The point of the OP is not that we should abandon science in the name of consumerism.
It is that for-profit entities that happen to drive scientific communication put profits above all else, including, ironically, scientific communication.
Scientists should not be expected to pay the price of a car to have their articles published, that discourages sharing important discoveries where they can be noted. And the worst part - there’s nothing causing it but greed.
The point of the OP is not that we should abandon science in the name of consumerism.
It is that for-profit entities that happen to drive scientific communication put profits above all else, including, ironically, scientific communication.
Scientists should not be expected to pay the price of a car to have their articles published, that discourages sharing important discoveries where they can be noted. And the worst part - there’s nothing causing it but greed.