Manhood and consumerism

Mr. Jason Craig has penned an interesting article over at Those Catholic Men concerning manhood and consumerism. Here are some of the key ideas:

…we no longer are measured by the skill of our craft but by our ability to purchase the craftsmanship of another, and, in fact, we valued the ability to purchase over the ability to make. 

And:

The worst outcome of the trend toward specialization is that giant companies gobble up market share (for the sake of money, not the things made) and controls the production and delivery of the goods we need.  Being unable to “compete” with them through doing or making or doing it ourselves, a man is reduced to, as Berry puts it, “the negativity of his complaint.”[4]  He is a consumer and can only complain about the products he consumes – he cannot change his status as a consumer or actually change the product.  In other words, because you can’t do anything for yourself, the only power you have is to leave negative feedback about a product.  Just think about the sad “power” of leaving feedback on Amazon.  That’s all we have.  And that’s sad.

One conclusion:

Men consume because they cannot do and what they do they do to consume.  They can’t cultivate the world around them to fit their needs, but can only try to purchase themselves out of boredom and stress and hunger.  The anxiety of modern man then is reasonable.  He is helpless and at the mercy of those that sell, control, or hand out his sustenance.  Servility comes naturally with a sense of anxiety – for good reason.

Freedom, both economic and spiritual have many facets.

Oremus pro invicem!