Are you as appalled as I am?

[Blueberry]

Here is what is really appalling to me: Wal-Mart worker dies after shoppers knock him down.

I think this might be the one thing we can *all* agree on.

And no, I just ignore the commercials, as I do all commercials. I buy what I need and what I really want, and pay no attention to what advertisers tell me I should buy. If my DH needed a new car, and I could get him one for a holiday present, I would. I drive an 8 year old VW most of the time (we have a newer element for road trips) and his car (which is now driven less than 2k a year because of biking) is a 10 year old volvo. My VW was a present (graduation) and is the only one in the fleet that was purchased new.

CA

[Tri Girl]

My DH gets irritated by the jewelry commercials that imply that the only way to say "I love you" is with diamonds. Every kiss begins with K...
I laugh at the commercials and tell him that real love is shown by doing the laundry, mopping the floor, or cleaning the toilet- heck I'd love it far more than a diamond. He can save some money on diamonds because diamonds don't help with the chores.




And the Wal-Mart story is so incredibly sad. People can be so stupid and selfish, and for what? a good deal on a tv or game. Tragic.

From the article:
"Shoppers stepped over the man on the ground and streamed into the store. When told to leave, they complained that they had been in line since Thursday morning."

BFD so you've been in line since Thursday morning. A man died for crying out loud. Go somewhere else for your Christmas shopping. We (as a society) have really become so insensitive to life, haven't we?
Sorry- I'm stepping down off my soap box before I say too much about this incident and cause problems.

[Biciclista]

commercials? Just don't turn on your television.

My two best buddies just sent me the nicest presents ever.
A little tiny button featuring the president elect
two shopping bags (ORANGE) that fold up into a peach sized little holder..
and my best bday present of all?
A letter from a cousin who lives far far far away..

Cars don't buy you love.

[Grog]

One may think that "if you've earned your money than you can spend it however you like." I won't condemn my fellow humans for consuming goods, because I don't believe can throw the first stone; I certainly can't. (Having just ordered lots of luxurious wool clothing items from TE!) On the other hand, I definitely see that consumption is not a private matter at all. It has repercussions for everyone, but generally it's the poor that pay the price in terms of working conditions, environmental degradation, etc.

Air travel for example is something only few people on this planet can afford, yet everyone pays the environmental costs of it (huge amounts of pollution). The same is true for cars, although they are more widely distributed than air travel. To create most of the "stuff" that rich societies consume (electronics, cheap furniture, clothing, and the rest), it takes quite a bit of work performed by poor people in extremely toxic and often repressive environments in developing countries (so that we can pay low prices for them, as exemplified by the Wal-Mart trample). And that's not counting what happens to all that "stuff" when it becomes garbage in developed countries.

I don't have solutions or even suggestions at the moment, I just thought I'd share what's on my mind. Pretty depressing, uh?

[Zen]

Well said, Grog.

Tri-Girl, I just saw that story on TV. Disgusting. The people were still rushing in, jostling the EMT's as they were performing first aid.
I hope this will be the end of Wal-Marts Black Friday Frenzy openings, it happens every year but never before with a death.

[Biciclista]

yeah, Grog, I agree. We have huge footprints, and we're soiling the planet with them.

[Mr. Bloom]

Well, always being one to offer a controversial perspective...are you suggesting that hard working people in poorer countries would be better off if we didn't employ them by purchasing their inexpensive goods? I suppose that while I acknowledge the existence of bad conditions, it's my sense that it's now the exception rather than the rule.

[shootingstar]

I guess it does get down to making choices..of what goods/from where such goods originate, that we buy or if not, if we really wanted to be more ethical..do our own gardening, sewing (latter, I did lots for many years, but got lazy after cycling passion), etc. At least I don't support the auto industry, by not having any car.

And even when we rent one, like we did, last Sunday, my partner is fuming away because he is fighting his sleep disorder in order to stay awake behind the steering wheel.

[lauraelmore1033]

I'm not going to get into the argument, but anyone who thinks that the people producing cheap goods for america are "better off" should check out this film: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...94596195828118

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

And be sure to watch this award winning documentary on the subject as well:
http://www.freespeech.org/videodb/in...10826&browse=1

[Biciclista]

oh give me a break. I am embarrassed that people in China are melting the lead from our used TV monitors over a portable burner in their lap and their kids are out playing in the effluent. I am embarrassed that children are working in the fields to produce OUR coffee and OUR chocolate. I have read about the work conditions for factory workers making clothing for our name brand stores. Major corporations are getting rich on this slavery, yes, it's slavery. And no, I don't think they are better off. In a rush to make it rich, the rainforests are being denuded with slash burning and get rich quick agriculture which leaves the indigenous people no choice but to go into the city and take the sh*t jobs offered to them.
No, I don't think we and our consumer society are doing the people in poorer countries any great favors.

[Irulan]

Corporate America and it's consumers aren't' 100% bad: Starbucks is doubling its purchases of fair trade coffee to some 40 millions pounds of organic, fair trade cofee in 2009.
http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/29/s...offee-in-2009/

now, I don't shop Starbucks for other reasons, but I thought this was hopeful.

[PamNY]

No, I don't think we and our consumer society are doing the people in poorer countries any great favors.

I don't doubt that the bad stuff is true, but it's legitimate to question what people would do without the work. Are other options worse, or nonexistent? I have no idea of the answer, but I do wonder when this topic comes up.

Pam

[Aggie_Ama]

I have for years found the ads stupid but funny. I can't afford to buy a car for anyone, never got a drool worthy car as a gift either. The only one I got as a gift was a 1986 Cutlass on my 16th Birthday in 1997. Most people made fun of it but had no miles and got me around. So yeah, for a lower middle class child I find those commercials the stupidest thing on the planet because in my world cars aren't and will never be gifts. At least not the type they advertise.

I absolutely hate the diamond commercials. For years it was enough to set off a huge rant in my house. My parents were married 27 years before my mom got a diamond. Even then it was "tiny" by these ads standards. I don't think my dad loves her less than my husband loves me just because my husband gave me a diamond engagement ring. My husband's mom had one and his parents got divorced, so I find those ads laughable at best.

Flur- Good point, in my area the economy is still relatively stable. We aren't seeing nearly as much, just tightening the purse strings because it makes sense.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Poor people feel the painful effects of a recession first. They are not millionaires who can shrug over losing a few hundred thousand here and there. They lose their jobs and their homes. Then it begins to trickle up.
Many people who aren't worried now will be directly effected as the economic situation worsens, and just about all the expects agree that it is going to continue to worsen before it starts to get better.

Buying a car 'better' than volunteering in a soup kitchen? I find that logic to be debatable, but yes both acts can help our world in their own ways. Unfortunately not all people can afford to buy new cars anymore...or even used cars for that matter.