Bill Moyers wrote that "it has been said that the mark of a truly educated person is to be deeply moved by statistics." To the extent that this is true, go hither and understand the world through the statistics presented by "Worldometers." Lots of thought-provoking statistics kept up to the…
Okay, so we all would like to save the planet, save the environment, and save a buck on heating and cooling. The price of heating gas is rising. So, how can I decide whether electric heaters are more cost effective than the gas furnace? How do I compare gas company…
I think so. The rampant commercialization of the U.S. becomes powerfully evident whenever I return from an extended trip to a country where people don’t wallow in materialism (on this exact point, see this post by Mindy Carney). Americans are professional buyers and horders of things they don’t need. I believe that the trojan horse of ubiquitious advertising is largely to blame. Before I go further, here are a couple of quotes to ponder.
Don’t tell my mother I work in an advertising agency – she thinks I play piano in a whorehouse. ~Jacques Seguela
He who buys what he does not need steals from himself. ~Author Unknown
Many people would argue that we can freely ignore advertisements. Therefore, it’s OK to make the all-American deal: allow as many ads as necessary to pay for news and entertainment.
I disagree. Yes, we can ignore particular commercials or even dozens of commercials. But the average person is exposed to two million television commercials by age 65. In The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less (2005), Barry Schwartz writes that “The average American sees three thousands ads a day.” As advertising professor James Twitchell puts it, “Ads are what we know about the world around us.” Just listen to Americans! They have become the commercials they have been exposed to. They just can’t stop craving the things they see advertised. They recite skits they hear on commercials just like people often used to sing the melodies they heard on …
You might have to force yourself to work all the way through "America 101," a recent article by Bill Moyers. Those who care about America's future will make it all the way through, despite the bad news. The article is yet another well-researched and well-expressed piece of writing by Moyers,…
Would you like to know how socially responsible your favorite corporation is? Check out this Responsible Shopper, a site that conducts global research regarding the conduct of corporations. They offer a wealth of information Here's a bit from the Responsible Shopper "About" page: Responsible Shopper reports on global research and campaign…