Hidden Belgrade (43): Last days of Yugoslav socialist consumerism

While many emphasise worker-ownership or its non-aligned anti-imperialist foreign policy as distinctive features of Yugoslav socialism, for me one of the most striking ways it differed from the countries behind the “Iron Curtain” is its deep openness to Western consumerist culture. Indeed, if you ask average former Yugoslavs what the main difference was between them and their supposed ideological comrades in the Warsaw pact, they … Continue reading Hidden Belgrade (43): Last days of Yugoslav socialist consumerism

All these things that I have done: “experience economy” and conspicuous consumption

Are you are in it just for the experience, or for the bragging rights? My typical Instagram post We millennials often like to tap ourselves on the back for being less materialistic than our predecessors. We like to believe that we have evolved past McMansions and buying dumb expensive stuff, to investing in things that make us better people: exploring the world, going to nicer … Continue reading All these things that I have done: “experience economy” and conspicuous consumption