Old-fashioned American optimism had been replaced by a despairing, self-absorbed worship of consumption. “Piling up material goods,” Carter said, “cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no purpose or meaning.”
Listen, I love Jimmy Carter, and think he's a great man, but he's wrong here.
My growing collection of Transformers distracts me from the empty, meaningless horror that my life has become. Who needs a sense of community when there are other fans online? Who needs a girlfriend or boyfriend when Masterpiece Wheeljack is really excellent?
If I distract myself long enough, I might not notice my life has no purpose or meaning until I am on my deathbed, regretting it all.