Capitalistic Tea Time

Capitalism is an economic and political system founded on the principles of competition. Competition in the market, with a characteristic lack of government interference, leads to booming innovation, profits, and overall economic health of the nation and its citizens. Or so the story goes. This laissez-faire approach has been the hallmark of the industrialization and cacophonous rise of many nations, not least of which being the United States. However, there is an interesting irony that capitalism and, specifically, the ideal consumer in a capitalist economy burrows into. The competition between firms as they spar for the attention of the consumer, much like birds vying for a mate, portends a competition within that very individual’s mind and attitudes regarding consumption. The competition between conformity and individuality that we are meant to remain blind to.

You and I are consumers, and capitalism is nothing without the consumer. In total, nearly 70% of the United States GDP is dedicated to household consumption, a whopping $13 trillion in 2019. Investment, government spending, and net exports comprise the other 30%, but alas, the bulk of our economy is consumption of goods and services. We aren’t alone in this trend, however, with most developed countries boasting the same unequal distribution – Taiwan and Saudi Arabia are notable exceptions, engaging heavily in exports. It is important to appreciate the gravity of the adjective “ideal” that commonly describes the consumer. To be an ideal consumer is to have bought in – subconsciously or otherwise – to the directives and values of capitalism. You and I don’t just need to consume, we need to do so abundantly and often with negligence for our own financial health. Go into debt. The greatest victory for capitalism was not the fall of the Berlin Wall; rather, it was the rapid adoption of the credit card. Spending has never been so easy, as payment can be postponed further and further down the road, shirking responsibility to our future selves. By separating the act of consumption from the act of payment, the two become detached and disassociated with one another, making consumption ever easier.

The method, then, is established, but what is the motive for all this spending? Growing up and being surrounded by capitalist society and ideals, the idea of consumption becomes synonymous with being a patriot. A pillar of our nationalism is our propensity for spending. Our subliminal but powerful desire to be a part of our community and to not be perceived as an other drives a great deal of consumption. This conformity to the desires, attitudes, and possessions of those around us is an important piece of human evolution, part of what makes us a social and successful species. To stand out is to beg for ostracization and prejudice. This conformity was strongest in America in the 1950’s, with the phenomenon of McCarthyism infecting the minds and the rhetoric of politicians and civilians alike. Accusations of communism were unleashed without provocation, and to be different from the crowd was to invite an accusation upon yourself. Buying the things your neighbors were buying and keeping up with the times was essential, and corporations leveraged this fear in their advertisements and products. Hence, the first post to support the lintel of capitalism. Like an archway with only one vertical column, capitalism would come crashing down without its other supporting beam, individuality and the desire to stand out. This stark contradiction, rather than compromising the integrity of capitalism and consumerism, instead promotes ever higher levels of consumption, with conformity and individuality driving one another in a vicious cycle.

Using the definition provided in the previous paragraph, conformity can be thought of as a reactive force. Others have things we lack, so we buy them in order to conform to our surroundings. But what sparked the initial wave of consumption in the first place? Corporations can’t effectively convince us to buy something on the grounds that “everyone is doing it” unless everybody is, in fact, doing it. That is why the bifurcation of advertising methods exists. By purchasing a car, you are conforming to those around you and fulfilling the needs that our society has created. But you don’t want just any car, you want something unique, special, sleek. Perhaps an electric car, a hybrid, or an all-black Cadillac with a V8. Certain cars attract attention without compromising the important illusion of conformity, and thus perfectly consummate our contradictory needs to both conform and to stand out simultaneously. Even if this specific example does not apply to you, I would be cautious in claiming absolute freedom from the thralls of consumerism. This initial consumption, the purchasing of the next best thing, the newest model, the cutting-edge technology, is the active force. Individuality and the desire to stand out – in moderation – drives the reactive force of conformity in others. Phones with ostensible new features and breakthroughs are released every year; new models of cars with an extra button or horsepower roll out of the factories and onto our TV screens without fail; newly formulated recipes for our favorite foods and drinks beg for our attention on the shelves of supermarkets. And thus, the twin pillars of individuality and conformity drive the cycle, leaving the consumer no happier, no more fulfilled, and perhaps wondering where their paycheck went.

I would like to note that this was not a diatribe against capitalism, which is a powerful, functional, and oftentimes ingenious economic and political system. I hope my saying that will encourage Adam Smith to roll back over in his grave and any spiteful comments or accusations of communism to be backspaced. When a system becomes so engrained into society and constitutes a part of patriotism, it can be hard to evaluate without bias. To speak negatively about capitalism is to be seemingly inherently un-American. But I would contend that the system of capitalism, in its current form, is not a divine proclamation or an infallible set of principles. It, like any other economic system, is a product of bumbling, blundering humans who are subject to mistakes, lobbying, prejudice, and among other things, a lack of foresight. Like any theory, an imperfect evolution of ideas and society led to its incipience. It has been modified and codified many times, and it needs to continue to evolve. Capitalism should not be a part of American nationalism and "Thou Shalt Consume" was not the 11th commandment handed down to Moses on Mount Sinai. Rather, it is a byproduct of imperfect biological and sociological evolution that might demand revision.