Benjamin Barber: Totalitarian Consumerism and the Death of Citizenship

Totalitarian Consumerism and the Death of Citizenship
Benjamin Barber, president of CivWorld and Professor of Civil Society at the University of Maryland
UChannel (Princeton University)

(Oct 12, 2007 at the Hertie School of Governance)

Benjamin Barber, political theorist and guest professor at the Hertie School of Governance was invited by the Hertie School of Governance (HSoG) and the American Academy to give a special lecture on Oct. 12. Benjamin Barber presented provocative theses from his latest book Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults and Swallow Citizens for the first time to a German audience. Among the 100 listeners were the former president of the German Bundestag Rita Süßmuth and the founder of Transparency International, Peter Eigen.

Barber's lecture at the Hertie School of Governance was based on the theory that citizenship and democracy are being undermined by a global consumer wave. Barber makes the case that Germany and Europe are right behind the US in yielding to this new consumerist totalitarian temptation.

Barber's lecture was followed by a controversial and interesting discussion developed between Barber and the audience, which was continued informally over the course of the evening.

Benjamin Barber is Professor of Civil Society and Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, as well as president and director of the international NGO CivWorld, and senior fellow at Demos. An internationally renowned political theorist, Dr. Barber brings an abiding concern for democracy and citizenship to issues of politics, culture and education in America and abroad. He has served as a consultant to various political and civic leaders in the United States and around the world, including Bill Clinton and Roman Herzog. Currently Benjamin Barber is guest professor at the Hertie School of Governance.

Benjamin Barber has published 18 books including Strong Democracy and the international bestselling Jihad vs. McWorld, all of which are also published in German editions.

Barber's honours include a knighthood (Palmes Academiques/Chevalier) from the French Government (2001), the Berlin Prize of the American Academy (2001), and the John Dewey Award (2003). In 2002, he spent a semester as the DaimlerChrysler Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin.

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More:

Bill Moyer's Crisis in Capitalism; Ben Barber asks "Global Consumer or Global Citizen?"; Naomi Klein's Brilliant History The Shock Doctrine