I agree with this, but it is essential to realize that everyone (except perhaps a handful of hermits) is a consumer in most situations, even if they are a produ

I agree with this, but it is essential to realize that everyone (except perhaps a handful of hermits) is a consumer in most situations, even if they are a producer. There is no running away from being a consumer in modern society and this is not a bad thing: it means we are cooperating for mutual benefit, so that we don't have to build our own mud shacks and pottery. However, when I read the word "consumer" in pronouncements like this, it seems like something else. The people using it usually don't mean it in a way that implies they are themselves consumers. They mean it in a class-forming way. The only way I would personally be able to refer to other people in this way would be to become the controller of a large global corporation and to be willing to exploit and submit others for my personal gain. This is not something I would ever want to do.