The Holiday
Christmas. This has become such a hollow holiday. Merely another facet of the emptiness that pervades our culture. We seem to have lost any pretext of the religious nature of Christmas; Consumption is the saviour these days, with Alan Greenspan and his cronies the wisemen. Gifts are fine, but the build-up to this holiday is sickening. Why shouldn’t gifts be given throughout the year, an honest token of love or friendship and not the obligation of a consumer in a falter economy during The Holiday Season? Adbusters may be heading in the right direction here.
I was recently horrified, upon watching television after arriving home, to see things like this and this. Again, Adbusters is on top of things. It is unfortunate that Adbusters caters to only an elite who can afford to purchase an eight-dollar, glossy magazine. (Just four dollars with subscription!) What is needed is Culture Jamming and Resistance without the elitism or the rhetoric - an honest movement based on pragmatism and an uncompromising will to affect change. Adbusters has failed to achieve a critical mass in this respect.
Comments
That was my point. The religous focus of Christmas has moved from actual religion to the quasi religion of money and greed. Gifts would be fine if they weren’t lusted after and placed as an end due to this holiday. I haven’t given up hope; A catastrophe would surely work, but I remain sympathetic to a revolution. I have yet to be convinced that it wouldn’t work. … Only one way to find out.
Posted by: kasei on December 25th, 2002 11:38 PMso yah, when i tried talking to you and gary at the all-you-can-eat-vegetarian-indian restaurant about something like this, y’all bastards didn’t get me much feedback. i say we just start something like it. give up all those other career hopes and fucking go for it. but i guess, we’re just not all about being hardcore are we? hmmmm….
Posted by: tim k on December 26th, 2002 12:08 AMTheres just not enough organization for a religion. There has to be a HUGE number of people who agree something is wrong and agree something should be done about it. “The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing people he did not exist.” -The Usual Suspects. This isn’t like the American Revolution where most people understood that the government was being oppresive and a good number decided to do something about it. Most American’s believe in the ‘land of opportunity’ and all it stands for, wrong though it may be. Now, more than ever, people have become patriotic and will defend the ‘American Dream’ having no idea how destructive it really is. Only a few, who by nature of their beliefs are NOT in positions of power, understand the truth of the futility of the countries current ideologies.
Catastrophe I say. Thats what we need, and thats what we’ll get. At least that’s what we’ll get if a revolution doesn’t happen. And I’m pessamistic about it happening, so hold on to you’re creature comforts… it’ll come sooner or later. Environmental probably. BURN! LET IT ALL BURN!
Optimistically, wonko
Posted by: wonko on December 26th, 2002 4:41 PM
I don’t blame the concept of gifts, its the understanding of recieving that has been twisted. I dissagree with Christmas no longer being a religious holiday. America has chosen ITS religion. A religion agreed on by more people than any other. Their God is money, they show their devotion through consumption. They overflow with this devotion. Luckily, the bishops and cardinals extend them credit so they can continue worshiping.
A revolution in the minds of the many or needed, but to few revolutionaries are willing to fight. Catastrophe will be our savior.
Posted by: wonko on December 25th, 2002 6:30 PM