I've been meaning to update this blog for a while, now that I've stopped traveling and am settled in at Berkeley. I thought I'd write a trip report from some weekend excursion to Yosemite or Bishop, but between arriving here and getting injured six weeks ago I only made it outside once this semester. The idea of posting here kept getting pushed back, especially as I've been flirting with the idea of starting an economics blog. But, thanks to Patagonia I have something to write about.
Ironically, one of my most vivid memories from India is walking into a Mumbai Starbucks on December 16th and hearing Christmas carols. I was transported to the West: suddenly realizing it was Christmas time. I had been so focused on the experiences of India and immediateness of friendships and life there that I hadn't thought about the biggest celebration of the year. I sat down with my latte beaming, looking forward to flying to London the next day and spending Christmas with family and friends.
Of course, you can't forget about Christmas in the States. Commercials started weeks ago, and stores were putting displays up as soon as Halloween ended (mind you it's not much better in the UK). Now that Black Friday has passed the season is in full swing, and with it the whoring of what was once a pagan celebration into an excuse for gluttony and greed, decidedly un-Christian values.
Sitting in that Starbucks, the first in India, I missed the Christmas season. Now, living it again, I'm not so sure. It's not that I'm not looking forward to the day; after a too-brief visit to Houston this weekend I'm excited to spend quality time with my loving family. It's just that the defining parts of our lives are experiences, relationships, and the stories that those combine to create, not the gifts we receive or the luxury we buy. In a country where despite being the richest in the world we only just managed to get everyone healthcare (and even now its patchy); where since the Great Recession the top 1% have captured 95% of income gains despite only having less than half of the losses during the fall; where we are needlessly squandering the potentials of millions because of an inadequate education system and ridiculous tuition fees, we are failing to give everyone the opportunity to live these defining moments and enjoy those special relationships.
So, why does our society give a crap about sales this weekend?! I guess it's retail therapy; you may not get your slice of the pie but on Black Friday at least you can have a sweet. Pessimism aside, consumerism really does make me think negatively about American society, and my role as someone who very often buys into it.
And that brings me to this Patagonia film. Watching it tonight reminded me that so many other people realize the shallowness of much of our society, and they aren't buying into it. In the midst of Black Friday and the run-up to Christmas it helps to be reminded of that. The half-hour it took to watch was time well spent, and I'm sure anyone who watches it will get something out of it, even if it's not the same thing. Enjoy.
Ironically, one of my most vivid memories from India is walking into a Mumbai Starbucks on December 16th and hearing Christmas carols. I was transported to the West: suddenly realizing it was Christmas time. I had been so focused on the experiences of India and immediateness of friendships and life there that I hadn't thought about the biggest celebration of the year. I sat down with my latte beaming, looking forward to flying to London the next day and spending Christmas with family and friends.
Of course, you can't forget about Christmas in the States. Commercials started weeks ago, and stores were putting displays up as soon as Halloween ended (mind you it's not much better in the UK). Now that Black Friday has passed the season is in full swing, and with it the whoring of what was once a pagan celebration into an excuse for gluttony and greed, decidedly un-Christian values.
Sitting in that Starbucks, the first in India, I missed the Christmas season. Now, living it again, I'm not so sure. It's not that I'm not looking forward to the day; after a too-brief visit to Houston this weekend I'm excited to spend quality time with my loving family. It's just that the defining parts of our lives are experiences, relationships, and the stories that those combine to create, not the gifts we receive or the luxury we buy. In a country where despite being the richest in the world we only just managed to get everyone healthcare (and even now its patchy); where since the Great Recession the top 1% have captured 95% of income gains despite only having less than half of the losses during the fall; where we are needlessly squandering the potentials of millions because of an inadequate education system and ridiculous tuition fees, we are failing to give everyone the opportunity to live these defining moments and enjoy those special relationships.
So, why does our society give a crap about sales this weekend?! I guess it's retail therapy; you may not get your slice of the pie but on Black Friday at least you can have a sweet. Pessimism aside, consumerism really does make me think negatively about American society, and my role as someone who very often buys into it.
And that brings me to this Patagonia film. Watching it tonight reminded me that so many other people realize the shallowness of much of our society, and they aren't buying into it. In the midst of Black Friday and the run-up to Christmas it helps to be reminded of that. The half-hour it took to watch was time well spent, and I'm sure anyone who watches it will get something out of it, even if it's not the same thing. Enjoy.
Aside from being occasionally sickened by some aspects of our society, I'm really enjoying being in Berkeley. The change of pace from last year is a good thing, and I'm looking forwards to focusing more on what I'm interesting in after I finish my general education requirements this year. It's awesome to be in a place producing research like this paper, which was written by a Berkeley professor of economics, Emmanuel Saez, and is the source of that statistics I quoted above. It's worth a look even for non-economists, and the fact that I have the opportunity to interact with people who are doing research like that makes me excited to be here. The one thing that would make Berkeley better would be my injured finger healing, but it's good to focus on other things too.
I'll continue to post here very infrequently, and only when I have something worth writing about.
P.S. I originally posted this after Black Friday 2013 but ended up taking it down after a day. I reread it today (Feb. 27th, 2014) and after an edit decided to repost it.
I'll continue to post here very infrequently, and only when I have something worth writing about.
P.S. I originally posted this after Black Friday 2013 but ended up taking it down after a day. I reread it today (Feb. 27th, 2014) and after an edit decided to repost it.
