Consu-More to Consu-Less (Consu-Meren naar Consu-Minderen)

A lot of people are saying that things have to change, that the current way of capitalist economy is literally draining the earth from its resources and 170 years ago Carl Marx recognized that capitalism in its current form would never close the gap between rich and poor, but would keep enlarging this gap.

How I wish I could say he was wrong about this, but it is safe to say that 170 years after the publication of his Manifesto, that he was right on that topic. I am not saying that everything in there should be treated like the Holy Bible. And after a close reading of Spinoza’s work I am not so sure that that story needs to be left alone either – there is most certainly room for interpretation and critique on either of those books. But only one of those tells us something about the slave-labor and exploiting of the poor and gives us an alternative.

No, I am not saying we should take that alternative! It was written 170 years ago and the world looked a whole lot different back then. The politics were different and transportation of people and goods wasn’t as easy and accessible as it is now. We have to work with the world as it is right now: global.

What needs to be done is for all of us to buy less stuff and appreciate and cherish more what we already have, re-use it in new ways or transform it to make thing accommodate new wishes and desires. In Dutch to consume is translated as consumeren – consu-more. And in reality that is exactly what it does: every day we are played upon to buy more, more, more stuff. Do we actually need all that? I think we can manage with a lot less. How many of your shoes are barely walked upon? How many of your clothes have been worn less that 2 times since you bought them? How many of the clothes in your closet haven’t you touched in a year? How many (reading)books haven’t been read and never will be, because there are even better books to be read? How many items in your bathroom and kitchen will never ever be used? Haw many food are you throwing away every day (even the scraps off your plate after dinner, that could be a nice midnight-snack or lunch the next day)?

But it is not fair to put the sole responsibility at the consumer. It is not only a cry for “consuminderen” – consu-minderen – consu-less tot the consumer. Shops need to lessen their stock, creating a scarcity of products. Not the scarcity that the Soviet Union had to deal with for ages, but just enough to make people ecstatic that they were able to obtain the item they bought, appreciating it way more then when there would be over a million more of that. It will make people think twice about replacing it and when replaced about throwing it away. It could be sold on, or given away, to someone else or a thrift shop. Thrift shops already have such a scarcity, which comes natural to the concept of that shop. But I love shopping there more then I would be shopping in an ordinary shop. I appreciate nice finds way more and cherish the beautiful fitting clothes way more, since I got the feeling they were there waiting for me and me alone to come by and buy them.

But not only the shop have to have a smaller stock: their suppliers and the factories have to produce less of a series. A lot less. And since our shoes and clothes are not manufactured in factories, but sweatshops, the production there will be less pressing. Those people need to be paid by the hour, not by the item they make. Yes, that will make products more expensive, but that will make the consumer think a couple of times longer about replacing things on a whim or itch. It makes the consumer appreciate the items they buy even more, which will add to the chance that this item will be re-used, in one form or another, on a later date.

Right now, there is an overproduction of goods, which keeps the current economy of wanting more-more-more intact and growing. Creating just enough would be ideal, but a very difficult number to come by. But this “just enough” means that there will be a little bit less then the actual demand. Not a lot, but just enough to create the scarcity needed to make people appreciate what they have and think twice or more about discarding what they are tired of seeing. There is no use in creating a scarcity that will create large runs on shops like we see on Black Friday. And for heavens sake: ABANDON SHOPPING SPREE SALES LIKE BLACK FRIDAY IMMEDIATELY! They are only making things worse for the economy and the entire earth. It gives local economy a short boost, but that will give the rest of the year. At the other side of the world people are slaving and the raw materials for these items are nearly gone. Last year it got even worse when people didn’t have to physically fight each other anymore, since Cyber Monday was introduced. This can’t go on! It is nice for shops to get rid of old stock and that is the only way those sales should be working. But no new items should be thrown in those kind of sales.

I can’t change the world on my own. And I know my Blog is not well read (yet). But I hope this plead will be picked up and shared amongst shopkeepers and manufacturers. Create less stuff and create a little scarcity. It won hurt us, not really, only our pride, like it will hurt a spoiled brat to hear someone say “No. You have had enough.”. We are that spoiled brat and someone needs to say that hated line:

“No. You have had enough.”