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Friday, November 29, 2002

Bye Buy: And they're off. In the US, the day after Thanksgiving traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. This year, to avoid a double-dip recession, consumers have been told to spend, spend, spend. It's nothing less than their patriotic duty.

Like lemmings with credit cards, let's say a quick prayer before throwing ourselves down those aisles.

Not me.

Today is also Buy Nothing Day. Tomorrow is Buy Nothing Day in the UK.

Bah humbug? Only in the minds of the most brainwashed. You don't need to be the Pope to realise that the advertisers and the corporations turn Christmas into a deeply profane celebration.

The original Christmas message had nothing to do with consumerism. There's nothing in the New Testament about colluding in the exploitation of people around the world so your child can have whatever the ad companies are promoting most heavily this year. It says nothing about working overtime to buy more food than your family can possibly eat while millions around the world suffer from malnutrition.

If retailers depend so heavily on Christmas that governments encourage consumption at any cost, there's something deeply wrong with the way the economy is being run.

Buy nothing today and tomorrow.

Even better, make this a Buy Nothing Christmas.

12:06 PM | permalink