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Sunday, December 1, 2013

A Word on Sunday -- Dec 1, 2013

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So... it's Cyber Monday tomorrow, in which we are encouraged to spend our American dollars on stuff made in China by political prisoners and disgracefully underpaid workers in prison-like factories.

That follows Black Friday, in which we were encouraged to wait in all-night lines, or even to forego Thanksgiving, so we could buy stuff made in China by political prisoners and ...

In between was Small Business Saturday, in which we were encouraged to spend a little of our money on hand-made crafts and a vast variety of things that at least might have been made by a human being who injected pride into the process, instead of watching gauges on machines that squirt hot liquid plastic into thousands of identical molds, all at one time.

And in between all that, there's today. It's World AIDS Day. 32 years ago today that the global AIDS Epidemic was declared. And 30+ million human deaths to AIDS, worldwide, since that day.

Sorta changes your perspective a bit, doesn't it? But don't even think about stopping to think, or you might miss a bargain, or fail to do your part in setting new profit statistics for some multinational megagiant corporation who gets their stuff from China for 9% of what you pay for it. China, where it's made by political prisoners and disgracefully underpaid workers in prison-like factories. All so you can say "Merry Christmas."
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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

omg. I'm stunned. Wow.

Anonymous said...

I'm not out there [shopping] ~ lost several dear friends during the days of silence... Glad you spoke out !
Maura Phillips

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this. Little to be thankful for on this thanksgiving. Perspective like this does help. Since I used to own my own small business I should thank you for how you included Small Business Saturday.

Anonymous said...

Yaaaaay You!!!
-- Annie Wenz

Anonymous said...

I'm not out there either. Would rather stay at home with the family!
-- Michele Marotta

Anonymous said...

This is why i am a pagan and celebrate Yule instead.
-- DeAnna Davis-Rice Âû

Anonymous said...

Have you seen the videos of people bursting into Walmarts and trampling each other and pushing and fighting, etc. I am in favor of prosecuting Walmart CEO's for deliberately fomenting riot conditions, which is what they have done. There is cost in the policing of this, and the injuries and arrests.
-- Duane Thorin

Anonymous said...

It looks like the apacoplypse to me....the end of humanity in a materialist consumerist vapid culture. America looks and feels like it is not worth a damn, especially in the eyes of foreigners who watch the videos, and to me from the inside. Imagine, if there were a food shortage, a fuel blockage, an emergency, how the people will trample and riot, if this is how they act while there is plenty of cheap Chinese slave goods for them. That is ending very soon, by the way, when they untether from our dollar and let the U.S. sink helplessly into third world status.
-- Duane Thorin

- Larry, the editor said...

The Acoustic Americana Music Guide had this art, title, and caption on its home page from Friday morning through Sunday:

Hoping that "feeling thankful" lasts...

https://fbcdn-photos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/1422414_81095340 2267448_983774071_n.jpg

*** Deb Snarky Paige: "More like HOURS after they were 'being thankful.' Thanksgiving: The time Americans give thanks for what they have before going out and buying crap they don't need with money they don't have." *** Carrie Bryan Atkins: "Because nothing says 'Peace on Earth, good will to men' like being trampled to death over an XBox." *** Erin BigPerm Rogers: "unless you are having a black friday yard sale, like me! best day of the year!" *** Roger Yates: "Only in America do we set up tents outside Best Buy and camp for weeks to save 10 percent on a TV, yet throw 60 dollars on a dinner at Outback and don't think twice." *** Jonathan Humphreys: "No, Walfart infected Asda in the UK with this stupid concept this year." *** Armando de la Garza: "Being thankful is NOT the same thing as being content." *** Michael LaRocca: "I just grabbed seven new books from the near-empty library (which is close to my local Walmart) and I was thankful for all of them."