American Dream has a dark side

I can’t remember how the discussion veered toward the alleged inefficiency of the work force in Europe, but my friend was caustic in poking fun at the Europeans for working 35 hours a week and for allowing other inefficiencies in their economies.

I exceeded my own personal record for inarticulateness when I tried to argue that Europeans value some things like personal time and fulfillment more than market efficiencies. My friend was unusually aggressive, and even hostile, in dismissing that contention and snarled something like “that inefficiency is going to destroy them in the global market.”

I was disturbed by his antagonism and by my own inability to argue that there have to be values that outweigh the “market.” As of Sept. 27, I will have a powerful and profound new book to help me explain that our almost idolatrous worship of the market has become an American obsession that could destroy us.

“Is the American Dream Killing You? How the Market Rules Our Lives” by Paul Stiles paints a provocative and uncomfortable picture of the way our “producing society” is blocking out all of the other important values that should shape our lives. Stiles says “the moral hierarchy of the Good (as described by Plato) has collapsed and the market rules.”

He contends that unbridled capitalism is destroying marriage, schools, churches and our health. His basic proposition is that the market has become so much the center of our behavior that our culture is shedding other values.

At some points in the book, I wondered if Stiles bordered on the hysterical and imbued the market with almost human characteristics. Clearly though, the book is brilliantly researched and well argued. It should be a call to arms for every American to consider whether the collective economic choices we make are creating a society we would not wish for our children.

At the core of Stiles’ argument is the contention that the market creates a “me versus you” dynamic while spiritual and religious values create unity, community and a sense of “us.”

The author does not condemn economic activity, but he argues that Americans’ hell-bent emphasis on efficiency has created a “hypermarket” that creates a terrible imbalance between economic pursuits and values. He says we’ve taken market-thinking too far.

Stiles says we have allowed the market to replace nature as the dominant force in our society. While many people view the market as the collective will of society, it really represents only one side of human life: people acting as traders. Because we have allowed economics to overwhelm other values, trust in our society has eroded.

The book is full of “aha” moments, but one of the most interesting is the data Stiles uses to show that Americans assess their happiness in comparison to others. We may not need all we have, but if Jack has it, by gosh, I want it.

Stiles argues that the pressures of the market have forced Americans to “externalize” and focus on producing and consuming to the point that our health is declining, depression and other mental health problems are rising, and individuals no longer internalize their own values and beliefs. He even addresses the disagreement with my friend when he says Europeans concentrate on “being” while Americans are obsessed with “doing”

Stiles’ book forces us to think, question and squirm. I probably don’t want to know the person who could read it without feeling guilt, shame and remorse. Tip for your search: Think about all that you “possess.” What do you need and what did you decide to need because the “culture” dictated it? If you reflect honestly, the results should be bound to disturb you.

Resource for your search: “Is the American Dream Killing You? How the Market Rules Our Lives” by Paul Stiles (Harper Collins, 2005)