Did you know it was your JOB to be a good consumer?

[antigop]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/01/house_has_passed_a_146_billion.php

Quote from John Boehner on the stimulus package:

"The sooner we get this relief in the hands of the American people, the sooner they can begin to do their job of being good consumers," Boehner said.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Will I get fired if I don't buy a Whizzo Chrome Plated Tomato Crusher?

[fasttense]

2. All hail the good consumer.

No longer are we citizens. We are consumers who shop, and shop, buying up crap so huge multinational corporations can make billions. Do your job and go into debt consuming those cheap and tainted products coming from China.

[electron_blue]

3. Yes. I voiced disgust over this a few days ago and got blasted for not being

in favor of supporting the economy.

[earth mom]

38. Obvious freepers do that. nt

[electron_blue]

39. Yes, of course. But this was from a long-standing DU'er.

[earth mom]

46. Don't be fooled by that. nt

[Solly Mack]

4. I buy second hand all the time. Does that make me a failure at my job?

:(

[eFriendly]

5. I quit being a "good consumer" a long time ago. Now, I'm a frugal consumer. nt

[ORDagnabbit]

6. Known it for a while...sadly most people dont really understand how they've been programmed these

last couple of decades..

[Cant trust em]

7. I have no plans for my rebate n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

8. Consuming is a patriotic act.l

Really the only thing that keeps this economy going.

[DJ13]

9. I'll consume as soon as my pay matches the increased inflation

These assholes dont understand that it cant be a one way street, with the consumers being asked to do it all.

The corporations need to face reality that they cant hold down pay just to please Wall street without damaging the consumers they depend on.

[Dumak]

10. Huh, what about those savings accounts we're supposed to have?

BushCo has been pushing us for years for us to have retirement savings accounts (to replace social security), and health care savings accounts. And now, we are supposed to take our rebate checks, and buy stuff? Talk about infantilizing the adult population.

How about, instead of the rebate checks, they stop throwing our money away on wars that we don't need, and stop the windfall profits going to companies with virtual monopolies, like the oil and drug companies?

[Zensea]

11. Does it pay well?

If so, sign me up!

[warren pease]

12. If we don't buy stuff, the terrorists win.

[FATCATs]

14. I did my patriotic duty on Christmas

I’m good for at least another year.
No stinkin terrorist is gonna tell me I cant consume ....:nuke: OOPPs

[warren pease]

30. You miss the point...

The war on terror isn't about one-time shopping sprees and quick fixes. It's christmas every day in the battle against Islamofascism. And as our president warned us, this war won't end in our lifetimes.

We're in it for the long haul and, as consumer-warriors in the last great crusade, we have to do the hard work, scrape our dimes and quarters together every single day and buy more stuff for the landfill. It's a grind, I know, but as the president said, "It's hurd wurk."

If he's working that hard to protect us from the dark forces of unspeakable evil who are just waiting for the right moment to slaughter us in our beds – horribly, painfully and brutally -- the least we can do is help him out by buying a cheap pole lamp or a synthetic area rug. That way, we're not only helping defeat the terrorists, we're helping our great partner China improve its balance of trade.

I hope you'll join me in the hard work ahead. We can't take the easy way out; we need to be on the job, alert and ready to consume at the first tinny sounds of a radio commercial. We need to fight them at Walmart so we don't have to fight them in our own backyards.


And gawd bless america.

wp

[NastyRiffraff]

13. And of course if you go into debt

and can't pay your bills, it's your fault for being TOO good a consumer.

[Initech]

16. Yup. Debt = good for the economy.

Gotta spend all that money you dont have! :eyes:

I have two credit cards, one is almost paid off. When it is, I'm giving my bank the heave-ho and putting my money in a local bank.

[Deja Q]

24. Well, it'll help people pay off some of their debt...

Surely not a bad thing either?!

[Initech]

15. I try to consume as little as possible.

I even flat-out despise being labeled as a consumer. Malls are such horrible places and I maybe spend about 30 minutes a year in them. Mine will be going toward taking a much-needed vacation.

[FATCATs]

18. Spend it Baby, Just Spend it

[Lorien]

20. Me too. I'm a CITIZEN, not a "consumer"

to consume ultimately means :

v.tr.

1. To take in as food; eat or drink up. See synonyms at eat.
2.
1. To expend; use up: engines that consume less fuel; a project that consumed most of my time and energy.
2. To purchase (goods or services) for direct use or ownership.
3. To waste; squander. See synonyms at waste.
4. To destroy totally; ravage: flames that consumed the house; a body consumed by cancer.
5. To absorb; engross: consumed with jealousy. See synonyms at monopolize.

v.intr.

1. To be destroyed, expended, or wasted.
2. To purchase economic goods and services: a society that consumes as fast as it produces.




