Written by Carmine Gorga, The Somist Institute
Last Thanksgiving, we were inundated with brochures merchandizing all the tantalizing possibilities of spending our money on Black Friday.
Black Friday? Even Noir Friday, now? What an organized set of temptations! Who can resist them?
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We can kvetch about it from now until doomsday; we can berate capitalism and the market until hell freezes over. If we do not do something about it, our words are going to be dispersed in the winds of the ages.
What can we do?
Edmund Burke famously stated:
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Well, someone might reflexively object to equating the purchase-and sale of stuff with evil. But once we consider all the implications of the excesses of Black Friday upon our wallet, our psyche, and the disparagement of and the oppression felt by people in our midst who cannot afford even one purchase on Black Friday, the equation is not that far off the mark.
Let me specify, I have absolutely nothing against Capitalism. No, I have nothing to add to the many wonderful depictions of our material world. It is only fools who berate the spectacular advances in chirurgy, medicine, communications, and transportation, to keep the list short. I do not even have much to say against financial Capitalism.
It is 1% Capitalism that concerns me.
Transcendentalists and New Agers and Spiritual Leaders in each and every Tradition, too often, are not of much help. They tell us that we have to pay more attention to spiritual matters, like love our friends, and serve less material matters. Right. But they make the world sound like a miserable place. What these “specialists” often fail to emphasize is that once we set our spiritual house in order, then we are free to truly, deeply enjoy our wonderful material house – the “material” world is indeed full of wonders.
All these considerations are of no concern here. The question is: What can we do about the inundation of our minds on Black Friday – and many other days throughout the year? Do we have any better use for our “mad” money? The solution that has been in the back of my mind for quite a few years has finally had an opportunity to show itself at the forefront.
So, let us take this deep plunge.
Many years ago, I conceived of this fund. I named it A Mutual Assistance Fund, I published it on a website and in my book, To My Polis – With Love. No takers.
Golden Saturdays, anybody? Lisa Golden Saturday Fund? Mary Golden Saturday Fund? John Golden Saturday Fund? Will a beautiful name attract more people?
Let us see whether it is possible to put old wine in new wineskin. One more specification might poise our brain in the right direction: Money gathered by each Golden Saturday Fund will not be lost to the merchants or the economy! This money will be spent on different days, less frantic days, by different people, on different objects, perhaps at the site of inventive merchants.
Following are a set of suggestions; change everything; adapt the spirit to your needs.
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