OCCUPYXMAS - Shop Local

Found this, seems like a great way to help our local businesses and economies.



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Christmas 2011 — Birth of a New Tradition

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods –merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?

Everyone — yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or
driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants — all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn’t about big National chains — this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow
their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine.
THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

Forward this to everyone on your mailing list — post it to discussion groups — throw up a post on Craigs list in the Rants and Raves section in your city — send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations,and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn’t that what Christmas is about?
Here’s how to tell where it’s made!

If the first 3 digits of the barcode are 690 691 or 692, the product is MADE IN CHINA.
471 is Made in Taiwan .
This is our right to know, but the government and related departments never educate the
public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves.

Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products “MADE IN CHINA “, so they don’t show from which country it is made.

However, you may now refer to the barcode – remember if the first 3 digits are:

690-692 … then it is MADE IN CHINA
00 – 09 … USA & CANADA
30 – 37 FRANCE
40 – 44 GERMANY
471 … Taiwan
49 … JAPAN
50 … UK

BUY USA & CANADIAN MADE by watching for “0″

 

Buying American and Canadian made gifts this year and going without the extra crap like lights and stuff would send a big message to the powers that be that we refuse to buy their cheap shit made by exploited workers. It would also provide a great boost to our local and national economies. Finding domestically made products is not as hard as it may seem, there are plenty of sites online that sell American or Canadian made products. And plenty of ways to support local walk in businesses like the gift card idea.

 

Top Post...:2thumbsup:..:2thumbsup:



Cheers Glen.

 

according to snopes, this is only partial truth.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/barcodes.asp

As for the rest, where do you get this shit 'cab, readers digest?


ZW

 

I found this this morning while stumbling around the interweb. Sorry I did not check the barcode thing a little more thoroughly but the basic ideas I think are very sound. Not buying all the poorly made shit being sent into our country and purchasing domestic products and services only makes our economy stronger. And as far as Readers Digest goes I have not picked one up in many years but I remember it being a fine publication back when I was a kid.:daisy:

 

's alright, I had hoped it was true myself. ( but doubted it, obviously)

agreed

ZW

 

On friday november 25th, buy nothing.

http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

And when (if?) you do some gift shopping, shop local, shop small business, and make it a point to share that example with family and friends.

 

Heh that would be nice BUT I DOUBT IT WOULD EVER HAPPEN

 

It all starts from within, one person at a time.

Thanks for the +

 

I buy very little as it is, so that wont be hard for me.
I like the idea of a buy nothing christmas though....if a lot of people were to do that it would really have an impact!

 

I am curtailing my participation in "the game" as well.

Why restrict it to just a day? I advocate that people engage in ongoing discussions with their neighbors to cultivate mutual supporting relationships that preclude subscribing to corporate security services... and establishing ad-hoc food co-ops with friends to forge economic detours away from the population poisoning food corporations.

As a population we are addicted to a system that has been set up to not serve our best interests. Protesting it is great to increase general awareness about its true nature- it's a good idea to think about taking things a step further in general- so we occupy the check-out lines of supermarkets less- except of course for the purpose of slowing the cash flow.

Small steps... and no step is too small to take.

 

I like where you're going, stinkfoot.

 

What is it going to take for Americans to realize that people who are trying to sell you something are not your friends? They are not looking out for you! They aren't trying to help you and make your life better! How many fucking brain cells does it take to figure that out? It makes me want to pull my hair out, when I see the masses falling for the same cynical, manipulative games, over and over. It almost puts me at a loss for words.

Classic example: Every American female (well, there are a few exceptions) expects to receive a diamond engagement ring from her fiancé. That's an old tradition that goes back centuries. Right? Wrong! Until about two generations ago, quality diamonds of 1/4 carat or more weren't even available to average Americans at a price they could ever consider paying. Then South Africa became a high-volume exporter, and a national jewelry store chain borrowed a huge amount of money to launch a massive ad campaign. It "informed" young women that they should expect to receive a diamond ring of at least a 1/2 carat, if a young man truly valued her and intended to make a serious long-term commitment to her. A larger rock was proof of greater commitment. They all fell for it, 100%. And an American tradition was born.

Materialistic Christmas is another invention of Madison Avenue. Two hundred years ago, Christmas Day wasn't even a legal holiday in many states, and now it's an entire season of extravagant spending with borrowed money!

To give yourself immunity to modern advertising and marketing schemes, all anybody has to do is remind themselves daily that those people on Madison Avenue are paid to talk you into spending money, no matter what it takes. That should be all we need to know.

 

i talked with my family last year about not buying crap for people at christmas and they looked at me like i was crazy. it feels good to say fuck it to the christmas shenanigans. that's what i did last year, and that's what i'm doing this year. i think the difference between this year and last year is that i will not cash any checks i get, and i'm still wondering if there is a non-asshole way to return gifts to sender, so to speak.

 

If you can set up a backyard garden and sell to people out of a fruit stand, then they might just be tempted to buy your homegrown produce.

 

people will still buy you things, trust me.

I think a better plan is to say that you want no material gifts, but if they feel that they must, you would appreciate a donation in your name to your favorite charity.

 

I have a lot of "Buy nothing day"s Some of that (a small %) is because I have very little money. A larger % of the reason is because I hate feeding the monster.

When I do buy stuff, it's used...... Cheaper and I'm doing something to give items a second (or third) life instead of it hitting the landfill.

 

Sadly this is what christmas has become,A HUGE SPAM EVENT

No one remembers the real reason for christmas!!

 

what you don't by that day

you'll just buy the next.

 

Great idea. Personally id like to finish the year with buying nothing.

Everyone would have some extra cash in their pockets and the greedy corporations lost billions in revenu.

When i worked in the grocery store i sure wish people didnt buy so much worthless shit. Made the work enviorment stressfull as hell.