Binging Hell of Presidents, Matt (the largest of the chapos, who should be able to eat the smaller ones) said something that resonated with me- the idea that our connection with class is so disassociated and immaterial that the only way we can express ourselves is through consumption.
I realised he was 100% right, but sadly realised I couldn't figure out alternatives. Is there any answer apart from getting off our damn iphone? (it's community connection right? But we still have to consume food and culture to do so...- or am I taking it too literally?)
I think he was referring to how the only avenues of political action that come to mind for the average imperial core citizen is changing their mode of consumption. Consciousness winnowed down to the individual level by the forces that be. Nothing more can be imagined because of the cynical pure ideology that is capitalist realism. So instead of coming together as a group to plan political action, or recognizing class consciousness, instead the cynical subject consumes "environmentally friendly" coke bottles instead of pepsi bottles. This is the only way we can express any sort of rage and dissatisfaction with capitalism absent of a serious political movement born out of class consciousness.
There are plenty of meaningful things to discuss provided your friends are not middle class normies.