American Consumerism

In Defense of Hypocrisy

The Cornell Sun | Posted 04.12.2012

Read More: American Consumerism, Consumerism, Financial Oppression, Oppression, White Guilt, College Activism, Social Class, Social Class Oppression, Social Activism, College News
The Cornell Sun

As a white activist, I get this a lot. What does a white liberal weekend revolutionary know about police brutality? What gives me the cultural authority to quote the poetry of Gil Scott-Heron? And who the hell do I think I am?

Read Post

Breaking the Consumer Addiction

Jamie Anne Richardson | Posted 05.27.2012

Read More: Consumerism, Parenting, Finance, Spending Habits, Paypal, Online Advertising, American Consumerism, Overspending, Facebook, Online Shopping Consumerism, Parents News
Jamie Anne Richardson

The problem is that the ease with which we buy online is now rubbing off on our kids. The era of instant gratification blurs the line between wants and needs.

Read Post

Reducing Consumption in 2012 -- An Inconvenient but Necessary Resolution

Judith Samuelson | Posted 03.05.2012

Read More: Ebay, American Consumerism, Sustainable Consumption, Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia, Green News
Judith Samuelson

Our economy however, seems built on a set of habits that would suggest that if we all commit to the same resolution of buying less, the layoffs will only get worse. Welcome to the quandary of sustainable consumption.

Read Post

Santa's War on Christmas

Jason Stanford | Posted 02.22.2012

Read More: Santa Claus, War on Christmas, Rick Perry, Consumerism, Bill O'Reilly War on Christmas, Christmas Consumerism, American Consumerism, Fox News War on Christmas, Politics News
Jason Stanford

If there is a War on Christmas, the liberals are getting routed. It's time for evangelicals to declare victory on this front and fight the real secular threat to the true meaning of Christmas: Santa Claus.

Read Post

Space Invaders

Charles Kolb | Posted 02.06.2012

Read More: Great Recession, Black Friday, Foreclosures, Consumerism, Holiday Shopping, Shopping, Online Advertising, Advertising, American Consumerism, Aggressive Marketing, Marketing, Conscious Consumerism, Real Estate, Business News
Charles Kolb

I'm all for our capitalist society and for making profits, but at some point. American consumers will rebel against the relentless intrusion into their private time and their private space.

Read Post

Pepper Spray Hospitality

Michael W. Waters | Posted 02.04.2012

Read More: American Consumerism, Black Friday Pepper Spray, Black Friday Shopping, Hospitality, Black Voices Life, Bv-Life, Pepper Spray, Pepper Spraying Cop, Black Voices News
Michael W. Waters

We are a less hospitable nation. Hospitality has been exchanged for a heightened hostility. Let's call it pepper spray hospitality, which is, in fact, no hospitality at all. We are a spray first, ask questions later, kind of society.

Read Post

Eco Etiquette: How To Have A Zero Waste Holiday Season

Jennifer Grayson | Posted 01.29.2012

Read More: Holiday Waste, Consumerism, Green Holiday, Green Advice, Cyber Monday, American Consumerism, Zero Waste Holiday, Zero Waste Home, Holiday Spending, Green Living, Zero Waste, Bea Johnson, Green News
Jennifer Grayson

Despite the down economy, Americans are still buying, buying, buying: This past Cyber Monday was the heaviest online shopping day of all time, with $1.25 billion spent. And as a result, our garbage cans are fuller than ever.

Read Post

Consuming To Create Jobs: A Moral Dilemma For People Of Faith

Frank G. Kirkpatrick | Posted 12.13.2011

Read More: U.S. Economy, Social Justice, Free Market, Religion and the Economy, American Consumerism, Consumerism, Christianity and the Economy, Economic Crisis, Christian Ethics, Christian Economics, Religious Consumerism, Christian Consumerism, Economy, Religion News
Frank G. Kirkpatrick

Many economists are urging Americans to go into the market and buy more things for the sake of jobs. But for people of faith, this imperative to buy creates a difficult moral dilemma.

