Comments on: An Alternative to Holiday Consumerism – Buy Nothing!

By: Koifish

Koifish — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:55:31 +0000

If the only way to save the economy is to buy more crap we don’t need, we are in deep, deep trouble. This year, my family throttled way back on the gifts — and the holidays have never been more enjoyable. Spending time with family and friends is important. Buying them “stuff” is not. This is a no-brainer.

By: strange weather

strange weather — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:22:32 +0000

I think a barter economy is a great idea. Systems for trading locally and outside of the monetary system are up and about and working. It’d be novel to see an uptake of membership in bartering communities.
Unfortunately, most people are interested only in conforming to the status quo, and so will think and act like Kensington. Lighten up on the vitriol, this holiday season has been burned enough as it is!

By: kensington

kensington — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:16:39 +0000

I think you’re the one with the seriously flawed economic philosophy. How do you pay the artisans? The barter system? Do you trade them goats and hay? No, you pay with American dollars. Guess what, they are going to use those American dollars to buy their groceries, pay their taxes, buy toys for their kids. It’s a cycle I don’t think you quite grasp. You have your job, your computer, your house, your car, all thanks to American consumerism. Unless you live in a cave that has naturally occurring internet somehow, in which case, bravo.

That money that you have to give to artisans doesn’t come from them. Indirectly or directly, it comes from the very process you are suggesting we ignore for the holiday season at a time when it’s MORE important than most years. Or do what you want, give it to artisans, who will then turn around and use it in that gosh darn awful American economy. I got your point loud and clear, the problem was, you don’t understand enough of the system to support it. That and you jumped to too many conclusions about my post and you’re too scared to admit it. You don’t want to admit that I didn’t say “rack up debt” or “shop at major corporations”. You don’t know enough about economics to understand that we need to spend money to help get out of the recession. So tomorrow morning, wake up, do your normal daily routine, purchase what you need to purchase, and don’t STOP purchasing for some selfish aura-inspiring nonsensical need to feel superior because you don’t like to put on Dockers and go to the mall.

By: grr

grr — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 07:45:18 +0000

You missed my point. We have a seriously flawed economic philosophy. That is all.

By: kensington

kensington — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:30:59 +0000

Grr,

Use all the buzzwords you like, but at no point in my comment did I talk about any flawed businesses, largescale trade, imperialism, or the decadence and idiocy of the early 20th centry. I know it gets you in a new-age granola-crunching fit to talk about how the man is keeping you down and how corporations are killing the world, however I’d like you to point out where I said “Rack up a bunch of debt spending money on Christmas this year, so the credit card companies can smoke cigars and laugh at how much money they are stealing from you.” Spend within your means like a normal intelligent grown up, but don’t stop spending on Christmas. Why do you think Valentines Day exists? Why do you buy stuff on Valentines Day? Spending helps the economy. Is the United States mostly in the service industry now? Of course. But you HAVE TO HAVE the 20% (or whatever is left) that manufactures. You can’t have a country that doesn’t manufacture something. Try to get some oxygen to your brain and realize that not all major corporations are out to hurt you, and that I never said you had to shop at The Gap or go buy a car or go on a Saks Fifth Avenue shopping spree. Just don’t stop spending.

By: grr

grr — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:33:36 +0000

Kensington
Perhaps you need to check up on economics. The men responsible for shaping the current American economic philosophy developed laissez-faire, and neoclassical economics which strangely enough take in no consideration for the limitations of natural resources or the effects of overconsumption. Sadly we were duped into believing these men, and now we walk the road toward a fully interconnected global economy (which is actually at the heart of the worldwide financial crisis). Just think, a little over a century ago imported products were reserved for only the most affluent, the majority of the population consumed food grown within the country and purchased items made by americans (or at least people who lived and spent their earnings in america). The development of largescale world trade has indeed spurned on economic development, but that has come at the cost of dismantling our own countries ability to support itself without utilizing the resources of poorer countries: that is called imperialism and its why we had the american revolution.
If you ask me, your clearly beloved consumerism is at the heart of our problems. Credit providers need people to default on loans to make profit, and that requires consumers to keep buying more and more products utilizing more resources and spurning further waste. If you want to point a finger do not point it at us. Point it at the flawed businesses that abuse our government with lobbying and bribery for their own profit (see subprime mortgages, phil graham aka the devil, and debt swaps). It is painfully clear that the people who profit from these practices need consumers to survive, so why not rain on their parade and stop shopping at malls and factory outlets and start looking for products made by artisans not children. Your right about purchases paying salaries for workers, but you appear to be more interested in keeping the employers afloat than the employees.

By: predicament

predicament — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:14:41 +0000

Only clicked on the comments to see if anyone had posted what Kensington posted, and if not to post it myself.

Hypothetically, if this idea were to be adopted by any considerable amount of people, the economy would tank even further after the holiday shopping season figures came out.

This is the most crucial Christmas season ever in at least 25 years and like Kensington said, we need people to buy.

Virtually every industry in America is affected by the retail industry.

Worst Inhabitat post I’ve ever seen.

By: jeanX

jeanX — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:26:11 +0000

I been doing that, anyway, for past 30 years.

By: kensington

kensington — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:08:34 +0000

You gotta be kidding me with this. We NEED people to buy stuff for Christmas, not the opposite. We’re in a huge economic crisis and revenues are down for everyone, and you want revenues to fall EVEN MORE?! You want retail stores to lay off MORE people because they don’t need the help? You can’t be serious! I’m all for helping the environment and spending time with your family, but bloody hell, not at the cost of American businesses and jobs. If you are going to be this careless with your economics, please take Econ 101 and think straight for a few minutes.

By: grr

grr — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:06:53 +0000

Sounds like AdBusters’ Buy Nothing Day. Hop on over to Adbusters.org and get some knowledge.

By: CynthiaVasconcellos

CynthiaVasconcellos — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:42:49 +0000

Hello there!
I love this post and I am totally into this idea.
I made 2 posts about Xmas gifts on my blog Random Issues:
1- It’s a notepad made with old receipts – as a suggestion for recycled gift (I’m not sure if someone will follow me at all… ha ha ha…)
and
2- My Xmas gift for friends which is an individual indication of a website based in their particular interests. To “pack” that link, I make a pps file with a short “about”, a picture and kisses.
At this moment I have to stay indoors because of a muscle injure, which affects a lot to walk, so when is not aching that much, I stay on internet researching special links for special friends with all my love.
: )