Flogging the consumer

[MadHound]

It's that time of the year again, when Americans are supposed to go out and shop, shop, shop themselves into financial oblivion. Every single media outlet is promoting this mentality, and will continue to do so up through Christmas Eve. After all, those corporate coffers have to be filled.

Yet is this a good thing, this promotion of a consumerist society. Christians rightfully point out the disconnect here, with their signs proclaiming "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." Do you think that Christ, who kicked the moneychangers out of the temple, would want his birth celebrated by mindless consumerism?

What does all of this get us anyway? More people who are deeper in debt. More crap that needlessly wastes energy in the manufacture, transport and marketing process. More crap to replace old crap, which clogs up our landfills. More material crap shoveled into our psyche in a vain attempt to fill a void. Though this material crap does fill the soul, it is merely junkfood for the soul, making you feel sated, yet without any real value or substance, which in turns leads to people buying ever more.

This has been foisted up our society in my lifetime. At one time, not too long ago, we were a manufacturing nation, the largest in the world. But manufacturing has gotten outsourced, and to keep our engine of economy going, we had to become consumers, buying more and more crap to keep this country going.

Now we are treated to the spectacle each year of mob mentality at the mall. People fighting each other, reaching, grasping for that oh so precious stuff, like a junky trying to get a fix. Perhaps it is time for people to take pause in the madness, look around and see what this consumer culture is doing to their country, their society, and themselves. Is it really worth it to max out your credit cards for Christmas? Do you find any real satisfaction by always buying more, more, more?

Am I saying not to buy gifts? No, I buy, and make Christmas gifts myself, and I'm not even Christian. I recognize the "spirit of giving" that pervades these holidays, and am fine with that. But many, if not most people these days do so to the point where it is causing harm to themselves, our society and our environment. Rather than saying "no gifts this year", just try cutting back this year, give gifts from the heart, not the wallet. Don't buy into the soul sucking siren of Madison Avenue consumerism. You and the rest of society will be the better because of it.

[Warpy]

1. I go to craft shows

and my friends get gifts of luxurious soaps, candles, jewelry, and whatever else comes up. I also knit and weave. That allows me to give gifts that are one of a kind and that I know will be appreciated while supporting local crafters and artists.

I'm afraid this is going to be a rather grim Xmas season for most of my friends. I'm doing my bit, but I'm betting there won't be much more for a lot of them.

[MadHound]

2. Those are gifts of the heart, from your hands

Good for you. I do much the same, though I do also buy things too. I see no fault in this. Where I find fault is going out and getting the big screen TV, or other electronic doo dad as dictated by the latest fad. I've seen this sort of thing increase exponentially during my lifetime, and frankly I find it sickening.

[Catch22Dem]

3. That's silly

I'm a programmer and have been for about 15 years. Crafty things don't interest me. I appreciate the sentiment when I get things like that, but don't care for the gift itself. I like gadgets. You find that sickening?

[MadHound]

4. Yes, I find most electronic gadgets sickening

All that energy burned to make the plastic case, all the toxic metals and such that are put out into the environment, the entire mentality that states one must have the latest, greatest phone, Ipod, computer, Kindle, Blackberry, what have you. Is there a need for some of this, sure, but do you need to get the latest and greatest every single year? No.

More gadgets, more crap for the landfills, more energy wasted, more mindless consumption, more things that get in between human beings' interactions with each other.

[conscious evolution]

5. Conform Compete CONSUME Breed Be afraid

One of the five themes continually pushed down our throats.

[Catch22Dem]

7. I guess it depends on how you define "waste"

I don't consider gadgetry to be waste. Eventually everything is going to end up in a landfill. If I get crafty soaps and beeswax unscented candles, they'll end up there long before my iPod.

There's a reason we evolve as a society. That's because the majority of us don't want hand-woven shirts and pants, we don't want to make our own soap, candles, tend to the garden for our food, or watch the squirrels instead of Seinfeld.

