both within the store and from outside (ads, culture, media). An important question that Raj Patel raises in the full speech is to what extent conscious buying can really help solve the problems of global economy, social justice, and the environment. Raj Patel's full speech: http://fora.tv/2008/05/16/Raj_Patel_Discusses_Stuffed_and_Starved

امام خمینی (ره): وابستگي به ماديات Imam Khomeini (ra): Materialism - Farsi

Why is it so hard to rise above their selfish needs and desires? Many people that do understand the consequences of consumerism do not always do anything substantial to resist it because often they themselves are deep into materialism in one way or another. Some of these people may hate Bill Gates and Donald Trump but at the same time they want to become rich and famous like these two. That is true for people in the West and the East. Materialism that was a result of a specific historical experience of the so called Modernity is the West is pretty much a global phenomenon today. Thanks to corporatization in the name of globalization! Consumerism is but one facet of the larger phenomenon of materialism. Simple quantitative changes in our lifestyle would not do much. What we need is a fundamental qualitative change in our lives and in our societies. ---- In the clip one of the organizers of the world-wide Buy-Nothing-Day Kalle Lasn was interviewed by a CNN anchor in one of the previous years. ----

Look forward to watching this. From the trailer it seems that the argument is not a nostalgia for the past. It is deeper. I liked the fact that the documentary seeks to bring in the larger historical and social context in the picture. Compare that to documentaries like Consuming Kids that focus mostly on hyper-consumerism. Hyper-consumerism I believe is a manifestation of something much larger and deeply pervasive what may be referred to as MATERIALISM. Now how to define and trace the source of materialism are challenging questions. The documentary seems inclined on the rise of capitalism. But it does hint toward renaissance and the transformation in cultural outlook. Would be interested to see how material and cultural are combined in the narrative of this book and movie.