Not to divert the thread, but does anyone find it sad and ironic that this kind of frenzied mass consumption should be right in line with what all the policy wonks are prescribing in order to end the recession?  "Spend, spend, spend!  Don't save, saving is evil!  Consume mass quantities!"

I like how at the end of the article they throw in some of the deals at Wal-Mart. "Hey look, this employee got killed because of reckless shopping crowds, but then again, look at the deals they were after." Ugh, makes me sick.

People were refusing police orders to leave the store, even after they were told they'd trampled someone to death.  They didn't care.

173 million Americans went to stores this weekend commanded by marketing. When will the public start to ignore the commands of big corporations and start to think for them selves.

Nah, we have TV, its programing the next generation of consumption even as we speak.

Anyone having visions of Orwell's 1984?

We were way past 1984 by 1984.

Quote from: tekla on December 02, 2008, 12:46:31 AM
We were way past 1984 by 1984.

Shhhhh, you have to break it to them slowly.

Quote from: Leslie Ann on December 02, 2008, 01:08:24 AM

Quote from: tekla on December 02, 2008, 12:46:31 AM
We were way past 1984 by 1984.

Shhhhh, you have to break it to them slowly.

I believe that Orwell wrote it in 1948, and flipped the numbers. It was already there then.

Z

I think that is correct, minus the TV stuff.

Quote from: Zythyra on December 02, 2008, 09:17:23 AM

Quote from: Leslie Ann on December 02, 2008, 01:08:24 AM

Quote from: tekla on December 02, 2008, 12:46:31 AM
We were way past 1984 by 1984.

Shhhhh, you have to break it to them slowly.

I believe that Orwell wrote it in 1948, and flipped the numbers. It was already there then.

Z

That was a good point.

God how absolutely repugnant, how on earth can anyway care so much about anything that ->-bleeped-<-eous store sells that they would actually trample a man to death for it??

Tragic indictment of how consumerist the western world has become that things like this are by no means a rarity.

Quote from: milliontoone on January 23, 2009, 03:40:31 PM
God how absolutely repugnant, how on earth can anyway care so much about anything that ->-bleeped-<-eous store sells that they would actually trample a man to death for it??

Tragic indictment of how consumerist the western world has become that things like this are by no means a rarity.

Yes it happens at rock concerts, sporting events, night clubs, demonstrations, etc. Mob mentality is what happens when people stop thinking for them selves and follow the crowd.

I remember seeing that on the news. It is sickening to say the least.
It makes you wonder how society can revert back to behaving like a herd of cattle or some other stampeding animal.
The guy was a good sized security guard. He went over to unlock the doors for the opening of the sale.

Mobs have no mentality. 

It makes you wonder how society can revert back to behaving like a herd of cattle

Its not like its all that far a trip.  Get Real.

Quote from: tekla on January 24, 2009, 04:34:07 AM
It makes you wonder how society can revert back to behaving like a herd of cattle

Its not like its all that far a trip.  Get Real.

Yeah, I've worked places where that is evident and I think you have also. But I still can't accept or understand such behavior. Then again, I did like to jump into mosh pits in younger days

of course, moving with the crowd is the best way to avoid being trampled.

I prefer cutting their feet off.