Yes... and most of us have always been rather suspicious of the 'newfangled' western lifestyle anyway. Many people had hardly given up on their old lifestyles. Wealth did not always translate to westernization.
A large population of poor people also means that we are always conscious of our responsibilities. We all have servants to do our daily chores. Most left over foods are given to them. Minimum wastage.
Single use items are normally avoided. Cars, TV's, fridges and so on are kept for years, even decades. Rarely do even rich people change models just for the heck of it. I don't know about UK, but in America I understand people throw away good usable items just because they are outdated. This is sad.
Luckily, as changes were happening we also realized their negatives. So it is easier to adjust.
