They are Dreaming of a Green Christmas
I cannot remember a Holiday that has been so trampled by commercial corporate North America then Christmas this season, and other seasons past. Over the years, as people get older, they attempt to stir clear of the over expenditures when giving gifts to seemingly everyone, family members or not, in there direct circle of cohabitation. Still, even if one can resist the use of credit cards as an excuse to “overspend”, there is still a large covet damper that will hover over your holiday spirit. I can truly say, at this point of society, it is clear that commercial corporate North America has stolen Christmas. They have stolen this holiday and warped the period into their own private, corporate owned, profiteered fundraising nightmare.
Scavengers of Slim Pickings
When walking from shop to shop, in local malls, vendors stand poised, like ravens in a pine tree overlooking the latest road kill, in front of their cash registers, waiting for their next purchase victim. These victims purchase gifts out of a jagged persuasive coveted need to purchase the right, overpriced (between $15.00 to $20.00 or higher), low quality item, guaranteed to break, or be misplaced by the 15th of January, for that not so special friend or family member. One does not have to look too far for this product jettison. When getting a gift, most people accept and appear appreciative of the gift, but in reality, it is usually shoved aside and forgotten. If the gift, however is equal to or exceeds the “covet level of expectations” (a level usually set by commercial corporate North America through brainwashed advertizing) that is entirely a different story.
These are usually gifts, like the latest and greatest game consoles (even though you bought that same console last year but now has an updated version). High quality jewelry (or so they say), high quality ipads, laptops, smartphones, HD TV’s. This includes most over priced and highly over rated electronics. Tools and household items can fit in this category as long as they equal or exceed a certain price-quality level. What is this price level? Usually $450.00 or higher. Taking the price tags off items is a very redundant practice because, IE: if you buy your daughter a smart phone, she will know exactly what was paid for the device. If it is the latest and greatest device of it’s type for the price range paid($450.00 or higher), she will love the gift! Why? Because commercial corporate North America has programmed her mind to appreciate that latest and greatest, covet level gift.
We Won’t Break Your Leg, Just your Life
Will these covet level gifts make your family member love you more? I doubt it to the highest level of scepticism. In reality, everyone appreciates gifts when given. But that is a euphemism for “even low quality gifts are appreciated as long as you spent money (usually $15.00 to $20.00 or higher). That is how we are programmed. So when you shop, that is exactly how you will act when looking for that “not so special gift for that not so special family member or friend”. If you are broke, don’t worry about it. Just use your “close to maxed out” credit card or go to a money store and sink further into the credit abyss. I guess there are even loan sharks around, but who needs loan sharks when you have places like “WWLMBPDYWUCIJAC INC. (We Will Lend You the Money, Because Pay Day or Your Welfare/Unemployment Check Is Just Around the Corner Incorporated)”. These sham outfits will set you up with a nice high interest (28 to 40%) loan with plenty of special fees.
Biblical Blasphemy
Remembering the Bible story when Jesus toppled vendor tables and stands of businesses attempting to do business on the day of the Sabbath (Sunday) gives me chills of what he would do to the average vendor market of today. A strong bolt of lightening or flood comes to mind. In fact, according to the Bible, lending money for interest is a direct infringement on the scriptures. Leviticus 25:35-37. So how can anybody, in the name of Jesus’s birthday, charge interest for any loan. The Bible never included any exceptions to that infringement to be inflicted on the poor or otherwise. The scriptures certainly did not provide loopholes for profiteers to crawl out of to justify charging a single penny of interest on any loan. Of course, there are most likely one or two, so called, scholars that would provide this loop hole, for a price of course. But commercial corporate North America would have you believe that the Bible was the greatest fable ever told. Bibles now, in some bookstores, reside beneath the New Age section, in a very small area, perhaps one shelf.
Debt Pushing Golden Horde
Commerce, corporations, banking institutions etc. would be baffled on a no interest concept. It just could not register in their greedy little brains. There are interest free loans you can get, for an example, on car and truck loans in certain promotions in the attempt to move more new vehicles. So it can be done. Or are interest free deals like this only executed when the company is totally desperate to increase car sales. In a nut shell, the car companies that have their own finance corporation will do this because the real profit is made off the vehicle. Ergo they still make money. But what about the banks? How do they survive? Who cares. Stuff your money in your mattress because banks offer little or no return for the use of your money, other then security that you will not lose your hard earned cash unless the economy totally crashes.
But, the so called experts of the economy believe in these banking practices, Wall Street, capitalism, and greed. But, of course they do not call greed by it’s name. They call it necessary commerce. Great deal for banks. The can use your money and pay you squat for that use, and still charge you service fees. Interest , if paid, is next to nothing, possibly .001%. If you want to lock your money away for one, two, five or ten years, then it may pay a few more percentage points, possibly 1 to 5 %. But when they loan you money, you have to pay the premium interest rate, and if it is under $20,000.00, you will pay between 18 and 40 percent interest. So why the difference? Why let them use your money for nothing and pay through the nose for credit at the same time? Because we are brainwashed to accept this difference as necessary.
I guess it is easy to see how people end up in financial hot water in January. The blame gets put on Christmas. But the birth of Christ has nothing to do with this brainwashed, twisted, corporate version of Christmas. Lets put the blame where it belongs shall we. On the 1 percenters, wealthy, debt pushers, corporations and banks. No matter how many university papers are published on how to govern and backlash the middle class and poor into financial oblivion, it will still seethe down to one incessant concept. Greed.
“Tex” oNid ittEnEbEd (sHow nO mErcY)
Originally Published on December 26, 2015
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