Extravagance.

[Bertha Venation]

Think of the billions of dollars spent in this nation on extravagance. It's especially noticeable at this time of year.

Find a photo of Rockefeller Center, or of the White House Christmas decor, or of any other garish public display: is that really necessary in this world? If those displays are paid for with private funds, the fundees ought to be ashamed of themselves. If with public funds, it's an outrage, and why don't we speak out about it, loudly, collectively, incessantly?

If http://www.thehungersite.org can fund a cup or two of food if I just click a damned button, imagine how many people could be fed if, instead of decorating the White House for Christmas, we took the cost of such decorating and used it to feed people. We could choose a project each year. How about next year we halve it: use half to feed the abject poor of Appalachia and the other half to house and feed the homeless of as many large cities as possible.

I know some people think that extravagance and luxury are a right, even a necessity. I used to work at a fundy christian radio broadcast. One month the cover story on their magazine was "In Defense of Extravagance" (or maybe it was "Luxury"). Unfortunately I don't remember their arguments. But thinking back on it now, and on that ministry's lavishly-appointed offices, I am ashamed that I was ever proudly associated with them.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

[McKenzie]

1. I'm with ya on this one...linkie inside

even though most people I know make the usual, oh so predictable and highly original, scrooge comments about my refusal to go on the feeding frenzy. I have no doubt they do so to avoid having to consider their own postion on the issues.

rant </over>

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

[Bertha Venation]

2. "to avoid having to consider their own position on the issues"

I'm sure that's part of it. I think people get uncomfortable when faced with the idea that Christmas is done to death.

I'm uncomfortable too. I think of the gifts I want to get for my family members, and realize they'd understand if I made small donations in their names to Second Harvest or the ASPCA. But then I think of at least three people I know at work who always give me gifts, and I always appreciate it and give them thank you notes, but I just can't bring myself to add "it is unnecessary for you to get me a gift. Please do something better with your money." Sometimes I want to wear a sign for the last two months of the year: "no gifts please." I can't do that. All I can do is hope no one is offended that I don't drop $5 or $10 trinkets on every desk at work.

Nor can I force corporations and governments to have a conscience, and that's more what I'm talking about here.