Materialism in China

Materialism is a big thing around here.  Every time a teacher has a new dress, it's the talk of the dining hall.  If you ask a student what they'd like to do in America, they'll say "buy an ipad!"  The teachers are found of specifying things like "You have a lot of pretty jewelry and I only wear this necklace, but mine is much more expensive I think."  When a coworker and I met a guy who speaks English in line at the supermarket, her first question when he said he was a lawyer was "Oh, then you are a very rich man?" And what would the students bring if they were stranded on a desert island?  "Money!"
I realize that the U.S. tends to be seen as the mother of all consumerism, but what I see here is on an entirely different level.  I will spend money, yes, but I would rather spend money on a trip somewhere rather than a Gucci handbag.  And they cost about the same.
This morning, while reading my favorite newspaper I found this gem of an article that perfectly demonstrates my point:

Shenzhen Daily, November 15, 2011
Shopping bags with luxury brands in vogue

An increasing number of white collar workers are following an emerging fashion trend in Shenzhen by carrying paper shopping bags with designer names to indicate they had bought luxury goods to show off to their co-workers.  

The bags, with designer logos such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, or Cartier, are mostly replicas purchased from online stores, yesterday's Shenzhen ecoonomic daily reported.

This new trend was spawning a booming business for paper bag makers, the paper said.

A 24-year-old woman surnamed Gao carries two such bags to work every day, a bronze-colored bag with a Gucci logo for her lunch box and a red one with the Cartier logo for daily necessities, the report said.

She told the paper she bought the shopping bags online and the Gucci bag cost her Y120 (US$19) while the Cariter bag cost Y180.

"A few women co-workers fomr the rich families often show off their luxury acessories in the office and look down on us new graduates," the woman was quoted as saying.  "I'm not a show-off person by nature, but I feel I have to adjust myself in this environment."

To save her face, she sometimes loosens her purse strings for a few small luxury accessories, but can't afford large items like handbags or clothing.

"Now I found a better way," Gao said. "Carrying such a shopping bag to work, other people often thing I bought luxury gooss and I feel good about myself."

....

That's right.  Carrying your things in paper bags with designer logos so your co-workers will think (your lunchbox?) came from LV.  This is so ridiculous I couldn't believe it.  I admit, if these women really feel like they are looked down on for not having bought their handbag from Gucci then I feel sorry for them.  But I just can't bring myself to sympathize. 

My next obvious question being:  communism?