Citizens not Consumers

I suspected after 9/11 when Bush told people to go shopping that American citizens had been reduced to consumers whose function was not to maintain their democracy but the economy at the price of the democracy. Democracy more and more seems to be equated to the out-of- control capitalism that is ruining the planet and millions of lives around the world.

The people lined up to buy the new iPhone seems to bear this theory out. First that it should even make a news story is a bit bizarre considering all the things that are going on in Congress, Iraq and with the environment. (I was cheered when a major newscaster didn’t give in to the Paris Hilton drivel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VdNcCcweL0)

One man on the iPhone story was quoted as saying “I need an iPhone.” Well maybe he does, but what America needs is less consumers and more citizens who line up to fight for habeus corpus, against torture, universal health care, an end to private military armies, an end to Iraq, an end to the School of Americas, etc.etc.etc.etc.etc.etc.etc. not to line up to purchase a phone.