Buying Less of What I Don’t Need: A Progress Report

It has been about a month since I wrote a post called "We Are People and We Reject Being Labeled as Consumers." At the end of that post, I said I planned to buy less of what I don't need. I knew this wouldn't be easy. I'd need to disengage the auto pilot and be more deliberate about what I was doing. It hasn't been easy, but I'm happy to report that I've made a lot of progress. The catch is that I've had several unexpected and necessary expenses. I realize that this may have helped me in my goal of buying less needless stuff. The real challenge will be whether I can sustain this positive change going forward.

I've learned at least one hard lesson about myself in this process already. I enjoy researching potential purchases on the Internet. I may complain about it, but I do enjoy it. If I'm not careful, it could become an expensive hobby. This is a problem because there's very little objective information out there. Most reviews are crafted to funnel the reader toward the purchase. It is also a problem because once I put the time in on the research, it becomes much harder to decide not to buy. I'll find myself in an artificial trap where I buy what I've decided is the best choice. But the best choice is often not to buy anything!

We Are People and We Reject Being Labeled As Consumers

I found myself watching some TV news the other day, which is something I've been avoiding lately. The story that stood out started as a broad examination of the state of the U.S. economy. The commentators highlighted some of the more puzzling recent moves. Trump had campaigned on lowering prices; his tariffs would do the opposite. The Republican Congress wants to make tax cuts for the wealthy permanent. They plan to do so by demolishing safety net programs we've all been paying into. The commentators posed the question of whether these moves might have political implications. If so, might they help to revive a bruised and battered Democratic Party?

I was skeptical, but that's not what this post is about. In fact, this post isn't about Trump or even about U.S. politics. It is about a word the commentators used over and over to describe you and I. It is a word we've all heard. But it is also a word I found jarring in the context in which they repeated it several times. You may disagree and think I'm over-reacting, but it is a word I find dehumanizing. The word was consumers. 

Are We Entering an Era of Meanness?

Consider everything you dislike about organized religion. For some of you, the list will be a long one. Is possible that organized religion could morph into something even worse? I'm imagining something that took most of what we dislike about religion and built on it. The positive aspects would be abandoned, leaving the worst impulses behind. These impulses would then gain the justification that only religion can offer. Your enemy is inhuman and deserves every horror you can imagine.

Could something like this already be happening? If we take a look at the current political climate of the United States, I'd suggest that it is. This strikes me as far more than the kind of political disagreements we've seen before. I see it more as a fundamental transformation of a nation. And while I'm reluctant to accept this, I worry that some of it may not be reversible. But even if much of it is, I have little doubt that many will be be harmed in the meantime. 

It isn't easy to characterize what I see taking place, but I'll take a stab at it. I'd say that we are transitioning toward a culture of meanness. I know this sounds simplistic, but I see much of what the Trump administration is doing in these terms. Yes, they want to burn it all down. The kindest thing we could say would be that it doesn't bother them that their efforts harm people. A more realistic description would be to suggest that this is their goal.

Have Water Bottles Become Essential Accessories?

There's one thing I can count on seeing in every meeting I attend. At least 20% of the attendees will have brought large water bottles, and the numbers are often much higher. I've been in meetings where I was the only one in the room without a water bottle. Some bottles are plain, and others have had stickers affixed to them. Some are visible sticking out of bags, but most have a place at the table or desk. At first, this seemed more common among younger people. That no longer seems to be the case.

The proliferation of water bottles is still new. At least, it is new enough that I have no trouble remembering before it started. I made it through too many years of school without seeing any water bottles in classrooms. I worked for at least 10 years before they showed up. You'd see them at the gym or in someone's car but not throughout the workplace. Some people brought one to work, but it stayed at their desk.

How Does Any Group Thrive Without Schisms?

Every online community I've ever been a part of has faced the threat of fragmentation at some point. Some people become dissatisfied with the status quo. It could be the moderation policies, the tone, the behavior of some members, or anything else. After a few rounds of public complaining, they decide to strike out on their own. They leave the community and create a new one.

The new community often fails to gain much traction. The old one is so much larger and well-established. It is bound to offer more content and opportunities for interaction. Many are content to remain part of it because it better meets their needs. They'll miss some of those who left but not enough to follow them.

Moments After Which There Is No Going Back

What is it about the 2024 U.S. presidential election that I'm still having a hard time coming to terms with? It isn't the outcome itself, as that did not surprise me. I figured that Trump would win. It was clear that the news media missed him and wanted him back in office. The surprise had more to do with how he won. This wasn't another case of wining the electoral college and losing the popular vote. He won both.

What does it mean to win the popular vote even when it does not determine the outcome of an election? It means that more of the Americans who bothered to vote preferred the winner of the popular vote. It is, in essence, a popularity contest. And Trump won it. This is the part I'm struggling with the most. Knowing everything we now know about him, more American voters wanted Trump back in power. It is tough to look at the country in the same way I once did. 

