greed and materialism in 1980s

Do some casual research on the internet and find sources on the subject of greed and materialism in the 1980s. Write the citations for these sources and explain the information you find

ANSWER

Greed and Materialism in the 80s

The 80s have been cited as the decade that was perhaps the most materialistic ever. Inflation and interest rates were low. Shopping became America’s main obsession. Americans bought 63 million VCRs, 62 million microwaves, 88 million cars, and over 100 million TVs (ALTMATERIALISM). It is the brand that a person, not his job or character. The persona was created through possessions. Materialism defined the good life. Competition in spending thrived. The American Dream, as it is known, was alive. The middle-class had means and purchasing than never seen before.

A culture of greed for big limos, lavish spending, expensive art, to name a few manifested itself greatly in the 80s. Money was the main motivator of behavior. The pursuit of money and what it could buy was very aggressive. For companies, no level of profit was enough (Blodget). The measure of success was controlling the world.

There are very many factors attributed to the greed and materialism that characterized the 80s. President Ronald Reagan is the face of it. There was an unprecedented opening of personal finance (Blodget). Middle class Americans stopped making deposits in banks and instead started making investments with their money. More than 10 million immigrants from all over the world came to America. Imported products gained more value and became more important. The markets were unfettered. There was an excess of personal freedom.

Greed in the 80s was a virtue, not a vice (Fishman). It was considered good. To achieve the extraordinary, and to fulfil, the American Dream, it was ok to be greedy. Greed motivated people to innovate, build, and do a lot of other things to conquer the world.

Works Cited

ALTMATERIALISM. 1980s. http://altmaterialism.weebly.com/1980s.html  Accessed 29 Oct. 2020.

Blodget, H. The Truth About the Economy: In the 1980s, Greed WAS Good… Then We Went Overboard. 2012. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/economy-companies-wages-2012-6   Accessed 29 Oct. 2020.

Fishman, E. The 1980s: A Decade of Excess Wealth and Interminable Longing. 2012. https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2012/05/04/the-1980s-a-decade-of-excess-wealth-and-desire