Voting with Dollars
Since many of us are in the midst of buying last minute Christmas gifts, I thought it would be a good time to mention the concept of responsible consumerism. The wars of the 21st century are mainly fought with dollars, not guns. Everytime you spend money, it flows through numerous companies, banks, investment groups, and eventually ends up in the hands of the powerful. Quite a few of these individuals are supporting the current effort to turn the world into a fascist plutocracy. So while it is important to vote in formal elections, it is even more important to vote with your dollars every time you engage in capitalism.
While I'm not particularly fond of the Democratic party, they have in their midst some truly forward-thinking individuals who are trying to fight the totalitarian onslaught. Therefore, I try to support businesses that favor them even though it is currently unfashionable. Some websites, such as BuyBlue, can help you figure out which companies donated primarily to the "Republican" party (though to call the current administration Republican is much like calling Jack the Ripper prone to disagreement) and those who donated to the Democratic party.
Now, before you go and check out the lists of companies, keep something in mind. Its hard to be a responsible consumer. You have to make sacrifices. You probably have to give up at least one thing that you truly crave on a daily basis. If supporting the best causes was convenient, there would be no evil. But evil, no matter what form it takes, always keeps one constant attribute: seductive. Evil always has some sort of personal gain to offer, whether its money, power, popularity, or just plain American "bargains". You don't just pull great savings out of the sky. In many cases, those incredibly cheap items are cheap because someone further up the line of creation and distribution is getting royally screwed. I don't mean some CEO having to sell off a spare yacht. CEO's always save the best bargains for themselves, even if they have to set fire to their own company and watch it burn to the ground with all the employees locked inside. No, we're talking about really poor people who aren't protected by our constitution or minimum wage laws. So remember that the next time you find that great bargain at WalMart or Target. Usually that person you look in the eye at the register is being exploited so that the customers can chase that magical "Bottom Line".
So here are some websites to help people shop responsibly:
www.buyblue.com
www.greenhome.com
www.globalexchange.org
www.nosweatapparel.com
www.organicclothes.com
www.workingforchange.com/shop/responsibleshop.cfm
While I'm not particularly fond of the Democratic party, they have in their midst some truly forward-thinking individuals who are trying to fight the totalitarian onslaught. Therefore, I try to support businesses that favor them even though it is currently unfashionable. Some websites, such as BuyBlue, can help you figure out which companies donated primarily to the "Republican" party (though to call the current administration Republican is much like calling Jack the Ripper prone to disagreement) and those who donated to the Democratic party.
Now, before you go and check out the lists of companies, keep something in mind. Its hard to be a responsible consumer. You have to make sacrifices. You probably have to give up at least one thing that you truly crave on a daily basis. If supporting the best causes was convenient, there would be no evil. But evil, no matter what form it takes, always keeps one constant attribute: seductive. Evil always has some sort of personal gain to offer, whether its money, power, popularity, or just plain American "bargains". You don't just pull great savings out of the sky. In many cases, those incredibly cheap items are cheap because someone further up the line of creation and distribution is getting royally screwed. I don't mean some CEO having to sell off a spare yacht. CEO's always save the best bargains for themselves, even if they have to set fire to their own company and watch it burn to the ground with all the employees locked inside. No, we're talking about really poor people who aren't protected by our constitution or minimum wage laws. So remember that the next time you find that great bargain at WalMart or Target. Usually that person you look in the eye at the register is being exploited so that the customers can chase that magical "Bottom Line".
So here are some websites to help people shop responsibly:
www.buyblue.com
www.greenhome.com
www.globalexchange.org
www.nosweatapparel.com
www.organicclothes.com
www.workingforchange.com/shop/responsibleshop.cfm