Consumerism and the American®™© Spirit

We live in a capitalist consumer society. Consumerism lies at the heart of our economy and our economy lies at the center of American power and influence. It is the duty of American citizens, who love their country, to spend their money as much and as often as possible. Advertising plays a vital role in uniting the personal self-interests of individual citizens with the will of nation. Many Americans readily admit that they do not like advertising. In fact, very few citizens actually enjoy commercials, despite the new comedic-turn in advertising, but we must spend more time appreciating what advertising and consumerism does for our own psyche and glory of the U.S.
Whether or not we actively watch commercial, we are still impacted by them in many ways. For instance, our social interactions are often mediated by commercials. People we interact with on the street or even our family are often effected by television, thereby making us influenced by it too. The importance of advertising firms and the geniuses who create these sixty-second glimpses into the hearts and minds of America are often overlooked. Advertisers not only help socialize us at a young age, but they are also social engineers. They are today’s psychologists who offer both diagnosis and cure within a short span of time — and it’s free.
Commercials follow a simple two-part paradigm. First, they tell you what is wrong with you. They note, often accurately, that you suffer from some sort of insecurity about yourself or some kind of merchandise that will both solve a problem and fulfill you in unexpected ways. By notifying us of our insecurities — often ones we didn’t know we had — they tell us how to fill that gnawing existential void we, as Americans, feel, but do not understand. This is where advertising unites our self-interest and the will of the nation.

Our proverbial hunger will never subside. This entices us to spend money, thus feeding the economy. It is imperative that this insatiable appetite, this hole, this longing, emptiness, and existential crisis never be alleviated for any prolonged period of time. Our peace of mind, our contentment, is a threat to freedom and democracy. Our insecurities, our emptiness, our longing perpetuate American capitalism, expand the frontiers of freedom, and unites us as a country and Empire — the greatest of which the world has never known.
