Conspicuous Consumption

I start by recognizing that conspicuousthe last few hundred thousand years did they
consumption, buying to show off not toinvent tools and discover the use of
meet needs, is the result of the "dominatorfire and become hunters themselves. By then
paradigm" on which EuroAmericanthe basic human need for "belonging"
cultures are built. It is almost unknown in otherand "community" were built into their genes. The
cultures that were based onniche into which they evolved
'reciprocity' and not 'money' or 'exchange.'THEwas one in which most cooperative individuals
DOMINATOR PARADIGMThe "Dominatorsurvived. This basic human nature
Paradigm" was inherent in the Jewish creationhas been overridden in the EuroAmerican cultures
myth. It holds thatby the unnatural values of
the Earth was made for the use of man (and Icompetition, violence, greed, and material
do mean "man"). The man centeredownership, exemplified by immoral
philosophy was emphasized by the Greeks in theconsumption. The key value of these culture is
tenet that "man is the measure ofwhat you have not what you are or
all things." The early Christian church amplified thewhat you contribute to society.Of course, other
belief that man is the purpose ofcultures were not immune for the evils of
the Earth, and the Earth is the center of theself-interest even before
universe. Following Aquinas, the Churchthe advent of the EuroAmerican dominator
taught the "chain of being." Man is at the top ofparadigm. But violence, robbery and
the chain with only a few celestialwarfare in other cultures was primarily confined
being above. Below man in decending order areto struggles between cultures it
woman, children, other races,was not a norm of the internal cultural
animals, plants and the Earth itself. The purposerelationships as it is now. Few cultures, as
of each rung in the chain is toMargaret Mead, Malinowski, Boas and others have
serve, and be dominated by, the ones above.Thisshown, taught their children
dominator paradigm was made the law of Europecompetition, self-interest, and greed.THE GAIAN
by the Inquisition and thePARADIGMIn the last few decades Chaos,
burning at the stake of over one million so calledComplexity, and Gaian theories and other scientific
heretics, mostly women, who
worshiped the Earth. It was spread world wideresearch have brought humanity most radical
by the sword (technology), the flagnew and different understanding of
(nationalism), and the cross (Christianity). Thethe cosmos and of human nature. These
right to dominate all other people,theories, in different ways, show that the
cultures, and land was inherent in the divine rightcosmos is one and evolves as a unity. It is
of Christian kings, and the powercomposed of whole systems embedded
of the church. The Age of Discovery andin whole systems, and composed of whose
Colonization not only made Europesystems, or holons all the way up and all
dominant throughout the world, but also carriedthe way down -- atoms to molecules to cells, to
the doctrine of the dominatorlife-forms, to humans. to social
paradigm to all other countries.The final control ofsystems. All thins from quarks to are interlocked
EuroAmerican dominator paradigm was voiced inand interdependent. The whole
Adam Smith'sholonistic system evolves as a unit. Nor part can
economic theory. The anointing of "self-Interest"change without all others being
as a logical, if not necessary,involved.Gaia (the Earth and all of life) is a prime
extention of the religious concept moved theexample. All the physical attributes that
dominator paradigm beyond themake life possible, the amount of oxygen in the
church and into the hands of government, theair -- the temperature of the
capitalistic elite, and secular society.planet, the salt in the ocean, the radiation
With this birth of "homo econimicus" materialreaching the earth, and others -- are
accumulation in self-interest becamekept within life supporting bounds by biological
a new morality that put competition and personalprocesses. Life makes life
greed above all other humanpossible. Gaia is like a living system itself.
moral attributes. The measure of EuroAmericanApplied to humanity and its societies Gaia
man is what he has, not what he is.Consumptionsuggests that no individual can exist
is thereby not immoral within the norms of thewithout the support of all others. Self-interest,
EuroAmericancompetition, and material
Cultures.HUMAN NATURE & CULTURALconsumption are self-defeating.------------------
NORMSAnthropological, social, psychological,Bill Ellis, of Rangely, ME retired early from his
biological and other sciences are showingworking life
that there is nothing natural about theas a science policy consultant in agencies such as
EuroAmerican socioeconomic system. Mostthe National
other cultures were based on the understandingScience Foundation, Unesco and The World Bank.
that humans and all of Gaia (theFor the last
Earth and all its life forms) are interdependent.30 years he has work voluntarily to promote the
Most cultures recognized that onlybroad range of
cooperation for the good of the whole couldsocial innovations that empower people at the
provide good for the individual. Theygrass roots and
existed on "reciprocity economics." That is, bypromote community self-reliance. One of these is
the religious. if not common sense,as General
belief that each individual should produced for andCoordinator, of 'A Coalition for Self-Learning. With
serve the good of society. Thewhich he
more one gave to others the more others gavefacilitated the drafting an online book, "Creating
to the giver. Owning anything thatLearning
someone else needed more was taboo. ManyCommunities," and, the White Paper, "Life-Long
cultures had now word forSelf-Learning,"
"ownership." Self-poverty rather than self-interestthat promotes the recognition of the vast array
was the rule.This concept of cooperation is builtof learning
into our genes. When humanids first camemodalities in addition to public schooling -- e.g.
down from the trees they were small, weak andlearning
without tools or fire. For some 5co-ops, public schools, private schools,
million years they were the prey of hyenas,unschooling, charter
saber tooth tigers, and other largeschools. His mantra is "everyone should have the
carnivors including some primates. There defenseright, the
was cooperation. They lived infreedom, the resources and the opportunity to
large communities. They used their larger brainslearn what
to manage to exist. Only with inthey want, when they want and how they want.