tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post1152395024346054352..comments2024-03-29T10:59:48.841-05:00Comments on Bayou Renaissance Man: Black Friday musingsPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-53401027213223124512012-11-24T21:03:53.533-06:002012-11-24T21:03:53.533-06:00G'day from Australia. I gather that this '...G'day from Australia. I gather that this 'black friday' thing is all about buying goods at incredible mark-downs, this one day of the year.<br />In itself, not a bad thing, but the actions I have seen on the internet are jaw-droppingly terrible!. What possesses people to behave like this!?.<br />What mentality causes this display af all that is less than good by a great mass of people only focussed on the one goal.<br />Maybe this day should be re-named 'Mindless Lemming Day'.Stuart Garfathnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-12120832457545298332012-11-24T10:06:42.263-06:002012-11-24T10:06:42.263-06:00I'm trying to figure out how to phrase this wi...I'm trying to figure out how to phrase this without sounding like an arrogant ass, but, if I have failed, I apologize in advance.<br /><br />I have to say I'm somewhat disappointed with your posting of that "necessity" graphic. It's a pretty leftist trope to A.) imply that economics is a zero sum game and that we have such wealth because others have none, and B.) to imply that our ability to have luxury items and plenty rests under some objective test of "need".<br /><br />It's not about necessity, it's about liberty. I almost certainly do not "need" all the motorized vehicles I have, but I enjoy having them and working on them, and I'm paying for it all with my own money, so I am absolutely entitled to them under reasonably Lockean definitions of liberty.<br /><br />And too, you should know far better than most, that if every shopper yesterday had taken every dollar they spent on anything that wasn't a staple item (clothing, food, transportation, housing, capital goods) and donated it to charities intended to distribute the money in the countries in Africa, the only thing that would have come of it is that a couple dozen tyrants and their followers-on would have gotten even more obscenely wealthy, and the situation for the poor would have remained precisely the same.<br /><br />The very best thing we could do for a place like Zimbabwe would be to shoot Mugabe and his thugs, rename the place Rhodesia, and build them a constitutional republic and an industry, so they could be the ones making a profit selling us all that crap we don't "need" <b>next</b> Black Friday.<br /><br />(Presuming we haven't "gone Greece" by then, of course.)<br /><br />*sigh* Sorry. I guess that got a little ranty.perlhaqrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01920117742664645165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-47980492766508142822012-11-24T08:33:37.469-06:002012-11-24T08:33:37.469-06:00Judging by what I saw in my corner of the world ye...Judging by what I saw in my corner of the world yesterday afternoon, the Friday after Thanksgiving is for 1) playing in the local park if you have kids and/or dogs, 2) cleaning the garage, 3) grilling/smoking 4) getting ready to go hunting, 5) putting up Christmas lights if the wind is low, 6) reading, or 8) writing Christmas letters. Not for shopping unless you need groceries. N.B. I did not venture onto the roads yesterday. I value what little is left of my sanity, thank you.<br /><br />LittleRed1Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-48767816442230684552012-11-23T23:12:13.257-06:002012-11-23T23:12:13.257-06:00It hurts my heart to see those reports of rioting ...It hurts my heart to see those reports of rioting shoppers. What have we become? ravennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-40783194220404768932012-11-23T23:07:30.153-06:002012-11-23T23:07:30.153-06:00Only in America do we fight for bargains and punch...Only in America do we fight for bargains and punch, kick, trample and shoot each other the day after being thankful for what we already have.<br /><br />Very sad. I'm looking at my country and starting to hope that the Mayans got it right re: December 21.Murphy's Lawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17164780742334950772noreply@blogger.com