The age of consumerism

Dec 22, 2012 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
There are some people who are so blinded by prejudice that they simply cannot come to terms with the reality of a new and changing Guyana, one in which there is greater prosperity and a better quality of life. One only has to look at the large number of business places and supermarkets that are springing up all over the country to get a sense of the spending power of the Guyanese people. There can be no doubt that Guyana economy is heating up and with it the purchasing power of the average Guyanese people.
Business is booming in Guyana. The commercial sector is expanding as could be seen from the changing skyline in Sheriff Street and some parts of the city. Huge multi-storey buildings are going up, indicative of growing confidence in the economy. The same is true of the commercial banks which are opening up new branches in all parts of the country, including some of the hinterland regions where none existed before. The balance sheets of the banks and commercial enterprises are showing solid growth in business and sales turnover, which is indicative of a strong and robust economy.
The mad rush to spend on goods and consumer items is very much in evidence this Christmas, thanks to greater disposable income for the consuming public. The wide range of consumer goods on display at stores and supermarkets is quite remarkable. This obviously puts enormous pressure on consumers who sometimes have to make hard choices on how to spend their limited income.
We live today in what could be described as the age of consumerism where people spend sometimes way above their means. This is facilitated to a large extent by the banking system which provides for generous overdrafts and credits. In addition to these, the big supermarkets also promote and facilitate hire purchase arrangements which means that persons can shop for expensive consumer items that have to be paid for on deferred income. This is quite risky and there are instances when payments are in default leading to embarrassing situations and financial stress.
This brings me to the core values and concepts of Christmas which essentially has to do with the birth of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. How the festival which was born out of humility became so ‘glamourized’ is the subject of much debate, but it is widely believed that the festival has now become a booster for the capitalist system by promoting a culture of consumerism and reckless spending. It is amazing how people part with their hard-earned income just to keep up with neighbours and friends only to find that after the festivities are over they are broke to the last cent.
This to my mind speaks to a degree of arrogance and irresponsibility which has nothing to do with the core values and principles of Christmas. Christmas is all about humility and reflecting on the birth of Jesus Christ who, according to the Bible, was born in a stable in the most humble of circumstances. Today, the celebration is far removed from the concept of humility and care for the needy, into one of ostentatious lifestyles and pure vanity.
As mentioned before, we live in an age of consumerism which is lavishly promoted by the media. Millions, nay billions of dollars are spent advertising consumer items, with all kinds of incentives to lure consumers into spending their money. One established supermarket in the city is giving away over a dozen cars over the holiday period in order to whip customers into a shopping frenzy. I often wonder how much better off we would have been if these expenditures were put to lower the cost of the consumer items, if only to the extent of the millions spent on advertising and incentives to a few “lucky” customers.
All of this I know is wishful thinking and far removed from the corporate business world where competition is the name of the game. But we live in an imperfect world and the market especially under capitalism is highly imperfect. Consumer ignorance is exploited to the maximum, especially when there are incentives to shop, for which one is hardly likely to benefit. There are so many instances when I go to the supermarket and purchase an item only to find that the same or a better quality of the said item could be found at another supermarket at a much lower price.
When all is said and done, the true test of character is humility. There is tremendous strength in being humble and down-to-earth, traits that are universally adored. If there is one lesson that could be learnt from the work and teachings of Christ, it is the power of humility. Too many people of power and influence fall prey to the trappings of this material world to such extent that they virtually lose their souls.
Hydar Ally

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