Rewind exactly one year ago. I was packing up my 1200 square foot townhouse dividing my contents into categories: moving with me into "the sorority house," donations, moving into storage, moving to friends' homes, or leaving for my tenants. The stress and fatigue left me delirious. I don't think I would fit the criteria for a hoarder but 5 years in the same spacious home allowed for quite a bit of accumulation. The process of paring my belongings down took me months and each step of the way I cursed my American consumerism. I vividly remember wondering why I owned umteen pairs of jeans and white pants. A girl has to update her wardrobe every now and then, right? Though my parents didn't really raise me to value flashy "things" I honestly found some pleasure in my home furnishings. And with endless closet space, a basement, and garage things never felt cluttered. With a healthy American salary and Target around the corner, there is no reason to say "no," right?
"I wonder if I could not buy anything for an entire year......" I posed this challenge to myself before lugging my three suitcases on the plane bound for the Middle East. Ha. Little did I know that would be way easier than it sounded at the time. I've lived here seven months and aside from some of the absolute necessities (mattress, closet, kitchen supplies, couch etc.), I have purchased 1. slippers, 2. hat and 3. dress. I would come out with more from one trip to Target.
What is the value of being a consumer in America where supplies are endless, affordable, and the options diverse? It's so easy. It's what we are bred for. When we suffer economically, the government offers "bail outs" and encourages citizens to spend. We happily invest in keeping Corporate America alive and thriving with our dollars. I don't understand economics enough to understand what is happening in this country but I know for a fact, it is a different beast. To begin with, Israel is founded with principals of Socialism in addition to relying on a strong military presence for its survival. That means that taxes are higher but things like health care and education are less expensive. However, working within the education system in one of the richest towns in Israel leaves me confused. 40 students to a classroom, educators making minimum wage, no technology, no special education resources, no extra curricular activities, hmmm. Ok. So they mean at the university level then, right? Ummm, there are something like 30 spaces a year in the country for various Masters programs forcing students to go abroad to receive higher education and then return to the workforce. Transportation? Nope. Gas prices are some of the highest in the world (something like $8 a gallon). Buses and trains are expensive and cars cost twice as much. Rent and food then? Uggh, no so much. In popular neighborhoods, the rent is similar or higher to that of the States but with little to no amenities. Groceries also more expensive than the States. It's no surprise then, that thousands of social protesters camped out in the streets last summer begging for economic relief. I really don't get it. Are prices artificially low in America because of the scale in which we purchase? Are high prices in Israel a result of the exploitation and corruption of the Mafia here?
Needless to say, breaking away from my American consumerism was easy due to necessity. Typical Israelis don't live with the same level of over- indulgence since space and money is limited. There is no complementary bread basket and water given before your gargantuan meal at a restaurant. No free samples of perfume and lotion thrown in your bag after purchasing cosmetics. I haven't seen anyone with a backup refrigerator and freezer for their stockpile of food. Instead, I've seen educated middle class families of 5 living in small 2 bedroom apartments. I've seen parents bicycling to daycare with one kid riding on the back the other on the front. I've seen people carpooling and sharing the burden of gas prices to get around. I've seen people purchase enough groceries to prepare only 1-2 meals. At the end of the day, the result of Socialism that is most easy for me to observe in Israel is how it forces social dependence, physical proximity, and careful financial planing onto citizens. People rely on each other a lot more here. Families, friends, colleagues, and neighbors are in closer contact here; most people are concerned with survival. For the next year, I will continue to explore my connection to Caplitalism and Socialism and decide where life will take me.
Ree,
ReplyDeleteThat article was better than most of the articles I've read this year in soc class. Even though I wouldn't consider Mom or Dad extremely materialistic our family still buys a TON of stuff we don't need. It's really interesting to think about how much unnecessary materials we buy on a regular basis and how you didn't even realize you could live without it until you got to Israel.
In my soc class we talk a lot about privilege, maybe this reflects your salary difference more than it is a difference between socialism and capitalism? If you had the same salary in Israel as you did in the US do you think things would be different? Or how about if you made minimum wage in the US?
Good questions Jman. Food for thought. I'll chew on that a little and get back to you!!!
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