12 March 2009

Affluenza

Drawn from Wikipedia and quoted on page 53 of Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded is the definition of a modern-age affliction referred to as Affluenza.
Affluenza is a term used by critics of consumerism, a portmanteau of affluence and influenza. Sources define this term as follows:
  • affluenza, n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more. (de Graaf)
  • affluenza, n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by the pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth. (PBS)
How very interesting. Self-diagnosis, anyone?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

You know that says it all! That defines the Federal Reserve perfectly!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC5uQx1W87I&eurl
Support the Federal Reserve transparency Act (HR 1207) “Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near-complete destruction of the United States dollar. Since 1913 the dollar has lost over 95% of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy. How long will we as a Congress stand idly by while hard-working Americans see their savings eaten away by inflation? Only big-spending politicians and politically favored bankers benefit from inflation.” Congressman Ron Paul

Gil Burgess said...

OK ---I think we can tie in something else with the affluenza definition and Josh's mention of the Federal Reserve: the 16th Amendment. This was also enacted in 1913. Prior to that, the only times we'd had an income tax was for short periods (1862-72 and 1894-95). We got along without it for a long time. Maybe Mike Huckabee was right!!!

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