Happy day of overconsumption in celebration of Anglos grabbing land from natives.
Love turkey day, hate what it represents....
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As for tomorrow:
Any wealth gained by a person beyond what he can produce by his own labor MUST have come at the expense of nature or the expense of an other person. Look around. Look at our house, our car, our bank accounts, our clothes, our eating habits, our appliances. Could the physical labor of one family and its immediate ancestors and their on billionth of the countrys renewable resources have produced all this? It takes a long time to build a house form nothing; it takes a lot of calories to transport yourself from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Even if youre not rich, youre living in the red. Indebted to Malaysian textile workers and Korean circuit assemblers and Haitian sugarcane cutters who live six to a room. Indebted to a bank indebted to the earth from which youve withdrawn oil and coal and natural gas that no one can ever put back. Indebted to the hundred square yards of landfill that will bear the burden of your own personal waste for ten thousand years. Indebted to the air and water, indebted by proxy to Japanese and German bond investors. Indebted to the great-grandchildren wholl be paying for your conveniences when youre dead: Wholl be living six to a room, contemplating their skin cancers, and knowing, like you dont, how long it takes to get from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh when your living in the black.
---Jonathan Franzen
While a bit over the top, and a trifle unrealistic, those are some pretty profound words. Personally I doubt anyone can live up to a true off the grid existence. There are just too many health, safety and convenience items out there in to easy a reach. And when it comes right down to it we have evolved into animals that *need* many of those things to be able to survive.
I accept this need. Even when it is things we truly do not 'need.' I accept the fact that in todays world most of us 'need' to own a car, most of us 'need' a toaster. Most of us 'need' to purchase or rent our shelter. I accept the 'need' to own a personal computer, a digital camera and so on. I also understand and accept the desire to have nice examples of these items that function well.
However, I do not understand the need for excess. I do not understand why a family of 3 or 4 needs a huge SUV to get around. I do not understand people who must purchase a new car every 2-3 years just to have a new one when their old one was operating fine. I do not understand why people need homes far larger then what is required for their family. I do not understand people who update or replace items simply out of a desire to be trendy. Or why we have top buy stuff with labels on it to impress others.
I watch so many people, even myself at times, spend money simply to spend it. Buying items because they should or because it is pressured upon them by society, advertising and their peer group.
Love turkey day, hate what it represents....
------------
As for tomorrow:
Any wealth gained by a person beyond what he can produce by his own labor MUST have come at the expense of nature or the expense of an other person. Look around. Look at our house, our car, our bank accounts, our clothes, our eating habits, our appliances. Could the physical labor of one family and its immediate ancestors and their on billionth of the countrys renewable resources have produced all this? It takes a long time to build a house form nothing; it takes a lot of calories to transport yourself from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Even if youre not rich, youre living in the red. Indebted to Malaysian textile workers and Korean circuit assemblers and Haitian sugarcane cutters who live six to a room. Indebted to a bank indebted to the earth from which youve withdrawn oil and coal and natural gas that no one can ever put back. Indebted to the hundred square yards of landfill that will bear the burden of your own personal waste for ten thousand years. Indebted to the air and water, indebted by proxy to Japanese and German bond investors. Indebted to the great-grandchildren wholl be paying for your conveniences when youre dead: Wholl be living six to a room, contemplating their skin cancers, and knowing, like you dont, how long it takes to get from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh when your living in the black.
---Jonathan Franzen
While a bit over the top, and a trifle unrealistic, those are some pretty profound words. Personally I doubt anyone can live up to a true off the grid existence. There are just too many health, safety and convenience items out there in to easy a reach. And when it comes right down to it we have evolved into animals that *need* many of those things to be able to survive.
I accept this need. Even when it is things we truly do not 'need.' I accept the fact that in todays world most of us 'need' to own a car, most of us 'need' a toaster. Most of us 'need' to purchase or rent our shelter. I accept the 'need' to own a personal computer, a digital camera and so on. I also understand and accept the desire to have nice examples of these items that function well.
However, I do not understand the need for excess. I do not understand why a family of 3 or 4 needs a huge SUV to get around. I do not understand people who must purchase a new car every 2-3 years just to have a new one when their old one was operating fine. I do not understand why people need homes far larger then what is required for their family. I do not understand people who update or replace items simply out of a desire to be trendy. Or why we have top buy stuff with labels on it to impress others.
I watch so many people, even myself at times, spend money simply to spend it. Buying items because they should or because it is pressured upon them by society, advertising and their peer group.
however, the picture of the melting pig turned my stomach a bit.
enjoy your holiday!