At this time of year, columns like Derrick Z. Jackson's of today condemning the materialism of the Christmas shopping season are as traditional as Budweiser's Clydesdale-drawn sleigh commercial. And part of me is sympathetic with Jackson's call for people to spurn the malls and curtail their gift-giving budgets.
But this of all years, did the Boston Globe columnist consider the disastrous consequences for the economy and the lives of millions of Americans if people were actually to heed his advice? Apparently not. Jackson's radical suggestion [emphasis added]:
I have a suggestion for these holidays. The average American, according to the government, consumes six times more energy than the world average. Take whatever you spent on gifts last year, slash 5/6ths of it, and see what you can do with the rest - unless of course you make a charitable donation. You're broke anyway, right, so what's the harm?
What's the harm? Surely you jest, Z. Slashing holiday spending by 5/6ths is a sure-fire recipe for a Depression that would make the 1930s look like Dubai with oil at $147/barrel. Our Pres.-elect has that figured out. The NY Times reports that, speaking of the holiday shopping season, Sen. Obama said:
What we don’t want to do is get caught up in a spiral where people pull back from the economy, businesses then pull back, jobs are reduced.
What Jackson proposes isn't a mere pull-back from the economy—it's a mad dash in the opposite direction that would spell massive unemployment and personal and corporate bankruptcy on an unprecedented scale.
The good news is that, of course, very few will take Jackson's advice. But what does it say of his judgment to have proposed such a thing?
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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What we don’t want to do
November 29, 2008 - 06:52 ET by NewsbusterbrownWhat we don’t want to do is get caught up in a spiral where people pull back from the economy, businesses then pull back, jobs are reduced.
No, but Obama would have no problem with gasoline at $5 a gallon, which would hurt the economy severely. I will concede that he's not as brainless as Jackson appears to be, however.
“There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964 Republican Convention)
Flawed thinking
November 29, 2008 - 07:16 ET by Red Jeep“The average American, according to the government, consumes six times more energy than the world average,” writes Derrick Z.
So somewhere in the world a poor person sits with no lights on in his home, can’t use his computer or big screen TV, can’t drive his car, and can’t cook because I am using 6 X’s more energy than people in the rest of the world.
I don’t think so. Barack Obama’s poor brother in Africa doesn’t have the need for the electricity and gas I use for example. Energy is not a finite resource
Derek Jackson jumped the
November 29, 2008 - 07:24 ET by motherbeltDerek Jackson jumped the shark long ago. I can't pinpoint the day, but it's obvious that for years he has been reaching, trying to make ever more outrageous points.
While we probably do spend more on Christmas presents than we need to, what does the fact that we consume 6 times more energy have to do with it? That's a specious argument. Make a charitable donation with 5/6 of the money? OK...how will the "planet" benefit from that?
it's a mad dash in the opposite direction that would spell massive
unemployment and personal and corporate bankruptcy on an unprecedented
scale. -MF
Jackson doesn't care; he'd probably like to see Americans really suffering- because he thinks we deserve to. And that says a lot about his judgment!
I didn't read his column (I
November 29, 2008 - 09:08 ET by ThisnThatI didn't read his column (I will never read anything written by him again), but I'm really suprised he didn't turn this into another race-baiting hit piece. I've never, ever seen him write a non-racial column, BTW. This man is the newspaper's worst and most blatent racist -- ever.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
TnT--gotta challenge that---
November 29, 2008 - 09:21 ET by misterbillTnT--gotta challenge that---
"This man is the newspaper's worst and most blatent racist -- ever."
I suggest that Cynthia (T)ucker of the Atlanta Journal Constitution is as bad or worse.
Good morning misterbill
November 29, 2008 - 09:30 ET by cocodrieSince we don't have a chart or graph to judge by, this will probably get into a discussion like we'd have over whose mom makes the best apple pie. There are so many.
cocodrie
November 29, 2008 - 10:04 ET by misterbillSadly, you are correct. I go to 4 newspapers each day (3 online). I cannot believe the, for want of a better word, sponsorship, of supposed journalists.
It would be an extremely pleasant surprise to see the printed media have some new newspapers spring up with balanced reporting--reporting, not story creating, not partisanship, just plain old reporting.
You're right, T.....I
November 29, 2008 - 09:22 ET by motherbeltYou're right, T.....I almost added at the end that the only surprise is that he didn't write this from a racial angle...you know, how blacks are affected more by global warming or something!
I said in another thread about him that he is a one-trick pony.
Maybe the Boston Globe should slash 5/6ths of his salary.
November 29, 2008 - 07:34 ET by superconThen they could go to a homeless shelter and spread it around.I'm sure that would cheer some people up.
How about the 6/7ths rule, instead?
November 29, 2008 - 09:15 ET by ThisnThatSince newspapers publish 7 days a week, and most of the world's people don't get to read newspapers, how about reducing our newspaper purchases by 6/7ths? If you buy newspapers every day, only buy them 1 day per week. If you only get the Sunday News, get it once every two months. And if you're like me (and never buy newspapers), give your credits to someone who does. This will save trees; ink; and all those wasteful energy costs used to print and deliver newspapers. Besides, once you've read the liberal talking points, why do you need to see it repeated every day? Once a week is plenty enough.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
Doh!
November 29, 2008 - 07:58 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsHmmm, we could cut our energy usage if we would just:
Stop growing food for 50% of the world.
Stop providing health care for poor nations.
Stop providing disaster relief for 100% of the world.
