Yes indeed. In the commodities market, that is. Not as in trading in commodities, but in treating too many things and too many people as if they were commodities. When we do so, the one thing that always comes to mind is price. Commoditization pushes price down by increasing consumption, maximizing efficiency, and large-scale production. Damage to environment and to communities is largely ignored. At best, some platitudes are mumbled and tiny measures at reforestation and restoration of the environment are paraded as large scale CSR efforts. Harmful effects on the health of the population resulting from the consumption of foods which those producing them would not eat themselves are mentioned and then sidelined as unimportant.

Humans have never been designed for commoditization. We have been designed for excellence. Unfortunately, over the years, we have allowed ourselves to be dumbed down by mass media and compulsory schooling alike into thinking that sophistication, erudition and social status come from eschewing hard labour, menial chores and serving others for instant gratification, airconditioned offices, convenient meals with no cleaning up required and so-called freedom of choice. Any attempt to rectify this is snickered at or ignored.

Once again, we’ve been had! We’ve allowed ourselves to be trained to accept addictions in all forms, whether in food, lifestyles of convenience, insatiable appetites instead of healthy ones and a lust for possessing stuff we don’t need or even really want. Yes, commoditization is all about forming unhealthy, insatiable appetites which can never be fulfilled, meaning that they’re really addictions. We need to break out of this, develop healthy appetites and become humans once more.