As anyone who has studied the annals of history knows, good values can often be pushed to perversity when overemphasized or unquestioned.

Order and the rule of law are good values until they reach their extremes in totalitarianism. Freedom of expression supports liberty and happiness until it allows hate speech and incites violence. Individualism, the most paramount of American values, has reached the point of worship in the United States and has led us into a trap of waste, greed and irresponsibility.

Americans are told to be whomever they want, regardless of the cost, because individualism is unquestionable. Now, I'm no communitarian, but our tarnished notion of the value of serving the common good is likely at least partially responsible for the current debt crises facing America.

I see waste all around me; people spend because they're told it's their right, even to the point of defaulting on their debts. And manufacturers, producers and especially advertising agencies encourage this notion of the right to spend, couched in our shared reverie for individualism.

Overly lavish celebrations, single-use everything and the millions of plastic water bottles thrown away daily ought to be an affront to any citizen who cares about the well-being of his or her country. These types of items and expenses have the dual role of pushing consumers into un-wise debt and creating an energy and pollution crises that will cost millions for the government to address. Thus, I ask for blame to be placed where blame rests – on the oily hands of the greedy American consumer.

We could blame the advertisers, for telling us we need more-more-more, but that's nothing short of a cop-out. No one blamed the Beatles for the actions of Charles Manson. We claim to be fully rational adults, yet blame the speaker when we listen like doe-eyed little lambs.

We could blame the government, who spends-spends-spends on social services and national defense, but that's nothing more than pointing angrily at the mirror. Not only do we elect our representatives, but we demand that they provide us with myriad services. We demand cheap oil, and even cheaper food. We expect clean roadways and parks, as we throw our McDonald's trash out the window. And most of all, we expect to not pay too many taxes, lest we become a dreaded socialist state. Newsflash: we already are.

What else is a representative supposed to do?

And so, average American consumer, the blame rests on us. It is our fault the country is in a financial crises of epic proportions, our fault that ecosystems and beauty collapse around us, and our fault that it's only getting worse. Until we can learn to balance our values, and check the cult of individualism, the situation will only become more dire. We must reform our lifestyles to save money, save resources and save our country. The alternative is more of the same, and more of the same may not be an option much longer.

- Beth Mendenhall is a senior in political science and philosophy. Please send comments to opinion@spub.ksu.edu.