Shopping, capitalist propaganda, human generosity.

We probably have all seen the news item where a shopper pepper sprayed another shopper to get an on sale item. There is a joke going around here now about a person who supposedly gives a gift to their partner and says they hope they like it as they had to pepper spray four other shoppers to get it.

The power of this shopping/capitalist/corporate propaganda is enormous. I am a convinced atheist. I do not believe in giving presents at this holiday time. But what did I do yesterday? I bought two presents. I could not bear the idea of sitting down with other members of my family while they distributed gifts and I gave nothing. I know they all said that they understood my position but I just could not bear it. It seemed inhumane almost not to give gifts. I am a weak man.

Capitalism plays on all sides of our nature. On the negative sides when it wants to try and divide and rule and stir up reactionary movements and wars, on the positive sides when it wants to convince us that we all have a responsibility to give to others. But only give to others in a certain way, their way. That is to go out and buy from their shops and give to their profits. Not give to others in terms of solidarity with their struggles.

There is huge pressure on working class families. The ads on TV are getting worse. The volume of the ads are higher than the volume of the programs. Now they have this other racket when you are watching the news they break up the ads into two parts to tell you in the middle of the news what you will see on the next part of the news after the full ads slot is over. This keeps you hooked on the ads. The news is used to sell the ads.

This is also the time of year when the vultures in the advertising agencies step up their propaganda. I see that one of their top executives was chastised by the Wall Street Journal for openly admitting what their policy is. This executive said: "We target the children so they can pester the parents." This makes a misery of parents' lives and twists and distorts the values of children. It especially hits the parents as they feel guilty unless they buy and buy their children what the mass capitalist media tells them they should.

This buying is central to capitalism. Unless people keep buying the whole thing will seize up. Remember what Bush said after 9/11. He told the American people to keep shopping. It is a struggle alright.

Here in the US workers are lucky to get one or at most two days off in the holiday. Compared with countries such as the main industrial countries in Europe this is a scandal. And this is the country where you hear more about the importance of the family and christianity than any other advanced capitalist country. Such hypocrisy. No wonder that people feel they are living in a fog of lies and propaganda. No wonder that the Occupy movement has come about. This is the real present for the holiday. More and more people are turning their eyes to Wall Street and their cronies and demanding change. We will see how the capitalist propaganda machine reacts when the demand increases for the 1% to give more "presents" to the 99%. Then it will be what is yours is mine and what is mine is my own.

Sean.