In thrall to consumerism

Sir, – Two prominent religious leaders’ Christmas messages this year encouraged people to reject “darkness”. There is certainly a need for a new “enlightenment”.

It seems to me as if humanity is suffering from mass “Stockholm syndrome”, whereby consumerism is the captor and advertising is the bond.

Much of the world’s current malaise is due to this insidiousness, which has moved the economy away from prioritising human needs to that of wants. However, there is a dawning of hope in France with some cities trying to ban public adverts. Dawn in France comes just before sunrise in Britain. – Yours, etc,

GEOFF NAYLOR,

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Winchester,

Hampshire,

England.