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Slavoj Zizek on the Hypocrisy of Conscious Consumerism

Do you buy organic apples because you think they taste better or because you’re trying to buy redemption for your own participation in a pernicious capitalist system? In this lecture, compellingly illustrated by the RSA Animate crew, the philosopher Slavoj Zizek criticizes charity and what he calls “cultural capitalism”—think TOMS shoes or Fair Trade coffee—as palliatives that only perpetuate an immoral economic system.

My brain emerged, for a moment, from it’s summer daze of boredom! I feel so refreshed!

I was skeptical, but once you get to his very end conclusion, I agree. The problem is, how exactly are you, as an individual, supposed to bring down capitalism? But as an individual, you can make a difference in someone’s life with “conspicuous consumption”. I guess ideally you’d do both at once and fight with every weapon you have.