Mao & Marx

Mao must be turning over in his grave what with a new theme park being planned for Tibet.  And then there are the gated subdivisions of the super rich around Beijing with garages filled with Cadillacs.
Likewise Marx and Lenin must be wincing in disbelief at the Russian fasionistas who are the best customers for the high fashion houses of Paris and Milano.  I won't live long enough to see the next revolution, but it will surely come.

Going to the dogs

Consumer spending for pets was $51 billion last year. Economists are fond of saying that non disputum de gustabus, or in matters of tasted there can be no dispute. But, surely some critique of spending is as important as improving the efficiency of production of questionable value. The content of GNP is important as well as the quantity.

Super Bowl Blues

The average 30 second ad during the Super Bowl cost $3.5 million. Absurd. They were wasted on me, I did not watch.

Sick, Sick, Sick

A woman pepper-sprayed 20 other customers at a Los Angeles Walmart on the run-up to Black Friday in order to be first at Xbox video games. This is consumerism out of hand. And soon the bargains will take their place in thousands of rental lockers across the country full of stuff that people don't have room for in their houses. Sick!