What about the contacts your mum had?” his dad asked. “I…
““What about the contacts your mum had?” his dad asked. “I rang and spoke to four very polite computers who gave me all these options and then cut out on me. Then I tried the post office, because they were advertising, and I spoke to another computer. Very rude, that one. Don’t think it recognized ‘Are you shitting me?’ as an option.” “You know why that is?” “Why is that, Dominic?” Tom had asked drolly, because he knew he was going to be told why. “Because we don’t live in a society anymore, Tom. We live in an economy. We’re not citizens. We’re customers. That’s what this government’s done to us.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote critiques how modern societies treat individuals as consumers rather than citizens, reducing civic identity to economic transactions.
In simple terms: Society treats people like customers, not citizens.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and resist being reduced to a consumer.
Themes
citizenship
economy
identity
government
consumerism
Mood
critical
reflective
skeptical
Type
social
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- public policy debates
- consumer rights activism
- education curricula
- community organizing
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
social contract
commodification
political economy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does viewing yourself as a customer affect your civic duties?
- What can restore citizen identity in a market-driven world?
A Different Perspective
It may oversimplify complex political structures and ignore agency.