masses with little resistance (p336). The film revealed that the
U.S. government deliberately is promoting hyper-consumerism
(p133), the idea being a society that continually is purchasing
newly manufactured products will keep the economy growing.
Hyper-consumerism is the practice of buying more than one
needs or wants. Media of all forms promotes continual buying
of goods and services (p133). The corporations, owned and
controlled by the wealthy elite, are the ones to profit. “The
unequal distribution of power in the United States, where a
small group of corporate elites wields more power than the
entire citizenry, is compounded by the inequality of income
and wealth” (p337). Half of the entire world’s wealth is owned
by eighty-five people (p337). The system of capitalism keeps
the source of production of goods in the hands of a very few,
with the workers and consumers benefitting the corporations
(p. 337). The planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence,
as well as the exploitation of workers depicted in the film,
insure the domination of the corporate elite over the general
public. Thus, the cycle is entrenched in our society.
Some of the impacts of the system on society will follow. The
effect of class domination has already been mentioned. Since
1965, corporate power and class domination have increased, in