VHeadline.com commentarist Oscar Heck writes: As I write this article I am listening to CNN … receiving my once-in-a-while dose of unfettered arrogance.

Earlier this afternoon I coincidentally met a Greek tycoon and political leader … while we sat at a small restaurant with a USA person who is/was close to the Chilean Pinochet family.   

The Greek tycoon (who came to our table) was emphatically (and very emotionally) stating that he is returning to Greece and that he hates the USA … because he has been branded a “terrorist” by the US government (he is now refused entry into the USA) … because he had led several anti-war demonstrations against the USA in another country.

While the Greek person yelled insults at Bush and at the US government, the USA person, although not apologetic or sympathetic at all, listened carefully ... and quietly. When the somewhat friendly row was over and after the Greek man left our table, the USA person began to reminisce about the old days … avoiding, as much as possible, any more talk about the USA.  

We listened. We talked.

Eventually the conversation led to the following statement: 
“Materialism breeds greed, which in turn breeds paranoia.”

We had been talking about how a substantial portion of “western” society has traded in basic human values for materialism … and how the more one has, the more greedy one becomes  … and how the more greedy one becomes, the more one fears losing what he or she has.   

• This fear ultimately leads to paranoia … as in the paranoia which perhaps many people in the USA may experience today. 

The same thing is happening in Venezuela.   

Many members of the self-named “mid-to-upper classes” (which in reality are “filthy rich” compared to the 80% poorer majority) are paranoid.  They fear losing:

Their land.
Their huge, armed-guard-protected homes.
Their high-paying jobs.
Their vacations in Miami.
Their Ford Explorers.
Their $200 bottles of exclusively blended imported whiskey.
Their beach vacation homes in Higuerote or Rio Chico.
Their apartments in Caracas, Merida or San Cristobal.
Their get-away villas in cool Andean villages.
Their regular restaurant outings in Las Mercedes.
Their connections to judges, lawyers and politicians.
Their names at the top of the acceptance lists at universities.
Their maids, drivers and gardeners.
Their “freedom” to treat others like dirt.
Their “liberty” to hire “cheap labor.”
Their “free speech,” which allows them to lie about reality.
Their “democratic right” to threaten and coerce others into submission.

Sound familiar?

Materialism leads to the loss of fundamental human values, whether or not one is a materialistic capitalist, socialist, “communist,” “Chavista,” Adeco, Copeyano, “christian,” Muslim, catholic, protestant, Pemon, priest, criminal, scholar, politician, engineer, Venezuelan, “American,” Iranian or Iraqi.

Fundamental human values are being lost due to the increase in materialism in the self-professed “western” … “developed” world.

The people on CNN are now (as I write) talking about the USA’s role in bringing “freedom” and “liberty” to Iraq and how Bush needs to make sure that the people of the USA be fully aware that the US military is doing what it is doing in Iraq with the aim of protecting and promoting “American”  interests abroad … and that the “sacrifices” (“Americans” dying in Iraq) are worth it if it is to protect and promote those interests.

What utter arrogance!

The US government and the people of the USA should learn … but it doesn’t seem to be the case.  “American” society will collapse, sooner or later … and probably sooner than later.

Here are two prophetic examples:

Example 1: 
The National Hockey League (NHL), a multi-million dollar sports league, finally collapsed under its own weight of greed.  Some players’ salaries were in the millions of dollars annually … the ticket costs skyrocketed to the point that some poorer people could no longer afford to spend money for an amusing time at the rink … and the owners of the teams appear to still want more and more and more.  There have been no NHL hockey games for months now … and perhaps there never will. The same thing will happen with the "professional" baseball, basketball and soccer associations.

Example 2:
In Venezuela, the traditional organizations of the ruling elite have almost collapsed for the same reason, greed: The Adecos, Copeyanos, the CTV and Fedecamaras. All are considered corrupt and all were directly involved in trying to oust Chavez through the USA-financed destabilization programs in 2002-2003.

Furthermore, one can add other well-known examples: The collapse of Argentina, the close-to-full collapse of Bolivia and Ecuador … the collapse of the Greek, Roman and Egyptian empires … empires which wielded great power, great material wealth and great loss of basic human values just before their demise. The same goes for the Roman Catholic Church’s empire … which is slowly sinking into the same pit.

As I write, another person on CNN is talking about the threat of “terrorists” using nuclear weapons against the USA. The person calls these weapons, "the ultimate weapons.”

What this person does not realize is that the “ultimate weapon” (the one which will ultimately “destroy” the USA and its copycats) is a weapon which is much “greater” than any nuclear weapon.

This weapon is called “materialism” … and it is being mass-produced, sold and promoted by the USA itself and by much of the “western” world.   

In other words, the weapon that will bring down the USA and its copycats is the same weapon which the USA is “best” at manufacturing.

Oscar Heck
oscar@vheadline.com

Addendum: Materialism is like antibiotics and "fast food." Antibiotics and "fast food" were created for the purpose of enhancing the lives of people.  However, as we know today, the over-use of antibiotics leads to a weakening of the natural immune system.  As a result, people in the "west" are increasingly afflicted with allergies, asthma and other related medical disorders. The over-eating of "fast food" is increasingly leading to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.  Like materialism, the same things which came into existence to enhance the lives of people are now same things which are killing them.

More VHeadline.com commentaries by Oscar Heck