Keep your political ideology out of it and watch this video. http://www.storyofstuff.com How much crap do you need to be happy??? Guess what, you cant buy happiness at the big box store....
On a serious note, in some of the still remaining 'tonier' areas, it's all the rage to be a minimalist. If you are a conspicuous consumer, you are lame. And it's true, shit can't bring you happiness. Some things can bring you pleasure if you have a passion for them, like if you're a true fan of wine, and you buy a highly prized and quality bottle. But that's not most people. When they raided Kozlowski's penthouse, they found new, exotic cars that had never been driven - ever - and 250lk to 800k paintings that were stacked like cheap, dollar store items in a spare room, still wrapped in brown, thick paper.