I guess it is not surprising that Americans are pepper spraying each other to be the first to get at the latest electronic toys being offered on sale… to replace last year’s models that are now obsolete… We learn our behavior from TV and what we see on TV is people being pepper sprayed who are in the way.
What a chasm between the Occupy Movement folks on their knees being pepper sprayed by campus police or the real city police, and the people who are on their knees before the glass doors of discount shopping malls at mid-night, gathered uncomfortably and even dangerously waiting to crush into the store and put Christmas presents on credit and debit cards… debit cards that almost were going to charge an extra usage fee … until the Occupy movement made the Banks back down.
Supposedly, Black Friday 2001 is breaking a record for consumer consumption… and just wait until Cyber Monday! ...but who has the money?
Are the Wal-Mart and Target shoppers delusional enough to think they are a member of the 1% and not the 99%? Did people in Wisconsin sign recall petitions as they stood in line at the local Target?
And what do you buy in Wal-Mart and Target? It doesn’t seem like you could get a nice gift for someone amidst the foreign made junk that sits on the shelves.
I spent Saturday walking around my neighborhood shops and buying small, meaningful gifts… and yes, I am bragging that I did so. There is a local craftsman who makes beautiful sun catchers out of beach glass and a small yarn shop where folks sit around and show each other stitches… no teacher present, just people interested in the craft of knitting and crocheting and hanging out. I brought some local wine and handmade soap and candles and tchotchke… and no one pepper sprayed me.
This Holiday Season, I am even having trouble watching network television, the commercials are so crass and gluttonous. I have to look away.
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