Re "the opposing forces, broadly defined as materialism":
Yes, the obsession with money and the status it confers is the only value in today's society - or certainly the value that now dominates in both the UK and the USA. It's so bloody philistine and degrading and small-minded and has triumphed over all the noble ideals that once motivated people. Now given a straight choice between having the latest model Aston Martin or not having a car at all I would naturally choose to have the car. I'm not denying that having an Aston Martin is a good thing. I'm aware that classy luxury cars are beautiful possessions. But I can also see that other values are more life-affirming: belonging to a supportive community where people respect and value each other is just one example. And I'd happily forsake the car if I could live in such a supportive society. But the obsession with material possessions and personal status has eroded all competing values until we can now all see we are living in a spiritual wasteland where greed is the norm. But "materialism" can also refer to a reductive philosophy that explains life strictly in scientific and technological terms and has no time for the inner life or spiritual discipline. It's surely no coincidence that both types of materialism are flourishing in tandem. Current trends will result in such wide divisions between the haves and have-nots - compounded by the insufferable arrogance of the rich - that I fear serious unrest and violence is inevitable. I can't decide whether serious unrest and violence is precisely what we need to break out of the trap or whether, on the contrary, we need a spiritual revival from the roots. I suspect that both types of upheaval also arise in tandem.
