In a socialist
society "too much"
can only mean "more than is sustainably produced." If people decide
that they (individually and as a society) need to over-consume then
socialism cannot possibly work.
Under
capitalism, there is a very
large industry devoted to creating needs. It tells us we need toilet
seat warmers, nifty gadgets (that don't work), new this and that, and
attempts to convince us that our human worth is dependent upon our
material wealth. Capitalism requires consumption, whether it improves
our lives or not, and drives us to consume up to, and past,
our ability to pay for that consumption. On top of that, goods are not
built to last because that would interfere with profit making.
Socialism will
be a very different
society. Goods will be built to last. The buy-buy-buy advertising
industry will no longer exist. People may decide that they have better
things to do rather than produce goods that are widely seen to be
extravagances. And people may discover that more material goods don't
make them happier.
Society already
has the knowledge
and technology to satisfy all of our basic needs sustainably. There is
every reason to believe that socialist society will supply every human
being with all the material goods that they need for a comfortable,
pleasant, enjoyable life.