Korean Job Discussion Forums

oni · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: Seoul

Today is the annual day of anti-consumerism
I haven't read there's anything happening in Korea which is not exactly the place of anti-consumerist activities but there are some interesting things going on around the globe.
check out www.adbusters.org

So avoid Walmart, McMurder, Starsucks and other nasty multi-nationals today.

mithridates · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 11:20 am Post subject:

And if Starbucks is the one thing I do spend money on?

I'm going there early tomorrow (or today) actually to get some work done. Don't worry though, buy nothing is pretty much my middle name. Confused

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

What a cruel coincidence- I have to 'buy' $1600 worth of car repairs today. Sad

Has anyone got themselves some 'unswooshers' yet?

https://secure.adbusters.org/orders/blackspot.v2/

(a noble concept but those unswooshers have a serious case of the uglies)

Universalis · Joined: 17 Nov 2003 Location: Seoul

Yea, just buy whatever you need the day before or the day after. That'll show 'em.

It's called Slacktivism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slacktivism

Brian

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

ChimpumCallao · Joined: 17 May 2005 Location: your mom

Swiss James · Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Location: Shanghai

I understand the positive aspects of being careful where you shop, not buying sweatshop clothes or drinking coffee served by underage child workers- but why is it always McDonalds, Nike and Starbucks that get the thumbs down from these people?

I had a mate who refused to drink coffee in Starbucks because they wouldn't let their staff form unions or something- so I ask her
"What's Pascucci's policy on unions?"
"I don't know, can I get a grande cappuccino?"

nene · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Location: Samcheok, Gangwon-do

i think the intended theme of buy nothing day is to bring attention to how consumer-centric we are. it's so easy for us to buy things we don't need, and it's so easy for us to think we need/want things we don't... maybe it's a good idea to have one day set aside to reflect on that, since the other 364 are - to varying degrees - devoted to making and spending money.

the evil multinationals is a seperate but connected idea. walmart sucks ass, for example, because they intentionally shit all over their employees to keep our chinese imports rock bottom cheap, not simply because they are big and multinational.

whole foods on the other hand, is huge (i don't know if it's outside of the US yet) and great. they get 100% of their power from wind, support local and organic agriculture, donate 5% of their profits, etc.

long live adbusters!

http://adbusters.org/metas/eco/truecosteconomics/manifesto/

ChimpumCallao · Joined: 17 May 2005 Location: your mom

paperbag princess · Joined: 07 Mar 2004 Location: veggie hell

well, i like shopping (maybe too much). but i like to buy from companies that support what i think is acceptable. i want less packaging, more organic ingredients and i don't want it to be tested on animals. if there's a company that wants to market to those preferences, that's great. if you wanna buy cheaply made crap at walmart, go ahead that's your right.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

nene · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Location: Samcheok, Gangwon-do

ChimpumCallao - a memo written by walmart's VP of benefits was just leaked... it describes things like how they cut costs by firing employees that have been in the corperation for long enough to receive their 'full benefits' package and how they ensure that every position requires some physical activity to ensure that new hires' medical premiums' will be low.

you're right that no one is obligated to be a walmart emplyee, but most people do need a job. when people spend money at local establishments, that money resonates locally (A shops at B, B dines at C, C orders from A), which fuels productivity and raises standards of living. when people spend money at walmart, that money is suddenly extracted from the community, which results in local establishments closing, increased unemployment, and suddenly people need to work at walmart to feed themselves. so they go get $5.15 per hour ($10,400 per year at full time) with minimal benefits. and now we know that walmart will fire them within a couple of years anyway. also, they support awful labor practices abroad.

this isn't to say that the blame should be placed on walmart... the responsibility rests squarely on the consumer. unfortunately, most consumers aren't informed or don't care, so companies like walmart flourish. it would be nice if buy nothing day were one day to reflect on issues like these.

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

The above post was economic nonsense. Do what you think is right. If you want to buy low cost items of average quality there is nothing wrong with going to Walmart. Your money doesn't just dissappear out of the local economy....I'm not going to argue with someone who has no clue what drives the economy.

Keep to the principals of buy nothing day and don't buy anything from anywhere .. otherwise you are just being a hypocrite. Seriously, do you need that organic cranberry juice.. but not that stuff sold at Costco. Give me a break.

joe_doufu · Joined: 09 May 2005 Location: Elsewhere

I *love* that that Adbusters website is hawking an Adbusters(tm) brand calendar and Unswooshers(tm) brand athletic shoes, right after the splash screen about anti-consumerism. Irony is dead.

krats1976 · Joined: 14 May 2003

The day after Thanksgiving is a great day to have "Buy Nothing" day... it would give me a moral excuse for avoiding like the plague the rabid hordes of Day-after-Thanksgiving shoppers. Laughing

(of course, I'd love to be dealing with those psychos right now since it would mean that I'd be at home which I was supposed to be right now. Crying or Very sad

)