Your solution to “live with less” is a very positive starting point. We have to find a way to phrase it as a victory and not a sacrifice. We need to realize that freeing ourselves from the trap of constant consumerism can be enough to change the world.

Vote for better leaders with your votes. Vote for peace and prosperity with your pocketbook. Buy things you like and make them last. Take up less space. You can enjoy life more with good friends, doing more of what you enjoy, and not working your life away to make more money to buy things you don’t need.

The gods of war require a passive, frightened, misled population. The gods of greed require that you keep buying, using, discarding, and then working hard so you can buy more.

The consumer lifestyle requires more energy consumption. Most wars are about energy and other resources. Slavery was an energy policy.

Be mindful of your life choices. Be good to your family and friends. Be good to strangers, as long as they prove themselves trustworthy. Be brave in the face of monsters.