Read Post

Shop Smarter -- And Smaller -- This Christmas

Sarah Wexler | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Holiday Season, Christmas Shopping, Consumer Spending, Shopping, Happiness, Christmas Gifts, Consumerism, America, Holiday Shopping, American Consumerism, Economy, Mall of America Shopping, The Mall of America, America Economy, Healthy Living News
Sarah Wexler

Americans tend to over-consume, which is especially true over the holidays -- from gorging ourselves on Christmas cookies to spending ourselves into debt on presents.

Read Post

Black Friday Rehab

John DeCock | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Waste, American Consumerism, Greed, Cyber Monday, Consumerism, Black Friday Shopping, Black Friday, Impact News
John DeCock

This year, celebrate Black Friday as Buy Nothing Day. Go one full day without a single consumer transaction. But keep the TV off.

Read Post

A Buddhist Vision of Life Aside From Consumerism

Craig K. Comstock | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Stephen Batchelor, Consumerism in Buddhism, American Consumerism Culture, American Consumerism, Buddha and Stuff, Consumerism in America, Buddhism Without Beliefs, Buddhism and Consumerism, Buddha Consumerism, Religion News
Craig K. Comstock

I don't know whether the Buddha ever rioted for austerity, but he certainly counseled against arousing rampant desire, especially as a way of life.

Read Post

We've Lost Our Rights, to Corporations

William Astore | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Citizenship, Supreme Court, American Consumerism, Supreme Court Political Campaign Ruling, Supreme Court First Amendment, Politics News
William Astore

Corporations are the new citizens of this country, and ordinary Americans, who used to be known as "citizens," now fall into three categories: consumers, warriors and prisoners.

Read Post

A New New Year's Resolution: Redefining the Tradition

Cicily Janus | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: New Years Eve, American Consumerism, Holidays, Holiday Season Commentary, New Year's Commentary, Resolutions, New Year's Resolutions, Consumerism, Dieting, New Year's Resolution, Diet Advice, New Years Resolution, New Year, Resolution, New Years Resolutions, Impact News
Cicily Janus

I resolve to make a list this year of things that will lessen my personal ignorance to larger issues at hand.

Read Post

Outrageous and Excessive Holiday Deals (PHOTOS)

Huffington Post | ThienVinh Nguyen | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: American Consumerism, Consumerism, Black Friday Shopping, Black Friday, Unneccesary Products, Consumer Goods, Slidepoll, Waste, Green News, Trash, Green News

A big part of the enticement of holiday shopping is getting "deals." Here at HuffPost Green, we think that the frenzy around Black Friday and holiday...

Read Whole Story

War on Christmas: Who Is the Enemy?

Jonathan Merritt | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: What Would Jesus Buy, American Consumerism, Culture Wars, Materialism, Morgan Spurlock, War on Christmas, Consumer Spending, Morgan Spurlock Documentary, Consumerism, Culture Warrior, Culture, Christmas, Christmas Gifts, Christianity, Christians, Conservative Christians, Christmas Shopping, American Consumers, Advent, Advent Conspiracy, Rick McKinley, Chris Seay, Healthy Living News
Jonathan Merritt

In reality, Christmas for Americans--and yes, even the Christian ones--is shaped more by Currier and Ives than Joseph and Mary.

Read Post

No Impact Week: The Most Ridiculous, Wasteful Consumer Products Ever (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Huffington Post | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Slidepoll, Green Living, American Consumerism, Bacon, Pet-Products, Pet Snuggie, Noseaid, Wrapped Tic Tacs, Spinning Ice Cream Cone, Unnecessary Products, Tic Tac Silvers, Snuggie-as-Seen-on-Tv, Consumer Spending, Crazy-Japanese-Inventions, Products, Tatermitts, Avocado Slicer, Consumerism, Snuggie, Umbrella Hat, Exercise Machines, Automatic Ice Cream Cone, Funny, Funny Ads, No Impact Week, Green News

A major theme throughout No Impact Week has been consumption, and how much we buy (and waste!) that is unnecessary. Here at HuffPost Green we've been ...

