Annuals Quote by George Monbiot
“Governments are deemed to succeed or fail by how well they make money go round, regardless of whether it serves any useful purpose. They regard it as a sacred duty to encourage the country’s most revolting spectacle: the annual feeding frenzy in which shoppers queue all night, then stampede into the shops, elbow, trample and sometimes fight to be the first to carry off some designer junk which will go into landfill before the sales next year. The madder the orgy, the greater the triumph of economic management.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: 'The Consumerist Trap', The Guardian, 2015
Governments judge success by monetary flow, ignoring real utility, and glorify wasteful consumer spectacles.
In simple terms: Success measured by money movement, not usefulness.
Key Takeaway
Question policies that prioritize real over purpose.
Themes
economics
consumerism
government
environment
culture
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
commentary
When to use this quote
- holiday sales
- black friday
- shopping festivals
- urban planning
- policy debates
Key Concepts
circulation
value
sacred duty
spectacle
waste
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we redefine success beyond profit?
- What alternatives to wasteful consumption exist?
A Different Perspective
Focus on monetary metrics can ignore social and ecological costs.