Bibles in Hotel Rooms is Another Strange Example of Christian Privilege

We've all heard of Christian privilege. I'd assume that most people have at least a basic understanding of what the term means. But what does it look like? There are many illustrative examples from which one might select. Choosing one to focus on seems incomplete, but the right one might be enough.

If you have ever traveled in the United States, you might have stayed overnight at a hotel or motel. And if you've done so, you might have noticed one book in every room of every one of them. Of course, we're talking about a book often referred to as "the Bible."

What Does It Mean to Be an American Today? Angrily Oblivious

"What does it mean to be American?" Assume that the person asking this question isn't looking for something trivial. An answer like "one who lives in the U.S." won't be satisfying. They are after something deeper, something with a bit more symbolism. Most of all, they want to know what it means to you.

What does it mean to me? Many things, some of which I've written about several times. But let's try something new. Suppose I had to limit myself to nothing longer than a two-word phrase. In two words, what does it mean to be an American? Angrily oblivious.

I'm Not Going to Reach the End of My Life and Wish I'd Worked More

I ran across a comment the other day someone had shared on their social media account. It said something about how only Americans would brag about how much of our lives we've sacrificed for our employers. It pissed me off. I couldn't disagree that far too many Americans do this, and that's why it pissed me off.

Throughout the blogosphere, it is common to see bloggers apologize for their absence. I know I've done it many times. I'm sorry I'll be away for a few days. I'm sorry I haven't written as much as I fear others may expect of me. I'm back now, and I'll try to do better.

Do Social Norms Against Discussing Religion Do More Harm Than Good?

I grew up in a time and place with a social norm against discussing religion in public. I learned that the topic was so divisive that it would invite conflict. Most families discouraged children from talking about it. Mine was no different. Those who violated the norm were impolite, even rude.

I remember that it took me a while to figure out how this worked. Why would something that seemed so important not be acceptable to discuss? Of course, there were exceptions. It was fine to discuss religion within one's family and at church. These were the appropriate contexts for doing so.

The Old Movie I Love Would Never Be Made Today

"There is no way that movie could get made today." I hear this claim quite a bit from people who are close to my age. It is accurate for many of the films I have enjoyed over the years. I can often relate to the sorrow experienced by the person pointing this out. But while true and (sometimes) unfortunate, it is also less than half of the story.

It is not hard to identify films that could never be made today. If we each select one of our favorites, it is easy to feel nostalgic. Our choice enriched our lives in some way, and that is valid. We ask ourselves, "What if that film had never been made? Wouldn't that be a shame?" It would, but before we get too sad over this state of affairs, there are at least two things we need to recognize.

Moral Panics Can Be Dangerous for Those Outside the Religious Majority

Image by ErikaWittlieb from Pixabay

If I had to pick one topic related to atheism that most fascinates and terrifies me, it would be that of moral panic. I am intrigued by mass hysteria and how it works. I like to examine the processes by which people do unspeakable things to one another. We humans have so many creative ways of rationalizing our cruelty!

As someone living in the United States, I have observed many moral panics. As an atheist, it is hard not to notice that most involve fundamentalist Christians. They are already too quick to impose their beliefs on others. This tendency gets amplified when they are afraid. I find that a terrifying prospect. Even when atheists aren't the target of a particular panic, we aren't far from it.

What Sacrifices Are We Making for Those Rugged Vehicles?

Image by Mike from Pixabay

I suppose "ruggedizing" isn't a word, but it should be. It would refer to making a motor vehicle more rugged, or at least making it look more rugged. Lift it, add an all-wheel drive system, and slap black plastic cladding all over it so Americans will buy it. Few people need vehicles like this, but that doesn't matter. Automakers have learned that "ruggedizing" their vehicles is an effective way to get Americans to buy them. I suspect it doesn't matter if the vehicle is any more capable as long as it looks like it might be.

I'm not writing this to condemn anyone. I can't claim to be immune to this tactic either. I'd like to think that's because I prefer utility over luxury. That may have something to do with it, but it doesn't explain the appeal of these vehicles. I suspect I've fallen victim to the "ruggedizing" trend too. Like many Americans, I'd like to be part of the "active lifestyle" crowd even though I'm not.

Within One Country, Your Rights Shouldn't Be Determined by Where You Live

Image by fajarbudi86 from Pixabay

What has always bothered me about the claim that the United States is one country vs. several? It doesn't seem to be accurate. Where someone lives within the country shouldn't determine all the things it does. It shouldn't determine whether one's vote counts. It shouldn't reveal the quality of the education one may receive in public schools. It shouldn't tell us anything about one's access to healthcare. Most of all, it shouldn't determine one's rights under the law.

