Marketing Coolness

Consumption is cool. Isn't that what Bush told us? Go shopping! When your world gets you down just go buy something. Keeping Up With the Jones, that's cool! Give me another tax break so I can go buy. Give me! Gimmee!

Sure I read the alarmist articles:
Economic Crash Imminent?
The Coming Currency Shock
The Dangerous Dollar
Why the Dollar's Fall is Bad for Everyone

Yeah, right. This is America man. We can always borrow more to keep the economy afloat. We have allies!! Those lefty elitist liberals who rag on my SUV and tax cuts, the ones who advocate equity and conservation just don't get it. I work hard and I'm going to be rich one day.

Heh! Those damn liberals, they think they can buy themselves a better agenda supporting companies like Working Assets The laugh is on them. Working Assets issues affinity credit cards through MBNA, one of Bush's biggest donors. Marketing, a little greenwashing, a few bucks thrown to their petty causes. No big deal. They are stuck on the same carousel. Of course, just don't tell them that dropping out of the banking industry in favor of credit unions, (those member-owned, non-profit slime) might make an impact. We want them saving in places where we can get our hands on their money. Who takes the time to investigate major business? Virtually no one. It's all in the marketing. If it seems cool they'll buy it. Hell, even Adbusters is tapping their pockets.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. So 80's. Alternative energy? Why? I say squeeze the last dollar out of the oil industry before we look at alternatives. We get a chance to show our military might and our world dominance while we're squeezing. Yeah, so this war is costing a bit more than research into alternatives might have. But hey man, this is a religious war too. Peak Oil??? yeah, ok, I've heard about it. I even check out the Energy Bulletin on occasion just to see what kind of dribble is leaking out. We really can't have people aware of this. It might hurt profits. What you say? read Deep Blade Journal and his collection about peak oil? NO. I really don't want to think too hard. God will provide. Yes, yes, he handed stewardship of the earth to humans. They are our resources to profit from now.

You know what I find most troubling? My kids. They are buying into this anti-corporate thing.
They tell me they can't make ends meet and find it gratifying to buy used stuff. They talk of things like sustainability and that hippie concept of organic food. It even bothers them that the EPA proposes a study involving low income kids and toxins. For taking part in these studies, each family will receive $970, a free video camera, a T-shirt, and a framed certificate of appreciation. They even call the program CHEERS! I don't see a problem bribing those poor families to be guinea pigs. I raised my kids to think they were better than everyone else. Someone needs to be a guinea pig to protect ME! Why not the poor folk? They owe me for all the years I paid my taxes. My kids somehow got this notion that health care should be a right. Yeah, so they can't find a job with health care benefits but they're young and healthy.

I'm very afraid that the liberals will decide to market 'less consumption' as the new cool thing. We need people to be in debt. It spurs production, not that the US produces much anymore but, that's beside the point. We are, by definition, a nation of consumers! The world loves us for it! posted by Cyndy | link | | |
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