To Galbraith, materialism had gone mad and would breed discontent. Through advertising, companies conditioned consumers to buy things they didnt really want or need. Because so much spending was artificial, it would be unfulfilling. Meanwhile, government spending that would make everyone better off was being cut down because people instinctivelyand wronglylabeled government only as a necessary evil.
Its often said that only the rich are getting ahead; everyone else is standing still or falling behind. Well, there are many undeserving richoverpaid chief executives, for instance. But over any meaningful period, most peoples incomes are increasing. From 1995 to 2004, inflation-adjusted average family income rose 14.3 percent, to $43,200. people feel squeezed because their rising incomes often dont satisfy their rising wantsfor bigger homes, more health care, more education, faster Internet connections.
The other great frustration is that it has not eliminated insecurity. People regard job stability as part of their standard of living. As corporate layoffs increased, that part has eroded. More workers fear theyve become the disposable American, as Louis Uchitelle puts it in his book by the same name.
Because so much previous suffering and social conflict stemmed from poverty, the arrival of widespread affluence suggested utopian possibilities. Up to a point, affluence succeeds. There is much les physical misery than before. People are better off. Unfortunately, affluence also creates new complaints and contradictions.
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