I'm sure you've heard about Walgreens employees allegedly refusing service based on their religious beliefs. We all know this sort of thing will be more common in some states than others. That means the ease of obtaining birth control will vary based on where one lives. This is one more right people took for granted that is now on shaky ground.

Atheists, How Do You Handle Invitations to Attend Religious Ceremonies?

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

A guy I work with but do not know well invited me to a religious ceremony for one of his children. I declined the invitation because I had plans for the date in question. I was glad I did because I wouldn't have wanted to go anyway. As I said, I didn't know him well. I'd met his wife a couple of times but never even seen his kid. I found it strange that he'd ask me.

Later on, I found myself wondering whether I should have considered attending if I did not have a prior commitment. The ceremony was one I hadn't seen before, and the religion itself was one about which I knew little. I could have viewed it as a cultural experience. I could have gone to satisfy my curiosity, and I might have learned something.

Are We Nearing the End of Brick-and-Mortar Retail in the United States?

Back in 2017, Becky Vaughn-Furlow wrote an article for The Clarion-Ledger (Mississippi) in which she posed an intriguing question: "Is brick-and-mortar retail in jeopardy?" Based on what I have seen in the small Mississippi town where I live, I'd have to say yes. There has been an exodus of brick-and-mortar retail over the last decade. I cannot think of more than a few product categories where my choices have increased; I can easily think of several where my choices have decreased. I can even think of a few where my choices went from few to none. These trends started long before the global COVID-19 pandemic, though it has likely accelerated them. At least, I know more than a few people who used to enjoy shopping and have not done so since it started.

The main contributing is appears to be online retail. I suspect there are other culprits as well (e.g., Walmart), but it is tough to ignore the role of online shopping in decimating our local options. Many local retailers have done a poor job of competing with online retail and have closed stores as a result.

Climate Change and the Coming Apocalypse: Paying a High Price for Inaction

One of the main reasons I've always loved October was the change in the weather it used to bring. The Mississippi heat and humidity subsided, and going outside was finally appealing. It looks like those days may be gone unless the end of 2021 was just a fluke. While we had the sort of brief cold snap in October that usually marks the beginning of improved weather, we I found myself having to mow the grass into December. I've never even had to do this in November much less December because grass was never still growing. This was the warmest December I can recall and the humidity even returned after a brief reprieve.

Prevention is Key to Improving Resistance to Harmful Big Lies

The mainstream news media in the United States have been calling it the "big lie." That seems like an apt description for the blatantly false claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election; he didn't. The election wasn't stolen. He lost. In some ways, simply characterizing this as a lie doesn't seem to go far enough. It isn't just false; it is harmful. It has already inspired violence. Thus, this isn't a question of assessing potential harm since we have seen actual harm. In that way, I suppose the "big lie" has something in common with religion. Maybe it has more in common with religion than some would like to admit.

Is a Nation Founded on Genocide Worth Celebrating?

I think it would be fair to say that many Americans are not particularly fond of thinking about some of the darker chapters in our nation's history. And who can blame them? It can be unpleasant to be reminded of our mistakes, especially the ones that happened long before we were born. Then again, denying these mistakes is not an acceptable solution, especially when some of them have lingering effects that continue to impact our neighbors today. Denial solves nothing, leads to inaccurate views of our history, and prevents healing. As nice as it might be not to have to face up to some of our history, it seems clear that we must.

The title of this post was intended to be provocative, but this is a question I sometimes find myself asking this time of year and again around Columbus Day. I believe that the manner in which early Americans treated those who were here before us is one of the most appalling chapters in our nation's history. I'd put it right up there with slavery, something else that was widely justified by Christianity. And much like slavery, we've done a poor job of confronting it.

Showing Some Consideration for One's Neighbors on the 4th of July

You know how conservatives are often accused of trying to take the United States "back" to a time that never existed outside of the re-runs of Leave It To Beaver some of us remember watching as young children? I think there's a great deal of truth to that accusation; however, I've decided to start this post by doing something similar. I'd like you to imagine a time in our remote past before empathy for others was considered a weakness and long before social media outrage was the favorite way to pass time. It was a magical (and possibly fictional) time in which Americans would periodically come together to help each other out. But most of all, it was characterized by having a basic level of respect and consideration for one another.

Clearly, living in any sort of modern civilization entails a few compromises. No one person will always get their way. Whatever freedoms we may have are necessarily limited by the presence of other people. My freedom, for example, does not include the right to break into your house and steal whatever I want. The freedom of the individual is balanced against the welfare of his or her neighbors. These limits are necessary and even desirable because complete freedom would entail the freedom to harm others. If my free act is to hurt you, your rights are jeopardized. Because of that, we all have an interest in surrendering some of our freedom to insure that the social order is maintained.