why i am doing this

this is an old scribbling of ideas i jotted down. i forgot about it, but its interesting to see where i came from. in a way, this is much more the issue i want to focus on, my leaning towards the 'root of the problem instead of its effects' was largely influenced by matt, and re-inforced by all the literature saying change isnt possible unless you attack the cause.

anyway, maybe i could use this to frame my argument at the begining, and then expand on it to the underlying cause, then narrow it back down to something similar to this in the conclusion/target audience-y stuff? (or perhaps this new 'politicall minded young people' route im taking)

WHY IM DOING THIS:
consumer culture is crappy and fundamentally flawed. we need a change.

WHY IM DOING THIS 2:
individuals in society have their priorities wrong.society has it's priorities wrong. they seek their value in the accumulation of material goods. your value comes from how much you consume (own/use) and how great your ability is to consume (how much money you have). you're valued by what you take from the system, instead of what you give to it? very seldom is fame attributed to noble causes. <--- i dont know if this is true, im ranting

a meritocracy where the wrong merits are rewarded, or maybe they're rewarded with the wrong thing?

MAYBE: any dominant culture form is only equal to the sum of its parts... any dominant culture is perpetuated by the individuals therein. therefore, instead of suggesting new forms for the dominant to take, maybe we could try and change the individuals, maybe if we changed their ideals, their motives, their mindset. by promoting things like empathy, critical thought, grace, considering consequences, etc maybe if we did this, then maybe this would have a trickle down effect. mayeb then the system would change into something better, if it is perpetuated by these values individuals with these values then perhaps the economic systems will follow suit and no longer be driven by an insatiable thirst for profit...


communism's "the greater good" why is this idea so foreign? why cant each of our lives contribute to a greater good (the greater good of the human race, no the earth, and all its members)