Jun 16 2011
Crass Struggle: Greed, Glitz, and Gluttony in a Wanna-Have World – Part 1
Despite the fact that the economy has yet to recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression, economic forecasters are claiming that things are back on track, partly because the appetite for luxury goods has returned. In fact, is attendance at the recent “Reuters Global Luxury and Fashion Summit,” is any measure, “2011 is expected to be one of the strongest years for luxury goods in recent history.” Among the products gaining popularity are men’s designer handbags. The demand for high-end luxury goods catering to the ultra rich has spread to China, where new millionaires and billionaires are looking for ways to splurge their riches. In his newest book, author and Professor R.T. Naylor, chronicles the various luxury goods industries and the impact they have on the environment and society. Crass Struggle: Gree, Glitz, and Gluttony in a Wanna Have World also examines what Naylor calls “the rot at the core” of “today’s modern jungle of extravagant spending.” Here is part 1 of a 2-part interview with the author.
GUEST: R.T. Naylor is a Professor of Economics and Environment at McGill University. His earlier books include Satanic Purses, Wages of Crime, Patriots and Profiteers, and Hot Money and the Politics of Debt. His latest book is Crass Struggle: Greed, Glitz, and Gluttony in a Wanna-Have World
Find out more about the book here: http://mqup.mcgill.ca/book.php?bookid=2627
2 Responses to “Crass Struggle: Greed, Glitz, and Gluttony in a Wanna-Have World – Part 1”
Listened to this segment this morning — very interesting! Wasn’t familiar with the “middle class consumerism as an opiate of the masses” concept prior to hearing it on the program, but it makes perfect sense and I’d like to read the book now. I hope Mr. Naylor adds a Kindle version of the book to Amazon …
@ #vc I was listening this morning as well.There is a really eye opening documentary series that (I believe) tie into what RT Naylor is discussing in his book.The doc is called…
-The Century Of The Self by Adam Curtis-
Sigmund Freud changed the perception of the human mind and its workings.The series describes the ways public relations and politicians have utilized Freud’s theories during the last 100 years for the “engineering of consent”.
Freud and his nephew Edward Bernays, who was the first to use psychological techniques in public relations, are discussed. Freud’s daughter Anna Freud, a pioneer of child psychology, is mentioned in the second part, as is one of the main opponents of Freud’s theories, Wilhelm Reich, in the third part.
The Century of the Self asks questions about the roots and methods of modern consumerism, representative democracy, commodification and its implications. It also questions the modern way we see ourselves, the attitudes to fashion and superficiality.
It’s a long series but worth watching and sharing.It’s available on Youtube but I think you can order the whole Century Of The Self series on DVD for a donation to KPFK Radio.