And, I don't generally care for human interaction to be quite honest. I'm the asshole who goes through the checkout at the grocery store with headphones on. Why? Because I deal with people every single day. So, on occasion, I escape to my headphones and avoid conversation.

It seems like a bit of a contradiction to attempt to take the high-road while participating in an online discussion using your computer.

[MadHound]

9. Umm, no, the soap and beeswax won't wind up in the landfill

The Ipod will, and it is, unlike many other gifts, chock full of heavy metals.

You claim to not care for human interaction, yet how do you know this? If you've got your phones on all the time outside of work:shrug: Try taking them out some time, you might be pleasantly surprised. Oh, and since you have to deal with people everyday, and apparently think that most of us are assholes, don't you think that escaping into your headphones furthers that impression with others, such as the people at the checkout, strangers on the street, etc. Hmmm, a Catch 22 indeed.

And my rant, if you will examine it carefully, isn't necessarily against technology, it is against the wasteful consumption of technology, especially when that technology harms you, either physically or societally. That Ipod you've got cranked up, I hope you enjoy your eardrums now, for you won't have them later. And this computer I'm typing on, it's more than five years old, and doing fine. I buy and use tech, I just don't believe in buying unneccesary tech just so I can have the latest and greatest.

But hey, do as you wish, buy that Iphone, that new Kindle, what have you. Just realize that each purchase makes you more a part of the problem than part of the solution. Peace:hi:

[gollygee]

6. I bought almost all my presents from a craft show that benefits a charity

so I feel pretty good about that. The money goes to local craftspeople and a charity.

I still have kids to shop for, and that's harder. I am dedicated to not buying cheap plastic crap though. I have a few ideas. There's a local store that has nicer stuff - I figure I can spend more on each thing and buy less and break even as far as that goes.

[Orwellian_Ghost]

8. Elegantly stated

We make most things here and when purchasing toys get creative wooden toys knowing where they came from. Avoiding gadgets that require the added expense and toxic waste of batteries is also important in the decision.

Homemade is the best way for those who can and most would be able to do so but we have been conditioned not to use our creative skills. It is time for us to take back our lives in many areas.

[EnviroBat]

10. I am making gifts this year for the first time.

I can't begin to tell you how it has re-connected me with the "spirit" of this season. It has also shown me that I actually do have a useful talent, and there's something I'm good at besides showing up to a job everyday to park my ass in a cubicle and fix problems. Try it, you too might find some real enjoyment in avoiding the retail rat-race.

[blindpig]

11. See my sig line n/t

[AndyTiedye]

12. Make Tiedyes

[MasonJar]

13. Science Friday on NPR had a segment today on the plastic which

most often ends up in our oceans, where sea creatures often chock on it, thinking it is a food. I have two doggoies bags in my fridge...styrofoam of course. I am going to start taking my own box.

[joe_sixpack]

14. One of these days

maybe we'll realize that most of the stuff we buy, we don't need.
Maybe the void in our spirit that we fill with modern junk will be filled with something real.
Maybe we'll go back to putting something away for tomorrow and stop borrowing money for bullshit.
Maybe I'm just dreaming.

[nightrider767]

15. I baked bread for the family Thanksgiving dinner

Wasn't hard to do. $6 worth of French bouquets, cost me $40 cents.

Freaking bread got more compliments than the turkey.

Also bought a new truck a couple months ago. The thing is a bomb, a rust bucket. But that's the cash I had.

Plus as a happy side note, my truck is such a sad-sack, I feel no need to wash it!

Cha-Ching!

[gateley]

16. My family is getting the satisfaction of knowing that 'they' have gifted some

of our men and women in the armed forces with necessities and goodies they have requested.

www.anysoldier.com

(this site also has links to marines, sailors, airmen and coast guard)

A DUer was kind enough to post this link, so I like to pass it along when it seems appropriate.

[CrispyQ]

17. Ahhh gateley!!

:hug:

You rock.