Well, I really enjoyed my Xmas presents and I’ve got nothing against “stuff.”
In fact, if we had more equitable distribution of the economic pie everybody could not only have what they need but could enjoy more pleasures.
But, the Boxing Day editorial in the Vancouver Sun illustrates the absurdy of consumerism/capitalism run amok.
While Canadians are queuing up at Future Shop to save 50 bucks on a PSP (10 per store) this morning, The Sun was telling its readers the post-Xmas retail rush is about more than saving a few bucks, rather holiday shopping is moral imperative.
“Break out that credit card and support humanity,” the editors tell us.
While I’m sure The Sun would label me one of those “righteous voices of high-mindedness” that tend to speak over “the profits and pleasures inherent in closing out the year by successfully stalking a terrific bargain,” but do they really think that readers are going to believe their BS that shopping is about making the difference between a “shiny new bike” or a “couple of used CDs” or a turkey dinner instead of weiners and beans for the low paid, temporary, otherwise unemployed retail workers in the lower mainland???
The Sun says, “What you spend on Christmas gifts and Boxing Day sales will flow benefits to people whom you don’t know, will never meet and yet will be grateful for those benefits although they’ll likely never thank you.” Well, that’s probably true, but people raking in the benefits are not retail workers but corporations like the Pacific Newspaper Group who reap huge profits from all those sale ads, banks that issue Visas and Mastercards, and retail conglomerates like Wal-Mart, HBC, Federated, etc.
Makes me want to join the Buy Nothing Day crowd.
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