Consumerism
When I was in college, I would take the train between my home in New York State and Haverford College, outside of Philadelphia. Along the way we would pass this bridge, which seemed particularly noteworthy given one of Trenton’s most famous products. [You probably need to click on the thumbnail to be able to read the slogan in the larger image].
I’m not sure when and how this changed, but it seems very clear (see, for example, Tobin et al., Preschool in Three Cultures) that American children are now raised to be consumers. There’s something deeply troubling about this.
It’s also interesting to think about as a new resident of one of the few states in the U.S. with a large manufacturing base, and one that’s suffering for it. I think that when the U.S. dollar finishes its slow crash, that living in a manufacturing state may be a good thing, but for now it means that Michigan has an unemployment rate that’s tied with Mississippi and only better than Alaska.
[I’m experimenting with PhotoPress, an image plugin for WordPress—hope it works].