If I buy a non food item it's more often than not something that is used or antique, or locally made so that I'm contributing to the local economy without having to have something shipped halfway around the world. I need to build up some savings to have any hope of retiring someday, so "consuming" is my very last priority. Besides; our planet simply CAN NOT continue to support our consumption habits.

[Initech]

28. I agree.

If I buy something, it had better last me a long fucking time. I have a 3 year old Mac laptop and iPod that are still in perfect working condition that I have no intentions of getting rid of because of something that is new , flashier, and more expensive. If I buy a music CD I rip it to my hard drive and then I put the original on the shelf where it wont get fingerprints or scratches.

[silverweb]

17. Of course.

Did you ever actually note that when the American people started being called "consumers" they also stopped being called "citizens"?

I refuse to use the term "consumer" just like I refuse to use the term "human resources" for the personnel department at work.

I'm not a "resource" or a "consumer."

I'm an individual who trades a portion of my time and skills for money, and a citizen who makes reasoned choices about the governance of my community and country -- (no matter how hopelessly the deck seems stacked against me at times).

[Javaman]

19. SOMA! SOMA! SOMA! SOMA! SOMA! SOMA! NT

[Deja Q]

23. What's a SOMA?

:)

[Javaman]

36. A drug to lull the masses in the novel "brave new world". nt

[dysfunctional press]

43. Soma is actually the brand name of a pain-relief medication.

i've taken it in the past.

http://www.soma250.com/?gclid=CPmV1JnBnJECFRu6Igodi3H9vA

[Jack Bone]

21. This from U2's Popmart tour...

I had this graphic on a concert shirt, years ago.

[Deja Q]

22. I wish to consume, and contribute by putting things back in with the items I bought to consume.

It is relief, and short term, but buying time allows us to restructure so we can get back on our own feet.

And the more money we get, the more we can buy things that help us be productive - which in turn makes us put out more for others to buy.

We all have the ability to produce, make, distribute, consume; all in a self- and society-fulfilling way.

I didn't read the full article, but your lack of context allows others to put in context. Forgive me for not being cynical; I'm trying to break old patterns today. ;) Maybe I'll be a mouthy bastard tomorrow. But not today. That's all I need to worry about. Today.

And the same goes for everybody.

[Lorien]

27. Try this:

http://www.conservation.org/act/live_green/Pages/ecofootprint.aspx?gclid=COik29GsnJECFQdjsgodWXjbPw

Our consumption habit will be our undoing.

[Deja Q]

32. Thanks for the link. Here are my results:

BTW: As I don't get the newspaper, some of those questions cannot apply and as such may incorrectly affect my score. ;)

#5 was difficult to answer; I've even been doing #6 long before fluorescent bulbs became a fad...

Oh, as for #6, microwaves are said to destroy nutrient value in vegetables such as broccoli. Uh-oh... that helps tarnish #5 as well.

These two dimensional tests are usually for entertainment value only, but 61 was my result based on existing criteria.

[Virginia Dare]

25. I shop, therefore I am....n/t

[ixion]

26. yeah, 300 bucks will solve everything, right bonehead

:eyes:

It becomes more clear to me each passing day that our government despises us.

[walldude]

29. Reminds me of The Matrix

when Agent Smith gives his critique of humans.

"I'd like to share a revelation I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we are the cure."

Consume, till it's all gone. Good plan.

[LoveOverGold]

31. Borrow spend borrow spend....

Borrow money from the Chinese so we can use it to buy Chinese junk from Walmart. Bushes "Plan".

[niyad]

33. hey, crybaby, I am a proud member of the"buy nothing new" movement. come and get me.

[niyad]

34. so, I guess that guy the other day who spends $2K more than he makes each

month is a hero, right? (anybody still have the link for that story?)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

35. My Mom taught me to be frugal. She thought it was a good thing.

She was right. The RW is wrong.

[earth mom]

37. Well they can ki$$ my consumer a$$ because I'm not spending it at the big box stores!

Dh and I are spending the money on our garden and on recycled materials from the architectural salvage, some seeds and plants from the nursery and some new galvanized horse trough planters from the farm supply.

Best Buy and Walmart won't see one thin dime of that money!

:evilgrin:

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

40. I want a raise.

A BIG raise.

:evilgrin:

[lumberjack_jeff]

41. Of course. Being citizens isn't something they want us doing. n/t

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

42. Yes, that's what they teach you in school

They used to teach you to be a good worker.

[allalone]

44. let's start greeting each other as citizen

I've been harping a while on this consumer/taxpayer bullshit. This is our country.
We need leaders, not politicians. We need them to understand that they serve at our pleasure.
Public service was not set up by the founding fathers to be a way to become a millionaire and some
how on their salaries these people are. Also, not meant to be a lifetime job.
An old Chicago saying for you. Throw the bums out!

[brentspeak]

45. Hey, Rep. Bone-Head: Drop dead.