A defining feature of kufr is shortsightedness; the preoccupation with immediate benefit.
Preferring the present life over the Akhirah is the most dramatic ideological manifestation of this, and it is a tendency that runs through every other area of kufr-based culture. Corporations are obsessed with quarterly profit instead of sustainable economies, the pharmaceutical industry is obsessed with instant symptom relief instead of cures, politicians are obsessed with weekly polls instead of wise policies, consumers are obsessed with instant gratification instead of savings, etc, etc.
Shortsightedness is the dominant feature of Western civilization, and it has created a society with no attention span and no patience. That is the essence of the materialistic culture, and it means, basically, the willing sacrifice of the future for the present.
This way of life creates a personality that can easily betray trust, lie, indulge in sinful acts, and ignore the consequences of one’s behavior. It is a personality which cannot endure suffering, which fears loss, and can be easily manipulated and controlled.
As this culture spreads, as we begin to adopt the ways of a society built upon preference for this Dunya over the Hereafter, all of these self-destructive characteristics will inevitably infect our Ummah