Operation Buy Less\r\n<\/p>
The capitalist war machine runs on cash. This is true whatever way you\r\nlook at it. The segment of society that pays the graft which puts the\r\nmafia parties in power, the government that buys the munitions, the war industry\r\nthat develops weapons, the national security industry that takes away our\r\npersonal liberties - all of these depend upon cash. The cash they wield is\r\nyour cash. They obtain it through the \"choices\" YOU make. \r\nIt's time to start making other choices.<\/p>\r\n
Over the dark year and months since 9\/11, the working class saw increased\r\nunemployment, wage cuts, benefits losses, and longer worker hours for\r\nless. At the same time, our fascist leaders urged Americans to buy\r\nmore. We were urged to take vacations (think of the vacuous statements\r\nmade by FOG (fascist occupational government) dictator Bush about how patriotic\r\nit was to go to Disneyland! Remember the talk show brownshirts equating\r\nbuying stock with being a patriot! Remember all the media noting how\r\npatriotic it is to spend, spend, spend!<\/p>\r\n
And while we got poorer and spent more, our valuable tax dollars were\r\nsquandered on billions of dollars in aid to Israel, a wealthy nation with a\r\ngreedy hand. Our tax dollars were handed out, left and right, to Afghan\r\ninformants. Billions of dollars of our hard earned money were pumped into\r\nungrateful airline mega corporations. And when congress was about to\r\nrecess, they went home without extending the unemployment benefits of America's\r\njobless.<\/p>\r\n
The Resistance says, \"Enough!\" It is time to wind down the\r\neconomy, deny the corporate warmongers our cash, and reduce the tax revenue of\r\ngovernment.<\/p>\r\n
With the Christmas season fast approaching and the corporate whores pushing\r\ntheir wares, now is the time to salute them with an empty hand and a middle\r\nfinger. Rebels of America, reduce your spending!<\/p>\r\n
Reduction in spending does not mean living without. Reduction in\r\nspending does not mean foregoing Christmas gifts. The road to protest\r\ninvolves a change in the focus of production. Rather than buying, 'tis the\r\nseason for making and doing.<\/p>\r\n
Each of us has one or more talents. The application of these talents\r\nhas value. Members of the Resistance should shift from the capitalist\r\neconomy to the gift economy.<\/p>\r\n
How does one do this? Well, it's really quite simple. Rather than\r\nbuy someone a gift, make them a gift or give them a service. If you are\r\nhandy with sewing, make some clothes. If you are technologically talented,\r\nhelp a technologically untalented person out. If you are good at cleaning,\r\nclean a loved one's home or office. If you are full of energy and live in\r\nthe North, shovel someone's driveway. If you live in warmer climes, detail\r\na friend's car.<\/p>\r\n
When you provide a service or make an item and you do it as a gift, the\r\ngovernment has no way of taxing the labor employed to that end. Should you\r\nneed to buy materials to perform your service, they will surely be cheaper than\r\nthe value of the service itself. The value added by your labor will not be\r\ntaxed and no capitalist will skim it for his war machine.<\/p>\r\n
While all of this might make some feel awkward, there is a way of broaching\r\nthe intent without fearing the perception that you are motivated by\r\nfrugalness. Explain to each individual with whom you intend to exchange\r\ngifts why you have chosen to offer a service or a handmade item in place of a\r\nplastic piece of junk purchased at Walmart. Ask them to do the same for\r\nyou. If they agree, then you have increased the number of individuals\r\njoining the new economy while making your motivations clear.<\/p>\r\n
Make this a Christmas the right wing will never forget. Do your part in\r\ncreating the taxless and profit free economy. Deny the war machine the\r\nfuel it requires to fund its killing and impose its dictatorship. Be the\r\nGrinch that stole the fat cats' Christmas.<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"http:\/\/www.breakyourchains.org\/obl.htm","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"The Resistance calls for the implementation of a gift economy based on service and not purchase. ","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2002\/12\/22990.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}