An ecommerce site (
http://www.alonovo.com) not processing shopping transactions and instead celebrating Buy Nothing Day?
Is this the punchline to a joke?
Is this an attempt to devalue share prices as part of a company stock buyback?
Has the CEO lost his mind?
Well, indeed the latter is always a compelling topic. Nevertheless, we thought while retail frenzy swirls about our community, we take an extra day, first to reflect on the holiday season which is once again upon us. While the TV tells us we will find certain happiness in the new BMW, how people will love us forever if they only have one more diamond ring, how the new combination blender/vacuum/toaster/juice extractor will help put the meaning back into our lives -we are not going to buy it. Our lives are defined by each of us, not by things.
It is therefore we join the promoters at Adbusters. We are not saying that buying things that we want or need, or that others may want or need is bad. We are just saying that we will not respond with the Pavlov-ian hordes that will respond to the day after Thanksgiving sales like a dog and a bell.
Together we are the new intelligent marketforce demand. We desire a balance between people, planet and profit. We want a growing, fair economy. We want clean air and fresh water. We want to preserve open spaces and the wonder of nature.