Before consumers we were citizens - valuable members of communities with opportunities to particpate in the democractic process and we valued products that were built to last.

Capitalism in the 50s and in the early to mid 60s was not based on planned obsolescence. Craft and pride in one's work was part of the engineering of products and services and their manufacture.

Consumption is in-part a distraction and part of the fuel for capitalism run-amuck under the auspices of greed, an addiction to money (and its cousin - power) and the designs of technpological advancements. The middle class are the consummers. Technological developments must be tamed organically if we are to survive the climate crisis on the most basic levels. This could mean a kind of capitalism with products built to last that run in-tune with sustainability.

This should be self evident if we can take a breath, and reason through the massive complex problems on a cooperative basis.