How do we break a system?

This is the question George Monbiot asks about 'consumer hell' which he claims is a system we have internalised. I think systems thinking could help here in recognising what and whose systems of interest are in view and would add something to Monbiot's insightful analysis of how the system he refers to currently functions. Bringing about change of the kind he calls for requires social learning and would rely on multi-level concerted action by many stakeholders. But could we have the processes and motivation to work together to do that? The individualism that Monbiot refers to suggests not.

Monbiot's question about breaking a system is contextualised in some of his other comments in the same article:

How do we pursue happiness and well-being rather than growth? I came back from the climate talks Copenhagen depressed for several reasons, but above all because, listening to the discussions at the citizens’ summit, it struck me that we no longer have movements; we have thousands of people each clamouring to have their own visions adopted. We might come together for occasional rallies and marches, but as soon as we start discussing alternatives, solidarity is shattered by possessive individualism. Consumerism has changed all of us.

Michael Maniates analysis of individualisation provides some further useful insights here. I've found some interesting links between Monbiot's and Maniates' viewpoints before - see here.