Capitalism has put democracy in trouble
On Dec. 21, Bill Moyers interviewed Benjamin R. Barber, author of more than 17 books and frequent essayist.
On Moyers web site, they posted this quote from Barber’s new book, CONSUMED: HOW MARKETS CORRUPT CHILDREN, INFANTILIZE ADULTS, AND SWALLOW CITIZENS WHOLE”
Capitalism has put democracy in trouble, because capitalism has tried to persuade us that being a private consumer is enough. That a citizen is nothing more than a consumer.
Go to Moyers web site to read an excerpt from the book — and much more.
Barber and I clearly share the view that being a one dimensional consumer is neither good for the person nor good for democracy. For example, see my post Framework for a New Economics & a New Politics.
Go to Barber’s web site to learn more about him.
Thanks to Dewayne Hendricks for a pointer to this.
permalink | Jock Gill | Culture, Democracy, Economy, Politics
Concerning the comment, “Capitalism has put democracy in trouble, because capitalism has tried to persuade us that being a private consumer is enough. That a citizen is nothing more than a consumer”, the following article asks:
- …Has the unbridled spread of commercialism and technology transformed us from small groups of active amateur participants to a large single mass of professional passive spectators and nonstop consumers?
http://starbulletin.com/2007/06/03/editorial/commentary.html