A New Flu

Robert Vosburgh

There's a strain of the flu going around that's impervious to every form of medication. British psychologist Oliver James calls the affliction Affluenza.

“We have become addicted to having rather than being,” he said. James, author of a new book by the same name, argues “selfish capitalism” has caused a worldwide increase in depression, anxiety and addictions. Lust for bigger cars, luxurious homes and younger faces has an impact beyond the self. He feels his premise shares bonds with current ecological fears and uses the same argument. “We cannot carry on consuming in this manner and feel confident our great-grandchildren have any future,” he told Reuters. The good news is that the illness can be self-limiting with changes in attitude.