From The Shelf To The Self(ish)

"The consumer society was laid down by the late Steve Jobs coming down the mountain with two tablets, iPad one and iPad two, and the result is that we now have a culture of iPad, iPhone, iTune, i, i, i. When you're an individual, egocentric culture and you only care about i, you don't do terribly well." Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Now there's an interesting speech. From a man of the cloth, addressing the issue of social alienation, of a general public release from a religious bond, of the new religion of proud possession of technology to bring comfort and satisfaction to our dreary lives. Comfort is no longer found in the pews of churches and synagogues, in temples or gurdwaras, or kneeling on a rug facing Mecca. It is found in lining up overnight in the cold to ensure first crack at owning the latest iToy.

And who is the Great Satan in this soul-disfiguring transformation? Why, couldn't you guess? The world's master-whiz at marketing, none other than the late, lamented Steve Jobs who made lust for technology his life's work. He was, in fact, the serpent who offered Eve the forbidden fruit. And he named his company after that fruit. And his undying devotion to streamlining and beautifying and making desirable every Apple product that his fevered mind rested upon galvanized the world.

Lord Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of Great Britain, spoke at an interfaith reception attended by the Queen, explaining: "People are looking for values other than the values of a consumer society. The values of a consumer society really aren't ones you can live by for terribly long. What does a consumer ethic do? It makes you aware all the time of the things you don't have instead of thanking God for all the things you do have.

"If in a consumer society, through all the advertising and subtly seductive approaches to it, you've got an iPhone but you haven't got a fourth-generation one, the consumer society is in fact the most efficient mechanism ever devised for the creation and distribution of unhappiness." The 70th-anniversary meeting of the Council of Christians & Jews in London, heard out the Chief Rabbi.

"Unless we get back to these values we will succeed in making our children and grandchildren ever unhappier. I think this is a great opportunity for faith and a great moment for Jews and Christians to come together and leading from the front embrace those other faiths. Without friendship between faiths we will drown."

Well, it seems the younger generation doesn't much care. It certainly isn't attuned to the message. It is besotted with the message that Steve Jobs lobbed at them. And the irresistible urge to own and to cherish and to worship the very latest, magical, treasured technological invention. They're a 'must-have'. Everything depends on having one. They're drowning in i's.

Happiness? Well, what's that? There's a climate of dissatisfaction if that acquisition-urge is not fulfilled. And the spiral is endless.

And Steve Jobs? Did he ever give a cent to charity?