Eat, Sleep, Work, Consume, Die

Tony Long’s article in Wired shouldn’t astound anyone; it’s a very old and immensely complex thought expressed far better in dedicated philosophical works. Mr. Long writes about consumerism and how it erases our individuality rendering us slaves to corporations. Tony sprinkles a little Technology dust into the potion and this, I suppose, makes him different. He is astounded by the notion that technology does not make our lives more efficient but rather turns us into more efficient consumers. Instead of screaming “rebel and free yourself from capitalist shackles”, Tony tones it down a bit and says “walk in a meadow or woo a lover or write a song”. Just recently an Economist convinced me that wooing a lover or writing a song is consumption as well. Wealth is generated by mere exchange of goods and is purely mental. We partake in an exchange because we believe this exchange benefits us. If I buy a car, I am convinced I am buying a convenience while the car maker is convinced they are getting money; we’re both happy (perhaps not equally but happy nonetheless). There is also the diamond/water principle where supply and demand dictate how much and what we want/need to consume (in the desert diamonds will matter little when traded for scarce water needed for survival). If we rebel about consumerist nature, then what shall we consume instead? Ideas? If that makes you happy then certainly, but remember you’re still just a consumer. If you prefer to produce goods or ideas, then you’ll need to consume first and then rely on other consumers to gobble up your stuff. If you’re producing ideas then you will be happy with the following exchange: you will receive others’ attention and appreciation, you will enjoy fame (also possibly money) while they will receive the product of your intellect. 
Lastly, should we consume to enrich our individuality or should we consume to better our collective? We are willingly a member of a capitalist society … are we not expected to enthusiastically feed the money-making machine?