Read Whole Story

ReThink Review: A Charlie Brown Christmas -- the True Spirit of Christmas, Free of Charge

Jonathan Kim | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Charlie Brown, American Consumerism, Materialism, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Christmas, Charles Schulz, Rethink Reviews, Commercialism, Jonathan Kim, Entertainment News
Jonathan Kim

A video review of the 1965 classic film, which is streaming for free on Hulu through the end of 2009.

Read Post

The New Face of Fashion: Sustainable Luxury

Jeffrey Hutchison | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Green Fashion, Retail Industry, Green Architecture, Retail Sales, Eco Fashion, Architecture, Retail, Department Stores, Fashion/Apparel, Fashion Trends, American Consumerism, Profitable Businesses, Corporate Sustainability, Consumerism, Recycle, Advertising, Recycled Materials, Reuse, Sustainability, Marketing, American Consumers, Style News
Jeffrey Hutchison

Embracing sustainability and crafting a new face of luxury need not be at odds; by exploring ways to achieve both simultaneously, an exciting new era of of design can be borne.

Read Post

Latest Consumer Spending Data Much Worse Than Expected

Sheldon Filger | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Federal Reserve, Commerce Department, Retail Sales, Consumer Spending, Recession, Interest Rates, Deleveraging-the-Economy, American Consumerism, Automaker Bailout, Wall Street Bailout, Obama Administration, Fiscal Responsibility, Global Economic Crisis, Unemployment Numbers, Global Recession, Federal Bailouts, Consumer Confidence, Unemployment, Economic Stimulus Package, Federal Budget Deficit, Cash for Clunkers, Recession Fears, Consumers, Recession Watch, Business News
Sheldon Filger

The centrality of the U.S. consumer to the overall global economy has meant his pulling back on a debt induced shopping spree, which has sparked a worldwide synchronized recession.

Read Post

New York's Consumerism

Reverend Billy | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Texas Oil, Monetization, American Consumerism, Consumer Confidence, Consumerism, Corporate America, Michael Bloomberg, New York City Apartments, American Culture, Corporate Greed, Consumer Spending, 1950s, New York City, New York News
Reverend Billy

Consumerism is what they call a "totalizing system." It expands outward across the landscape and simultaneously into the individual's psyche. It must expand.

Read Post

A Time for Adaptation

Anthony Anderson | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Financial Crisis, Green Economy, Evolution, Organic Food, Fruit Trees, Economic Crisis, Consumerism, American Consumerism, Adaptation, Green Policy, Green News
Anthony Anderson

Recession? Depression? Adaptation. Go green for your survival in the 21st Century. Darwin would be impressed at your foresight.

Read Post

My Imitation Future Lifestyle

Jeffrey Shaffer | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Status, Money, Humor, Costumes, Online Shopping, Fake Watch, American Consumerism, Spam, Ford Ranger, Imitation Rolex, Imitation, Rolex, Fraud, Fake Rolex, Bmw, Consumerism, Branding, Style News
Jeffrey Shaffer

I need to hold off on procuring the imitation Rolex until I can augment it with an imitation BMW, imitation Armani wardrobe, and the all-important imitation second home in Telluride.

Read Post

Are Americans Becoming Less Acquisitive?

Marlene H. Phillips | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Bob Herbert, U.S. Economy, American Consumerism, Consumerism, Christmas Shopping, Shopping, Recession, Healthy Living News
Marlene H. Phillips

Standing in the nearly empty mall observing the lack of buying interest, I wondered if maybe the American way of measuring status by stuff and price tag is getting turned upside down.

Read Post

Conspiring Against Consumerism at Christmas

Tri Robinson | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: U.S. Economy, Sustainable Living, Consumerism, Environmental Footprint, American Consumerism, Christmas, Environment, Advent Conspiracy, Simplicity, Green News
Tri Robinson

In the midst of these tumultuous economic times in our world, it's curious how our culture perceives increased consumption as the answer to this problem.

Read Post