Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing

Honestly? If you’re out today, maybe get maced. How is Black Friday not the grossest tradition we have?

Somebody pepper sprayed like 20 people—including a ton of kids. There’s something to be said for unmasking the violence inherent in the system. As Americans, we have access to cheap stuff secured through the occasionally-violent exploitation of other people’s labor. But it’s not quite cheap enough. So we’ve made a virtual holiday of trying to get things we don’t need for a few bucks cheaper than the person next to us.

Thanksgiving is a one of our better ideas. We, theoretically, reflect on how fortunate we are to have what we have. The day after Thanksgiving would be a great day to start thinking how we might start addressing wrongs perpetuated on anybody trampled in the process of putting together the comfort and security we are so thankful for. Instead, we’ve turned it into a symbolic date for acquiring shinier objects in anticipation of how we can best miss the point of our next major holiday. Perhaps worse, it infects Thanksgiving itself, turning the holiday into, effectively, a paean to culinary gluttony in preparation for commercial gluttony.

Gross? Gross doesn’t go nearly far enough. Look. I understand people have their things. I’d rather not get too judgmental about other peoples hobbies, fetishes, or extreme sports. But … I find Black Friday acutely depressing. I can’t even summon the energy to give a wit about about that reactionary-protest-of-dubious-usefulness, Buy Nothing Day.

(via squashed)

Some good thoughts here.

Source: squashed