Starve the Beast: Buy Nothing Christmas.

[asthmaticeog]

Today, of course, is Black Friday - so known to retailers because the holiday season often puts a business that's struggling back in the black, and so known to retail employees because it's the single biggest pain in the ass day to work retail.

It's no coincidence that Black Friday is also Buy Nothing Day:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Nothing_Day


This year, I intend to take it a step further and refuse to fund the corporations that bought Bush* his ill-gotten presidency by not buying one single solitary card or present for anyone. Imagine my delight to find that I wasn't alone in thinking this:
http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/index.html

I urge all DUers to at least consider this course of inaction. And if that's not feasable, to at least confine your shopping to locally-owned businesses, used/re-sale/vintage/antique goods or products from manufacturers who are not Republican donors or foreign outsourcers.

Have a good holiday season, everyone.

-asthmaticeog

[gordianot]

1. Too late.

Had to shop for my 13 year old. Otherwise will not shop

[robbedvoter]

2. Buy nothing TODAY. And Chrismas Day

http://www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Don't buy-share

If you've got a relative who likes to read murder mysteries, I'll give you one I wrote a while back. Went the rounds, wasn't picked up by an agent or publisher, but you might like it. PM me and I'll give you details.

[Warpy]

4. Dang, somebody make me get out of this chair

and start working! I've knitted two scarves out of luxury yarn I had kicking around, and I've got the loom all set up to weave some more. What I lack is ambition. Shoot, the loom is sitting right next to the woodstove, too.

I'll be baking for the neighbors again this year, something they all tell me they look forward to. I generally do sinful brownies, apple cake, ginger cookies, and whatever I've read about over the rest of the year and feel like trying out.

The only purchased gift will be for my father in Florida, who suffered through a total of 22 days without electricity. I'll be buying him a radio with TV bands so he can listen to his ball games if it happens again. I will not be buying that item today, though.

I have a house full of fleece and fibre. I'll be starving the beast for some years to come.

[wovenpaint]

18. Me too!

Except I started and now... I can't STOP weaving (3 looms being warped right now)-it keeps me somewhat sane....
My goal is to give mostly artwork/artisany work this season, It's harder with children tho!

[mike_c]

5. I've been doing this for years....

I really hate the commercial consumerism and hype that surrounds the christmas holidays. I'm not christian, so the holidays have zero religious significance for me, and I prefer giving gifts that are "unexpected," i.e. not in association with any particular holiday. Plus, I'm in the midst of a nasty, acrimonious divorce and am in a real humbug mood these days....

[Anakin Skywalker]

6. I'm On Board!

I have already told people who normally exchange gifts with me not to buy anything for me this year, as I will not get anything for them! STARVE THE BEAST!

[Village Idiot]

7. If you are going to buy...

http://www.madinusa.org/home.html
BUY AMERICAN!

[asthmaticeog]

10. Good site!

Thank you for posting that.

[Selteri]

8. I'm blowing glass for all my gifts this year.

This year, I'm making all my gifts, sets of marbles, vases, other glass art, that's what I'm giving for presents.

[NikolaTeslaRocks]

13. Making Blown Glass for X-mas presents

sounds like a cool idea. I wish I could see some of the things you make. That sounds like a neat hobby to get into. Do you have any links on how to get started doing this? Or other info of any type.

[SmokingJacket]

19. Wow -- everyone will love their gifts, too.

Wish I had a skill like that. :envy:

(what? no "envy" smiley??)

[cliss]

9. There is NO signal more powerful

than hundreds of thousands, or millions of consumers who decide collecively to starve this thing which has spun out of control.

Michael Ruppert wrote in FromTheWilderness.com that as interest rise to sky-high levels next year, "the vultures will move in to pick your carcass based on your debts". It's time to cut loose from these parasites.

I'm with you. We're staying home this weekend.

Thank you for the timely reminder, A.

[Missy Vixen]

11. Just throwing this one out there

>than hundreds of thousands, or millions of consumers who decide collecively to starve this thing which has spun out of control.<

And putting people like me (and like at least one other DU'er who owns a shop as well,) out of business.

I own a shop that caters to those who enjoy crafting. There's another crafting-oriented shop in the same building owned by a progressive. Should we put a sign on the door to signal that it's "okay" to shop with us?

I agree that "starving the beast" is important. I also agree that those who can't afford it won't be shopping this year, and I send my hopes and best wishes that your family's situation will immediately improve. At the same time, maybe it should be noted that all that putting everyone out of business might not be the best idea for those who still remain employed...

Julie

[cliss]

12. Of course J. you are right.

I should have clarified my position by saying we should avoid big Republican donors, corporations which do more harm than good, and entities which have been identified here at the DU as being against the collective good.

Smaller businesses like yours are the solution, not the problem. Just imagine if more people decided to go to independently owned businesses, rather than Wal-Mart or KMart.

We try to buy as much as we can from farmers co-ops, small vegetable stands. We make as much as we can. I shop at Costco because they are DU-approved.

In fact, I have even called companies which have advertised on Air America Radio and thanked them.

[AngryOldDem]

14. Another idea

In addition to patronizing only local shops, etc.:

Give whatever you would have spent on stuff to charitable organizations...especially those that concentrate their efforts in the Third World. Heifer International, for one.

[Hamlette]

15. there are many small, independent, progressive business

you should find out where they are and shop there.

If liberals stopped buying and the other side did not, it would only hurt the independents. Wal-Mart would then be positioned to put everyone else out of business.


Buy books, candles, plants, candy etc from locally owned businesses.

[__Inanna__]

16. I also

have not been doing holidays for years. Maybe it harkens back to the days where I used to have to sit around with my repug family at Christmas, while they videotaped EACH person opening their gifts. That left such a bad taste in my mouth, I opt out. Or maybe it's the brag newsletters I got from by repug brothers at xmas, while my world was falling apart due to divorce. Or maybe it's because they put together an Excel spreadsheet down to the penny and put zeros next to my name in terms of my contributions to my dad's retirement party (no doubt because I didn't provide #s in a repug timely fashion) that turns me off. Nevermind the fact they were earning 6 figures and I was barely scraping by while going through divorce. Do I sound bitter? Damn right, but when the draft rolls around, maybe they'll think twice about their repug consumerist values. They voted because they didn't want their taxes increased. Oh My. Seems like a good enough reason to kill 100K Iraqi civilians and our service men and women.

Nope, if I give gifts it will be during a time of year not associated with any American consumerism driven holiday.

[Zorra]

17. Add input to DU Economic Activism Forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=255