Not that everything used to be wonderful, certainly not, but they did largely form the basis for a person's life and the loss of this has, consciously or unconsciously, not left people's lives untouched. Today the situation is radically different. People have become more flexible and internationalised and are acquiring a more and more neutral, cosmopolitan identity. The basis of human existence, and with that an important part of the basis for the individual identity, is increasingly often 'hijacked' by big business. The developing cosmopolitan acquires his or her identity from big business.
Identity is determined by chose in clothing and music, and by a commercially promoted life style.
The bond between the individual and the traditional 'social and cultural identifications' is smaller and has been substituted by a commercial identity. And business is not interested in developing a sustainable society, but is lead by the possibilities of maximising the possibilities for short-term profit. The modern cosmopolitan is, by the capitalist dictionary, not much more than a business created en commercially manipulated 'consumer without borders'. With each day that passes, it becomes more obvious how painfully right he was. Alienation is an important cause of the disintegration of societies.