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Title: Buy Nothing Day - November 23rd
Source:
Adbusters.org
URL Source: http://www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/
Published: Nov 7, 2007
Author: Adbusters
Post Date: 2007-11-07 14:48:03 by kiki
Keywords: None
Views: 144
Comments: 8
Dreading the holiday season? The frantic rush and stress? The to-do lists and sales hype? The spiritless hours trapped in malls? This year, why not gather together your loved ones and decide to do things differently? With the simplest of plans you can create a new rhythm, purpose and meaning for the holidays. Why not try a Buy Nothing Christmas? If that's too extreme for grandma and the kids, maybe try a Buy Less Christmas. Or a Buy Fairer Christmas. Or a Slow-Down Christmas. Whatever you decide, 'tis the season to reclaim our celebration from the grip of commercial forces. Every November, for 24 hours, we remember that no one was born to shop. This November, environmentalists, social activists and concerned citizens in as many as 65 countries will hit the streets for a 24-hour consumer fast in celebration of the 15th annual Buy Nothing Day, a global cultural phenomenon that originated in Vancouver, Canada. Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir (www.revbilly.com) have been preaching about the madness of over-consumption for years. A strong supporter of Buy Nothing Day, Reverend Billy is bringing something special to the campaign this year with the November 21 release of the film, What Would Jesus Buy?, produced by Morgan Spurlock of Supersize Me fame. Don't miss it. Driving hybrid cars and limiting industrial emissions is great‚ but they are band–aid solutions if we don’t address the core problem: we have to consume less. This is the message of Buy Nothing Day. Credit card cut up: Volunteers stand in a shopping mall with a pair of scissors and a sign offering a simple service: to put an end to extortionate interest rates and mounting debt with one considerate cut. Be careful though: in some first-world countries, carrying scissors in public can get you arrested as a "terrorist". Zombie Walk: The cheerful dead wander around malls, marveling at the blank, comatose expressions on the faces of shoppers. The zombies are happy to be among their own kind, but slightly contemptuous of those who have not yet begun to rot. Whirl–mart: This activity has the advantage of being most likely to piss off security personnel. You and nine of your closest friends silently drive your shopping carts around in a long, inexplicable conga line without ever actually buying anything. MTV is our target. They've refused our money in the past, claiming that our public service video messages are not "appropriate" for their viewers. Let's see what excuses they come up with this year. Buy Nothing Christmas is not really about refusing to spend a dime over the holiday season. It’s about taking a deep breath and deciding to opt out of the hype‚ the overcrowded malls‚ and the stressful to–do lists. It’s about reminding ourselves to really think about what we are buying‚ why we are buying it‚ and whether we really need it at all.
What would Jesus buy? 
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#1. To: kiki (#0)
Gas and food prices will steer many people into a 'Buy Nothing Christmas' this year. I haven't purchased anything around Christmas for a couple of years...no tree, no presents, nothing. Feels REAL good.
I'm jiggy with it too.
This holiday season will be a multi-billion dollar affair.
Nice idea. We draw names now, except for the children.
Ron Paul for President - Join a Ron Paul Meetup group today!
"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams (1722-1803)‡
Perhaps a scam so retailers can blame low sales Black Friday on the Buy Nothing Day proponents?
Good reminder.
Remember...G-d saved more animals than people on the ark. www.siameserescue.org
#2. To: kiki (#0)
I'm certainly down with this concept.
#3. To: lodwick (#2)
#4. To: kiki (#0)
Driving hybrid cars and limiting industrial emissions is great58; but they are band51;aid solutions if we don57;t address the core problem: we have to consume less. This is the message of Buy Nothing Day.
#5. To: kiki (#0)
#6. To: kiki (#0)
#7. To: kiki (#0)
Buy Nothing Day
#8. To: kiki (#0)
It’s about taking a deep breath and deciding to opt out of the hype‚ the overcrowded malls‚ and the stressful to–do lists. It’s about reminding ourselves to really think about what we are buying‚ why we are buying it‚ and whether we really need it at all.
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