(2005-02-27) Sirius Heath

R U Sirius converses with Joseph Heath, author of NationOfRebels: Why Counter-Culture Became Consumer Culture. That having been said, I should note that we think the evils of Consumerism are extremely serious. The problem is not that countercultural thinking goes too far in criticizing it, but rather that counterculturalists misdiagnose the problem - attributing it to manufactured desires, rather than competitive consumption - and therefore recommend solutions - individualistic nonconformity, DIY - that have, over the years, manifestly exacerbated the problem.