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.
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.
