America isn't just a land of opportunity; it's the land of consumerism. From birth to death, citizens are trained to consume: products, trends, identities, and even values. Consumerism isn’t a side effect of the American dream—it is the dream itself. Every advertisement, political slogan, and "freedom" is packaged, marketed, and sold.
Here lies the paradox: how can a society that views everything through the lens of consumption ever truly respect anything—be it human dignity, women, other nations, or the environment? When worth is measured by market value, respect becomes transactional. Women are commodified into beauty standards, nations are reduced to markets or military pawns, and people are ranked by their purchasing power. Even morality is repackaged for profit, sold as corporate “diversity campaigns” or “greenwashing.”
This transactional view extends to our emotions. In America, empathy has been monetized. Tragedies become hashtags, social movements become merchandise, and human suffering becomes a spectacle to be consumed before the next trending distraction takes over. Respect requires recognition of inherent value, but consumerism only recognizes exchange value.
So let’s ask the uncomfortable question: Can America ever truly respect others while worshipping consumption as its highest god? The answer, disturbingly, may be no. Because in a consumeristic culture, respect is not given; it's a price tag
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