OMG the moralities of luxury

When I was growing up in the lower class of the 1950s, luxury objects were lightly tainted with demean. My mother had always reminded me to live on enough-to-have lifestyle. Luxury or have-in-order-to-show-off objects was the indication of rich people.

After floating in the material world for decades, I had realized that the older culture, my mom's culture, the limited production capacity of the economy sharply reduced aspirations to material comfort, was no longer having relevance. In the modern world, my culture, much greater material satisfactions lie within the reach of marketplace of modest means. Thus a luxury culture which was seemed as an indulgence before has become a consumer culture. Deluxe now is not a goal; for many it is a necessity.

Reckoning that my living is sustained by hard-earned income, I've used to chase after the ever changing modern society. But I've always stuck to the style of off-limits moralities of consumption. I'm happy with what I have now but just a little bit being outdated.

If you want to understand the present material culture, you must understand the overwhelming importance of unnecessary material. If you are looking for the one univocal result of modern capitalism, of the industrial revolution, and of economic betterment, here it is the example.

The multi-millions built MPSP building. I sight with 'wow' impression when I was there to get my business license yesterday. The information counter alone is so luxury that none of many hotels I have had visited could touch with it. The business administrative area is also ostentatiously lofty in style. Air conditioning is of great coolness. Needless to say, the building by itself, is telling of what a luxury construction it be.

Frankly speaking, I was indulged with the atmosphere. I was thinking of staying a bit longer time for relaxation under such impulsion. Unfortunately my license was getting done within minutes as there were more counter staffs than the customers.

In a way, this luxury building is considered as one of the ineluctable results of the national economy and a Malaysian political system. And I must admit the ugly truth that we, the citizens are and will paying for it toward the moralities of consumption! Be it necessary in today's material world, you say.