RE: [pf] we took the wrong track, in the '50s and '60s

by David A

06 December 2000 12:30 UTC

prichter1@aol.com wrote:
> David, if you read early 20th century history, you will find 
> that advertising made strong headway in the years around WW I and 
> into the twenties, and  consumerism/marketing began long before WWII > 
> -- there was considerable retrenchment around the Depression years, > 
> but the impetus was set in motion long before.

Priscilla, reading your post and rereading Betsy's, I think I understand 
more what you (and her) mean. And I'm sure I haven't read as much as you 
about this aspect of American history, so I'll surely defer. If you have 
a recommendation for one book of Marvin Harris's to start with, I'd like 
to hear about it.

> The Industrial Revolution was predicated on the idea of mass 
> production = mass usage.  It took a while, but consumerism, now 
> a high art  form, has a very long history. 

But isn't there a difference between consuming and consumerism? What's 
wrong with mass production=mass usage, per se? Isn't there a difference 
between one's first toilet, first refrigerator, first radio or 
television, compared to the third bathroom in a house or the third 
television? Some items do actually make life healthier, easier, and more 
enjoyable. Many of those items, such as toilets, have a fairly common 
design and so are amenable to mass production. Excessive production 
capacity brings about excessive marketing, sure. And new communications 
technologies--radio, television, etc.--did/does establish the the means 
to market widely. For television, at least, that began mostly after WW2. 


David

David