Stop providing military aid for 90% of the world.
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
His suggestion is...
November 29, 2008 - 08:31 ET by jackie3Lame! How does spending 5/6 less on gifts put our energy level on key with the rest of the world? It doesn't, nor doesn’t even give a good example of energy consumption reduction.
Now why doesn't he look at the factory energy consumption levels in china and compare that to the US production energy consumption. Manufacturing accounts for a huge hunk of energy use.
Okay everybody--time to cut that electric and gas bill. Stop turning on your lights and read in the dark. Go hunt whales for oil. Turn in you car for the 2 wheeler peddle pusher and ride your butt 20 miles into the nearest city. Turn them city busses into electric rail cars. Place a wind turbine at every factory/business to off set the nuclear power plants. Buy bigger houses and move all relatives in with you. This saves heat by not heat another house. No need for day care for little kids at that point. No need for nursing homes because someone will be home to take care of grandpa.
Gee, we could take out the child care industry and the nursing homes with one shot.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
Easy way to follow Z idiot's advice...
November 29, 2008 - 08:49 ET by scarchinCancel your Globe subscription!
Been there, done that. And
November 29, 2008 - 09:11 ET by ThisnThatBeen there, done that. And it felt very, very good. And it was the gift that kept on giving for months afterwards, when I got to field the phone calls begging me to revive my subscription. I really enjoyed answering their question: "Why did you cancel your subscription"? Delicious.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
The liberal media has been bashing the economy for so long...
November 29, 2008 - 09:16 ET by c5thenI wonder if they can stop now that their messiah has been apparenlty elected? For the past 4 years (at least) the MSM has been talking the economy down in an effort to make it an election issue. Now that they have their wish, will they be able to change their brokes-record mantra? Or...will they keep up the drum beat and blame it all on the evil arch-villian, G.W. Bush?
Hey, I got the wrong "CHANGE"!
Alan Keyes / Sarah Palin - 2012
Holiday Gift Ideas
November 29, 2008 - 10:15 ET by VonuI give American Silver Eagles. They are beautiful, American made, support N American mining and the US gov. makes money fairly through its mint operations. For 20 bucks there is no better way to protect those you love. For 100 bucks you can give 1/10 Gold Eagle.
Happy Chalica Everyone!
cloward-piven strategy
November 29, 2008 - 10:26 ET by Melvin_UdallI'm sure he does know exactly what the results would be. The worse things get, the better for the Left. It's the Cloward-Piven strategy continued. More people need to know about this. The Left wants things to continue to spiral downward. As Rahm said, you always want to use a good disaster.
Slash govt social spending,
November 29, 2008 - 11:34 ET by robert108Slash govt social spending, not people freely spending on what they want. Get the govt out of the economy.
Slashing govt spending is
November 29, 2008 - 12:14 ET by DuymonSlashing govt spending is impossible. The Govt is too addicted to spending Money they didn't earn. The Entitlement crap starts with THEM, who believe they have a right to a part of citizen's income in the first place.
The Globe Knows Value...71% loss in value from 52 week High
November 29, 2008 - 12:23 ET by CapeCodScottNew York Times (NYT) The Holding Co. for the fish wrap that is the Boston Globe
Friday's Close: 7.25
52 Week
High 21.14 25Apr 2008
Low 4.95 21Nov 2008
www.ScottOnCapeCod.com
"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation"... until they get fed-up enough to finally say something about it!
We use energy for useful purposes
November 29, 2008 - 13:02 ET by nkviking75You'd think all Americans did with all that energy is leave the lights on and run our air conditioners with the doors open. Much of our energy consumption is used to make our incredible productivity possible. Much of the money we make from that productivity provides jobs and revenue to the rest of the world. The world would be a much bleaker place without America's economic activity.
Let's save energy by stopping the production and distribution of the Boston Globe.
Welcome to the era of unity, you racist!
Liberal Vomit
November 29, 2008 - 13:52 ET by rammingspeedJackson's ideas come from a twisted belief system he learned from a "higher education" place, i.e. some college with mandatory Marxist indoctrination. Yet he lives a privileged life, never having to experience the consequences of his stupidity along these lines. What's galling is that a person like him gets into a position like the one he has - polluting the thoughts of people who trust that he wouldn't be someone with a big hairy byline that is distributed nation wide if he weren't smart and wise.
Another libtard kevetching
November 29, 2008 - 15:06 ET by PeskyDaneAnother libtard kevetching about the economic system which allows him to maintain a townhouse in the city, a country home in the bershires, and spend a month in Paris in the Springtime.
I am so sick and tired of hearing how much of the world's resources we consume.
There is a reason for that. It's because we dissporportionately produce a good percentage of the worlds's goods and services.
Gotta Love "Nuance"
November 29, 2008 - 16:06 ET by Junk Science Skeptic"The NY Times reports that, speaking of the holiday shopping season, Sen. Obama said:
Maybe I'm missing part of the "nuance," but isn't this exactly what Bush suggested when he advised folks to "go shopping" after 9/11?
Of course when Bush suggested that people not send the economy into a panic-driven crash in reaction to the attacks, it became the sole cause of the global credit crisis (according to the libtards).
Now that BHO is paraphrasing Bush, of course it's different. <sarc>Nuance makes all the difference, don't ya know? </sarc>
I don't see the barackster
November 29, 2008 - 19:26 ET by SlicksterI don't see the barackster doing anything to help the criminal zeituni or brother george in his hut this holiday season so why should I?