"Western values"

I read a lot of blogs, forums, and commentary. I pick up a lot of taglines and phrases from my reading. One such line is "western values." In this case, it is in the context of "capitalism, materialism, consumerism, rat race, etc..."

People play fast and loose with this word, and throw it around carelessly. The problem I have with it is that it treats the values embodied by western culture as it stands today as if it were monolithic. This is not the case. Would you consider classical liberalism and Marxism to be two peas in the pod of "western values"? I would hope not. The truth is that western (or at least American) society is the product of centuries of values and ideas, many of which are in conflict. Look at the pervasiveness of government in the economy, even in "capitalist" societies.

I think a lot of this obfuscation comes from a lack of clear or widely accepted definitions of words. The average American mind equates "capitalist" with "materialist." Yet in my mind, they are opposite, if anything. I equate "capitalist" with individual liberty, independence, and the like. The modern materialistic mindset, fed by too many hours in front of the TV, is anything but individualistic and independent. My way of thinking equates "materialist" with "conformist" and thus it is the antithesis of "capitalist." The modern excuse of an economy that is supposedly fueled by mass consumption is really a Keynesian monstrosity masquerading as the ideal for capitalism.

I think if more people realized this and had the courage to reevaluate their lifestyles and perceptions, society would be better off. We'd be freer, more individualistic (in the sense that is in line with wisdom and good values), and I daresay more prosperous -- in the form of savings and wealth-producing assets, not material junk that you use to keep up with the Joneses. However, I am doubtful that anything like that will happen without some major calamity, even worse than the current recession.