Sarx

The Shopping Season is upon us.

Some questions:

When the only decent source, locally, for Halal, Kosher, Organic and Vegan groceries (thus including Jewish, Muslim and Eastern Orthodox goodies, as well as all those PC vegan folks) refuses to pay enough to its employees so they can shop there, as well as treats its neighbours like ca-ca; and also seems to be involved in some payola with the city to keep the cops off its corporate back… is shopping there morally acceptable?

When a local secular bookstore has a New Age section, a “Religions” section that is all Christian, and a Christian Section that is all Evangelical… and then has two shelves devoted to “Catholicism/Judiaca”, are they taking sides? Discriminating?

When most of the food products, as well as most of the gift products I’ve examined in the last few days are made in the worlds most oppressive state, as well as a state known for poor labour protection and bad health practices… if you give a gift “made in China” to a friend who later develops lead poisoning, or passes out from Date Rape Pills or chemical-ridden soy product, are you morally responsible? Can you justify – morally – buying any product that is made in China?

I’m just asking, knowing full well that even the few remaining “made in the usa” products are, technically, owned by China because of our national dept. The next time someone tells you that capitalists won the cold war, be sure and laugh at them.

Questions purely for discussion: typed on a Made-in-China Apple iBook sitting on a a Made-in-China computer desk purchased from Office Depot, while rocking in a Made-in-China rocking chair that was purchased at Wal*Mart.