Sut Jhally claims that propaganda (advertising) will be responsible for the destruction of the Universe. Simply put – capitalism 4 propaganda/advertising 4 over/mass consumption 4 mass destruction. The outcome of unnecessary consumption will ultimately lead to our demise.
Once an item is produced it must go through a cycle of distribution, exchange, and consumption to return profit. If this cycle doesn’t come full circle we will fall into “stagnation and depression.”
According to Jhally, $175 billion a year is spent on advertising. This means 175 billion dollars a year is spent creating a demand for items that are unnecessary to live but make life a lot more luxurious.
Jhally also claims that television and print is said to be developed as a “delivery system” to produce an audience for marketing and advertising. I don’t know if the sole development of television is simply for advertising but I do know that the basic television you receive through an antenna is free because you are forced to watch commercials but if you pay extra for Tivo or DVR you won’t have to watch a commercial for the rest of your couch potato life.
As for the destruction of the universe I’m sure there are ways of using positive propaganda to educate and raise money for universal issues. All in all I believe this to be one mans theory, and maybe one to consider unless you are too skeptical to ever imagine a future that differs from your own present day existence.
