I was hoping the title would refer to, you know, our tacit "God": our unrelenting faith in gratification through material consumption; essentially unbounded and ever-accelerating growth; and the idea that we can safely ignore any non-human impact this pursuit of "happiness" may have (or for that matter, to future human generations).
What is religion if not one means to address the suffering we encounter in life? (finding meaning and purpose, existing in a community of shared beliefs and goals, encountering illness and death, etc.)
What is consumerism if not another means to the same thing? (if I obtain these material things - a house, a car, a family - I will be happy, I will not suffer)
Both provide faux meanings, pretend structures, to people with empty lives. Speaking non-hyperbolically, of course.
If you're a believer, you're a better person than a nonbeliever. If you're a consumer, you're supporting economic growth and the American Way, even if you live in Burkina Faso.
