By Manifesto Joe
My previous post contained a morbid fantasy scenario about how the Mr. Hyde side of me might (no, not really; it was a fantasy, those of literal minds) want to deal with certain types of swinish American consumers. Namely, it was about the kind who actually camp out in tents in front of stores in order to rush the door at 5 a.m. on "Black Friday."
I provoked a couple of negative responses, including one comment that was too moronically insulting to dignify with publication. I would urge those taken aback to ponder, in view of today's events, just how far Swine Nation really has gone.
Here's one news link to the incident at a New York Wal-Mart store. A witness said a door was torn off the hinges by the crazed mob, and another said that literally hundreds of shoppers trampled on an employee named Jdimytai Damour, 34. It was also reported that police who were trying to resuscitate Mr. Damour were jostled by frenzied shoppers. Mr. Damour was the clerk who was essentially murdered by this brainless mob of greedy fools.
There have been a lot of Black Friday incidents over the years resulting in injuries. This is the first I can remember that culminated in a death.
And this is supposed to be Day One leading up to a holiday that marks the birth of Christ -- you know, the fellow who drove the money-changers from the temple, the one who was habitually on the side of the needy underdogs. The Jesus that few seem to know anymore.
True, as a mere mortal, there's a Mr. Hyde side to me. But any literal-minded person who thought my reaction to the Black Friday "campers" was excessive needs to ponder just what human excess really is. Take a close look at the criminal stupidity that occurred yesterday. Considering that my post preceded this Wal-Mart tragedy by just a few hours, I'd say I probably have a fair eye for judging human excess.
Manifesto Joe Is An Underground Writer Living In Texas.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
And here I've been, tsking the soccer hooligans and holy pilgrimage tramplings as barbaric aliens. Shows how much I know.
A year ago my wife and her mother, who has a Wal-mart employee discount card, stood in line here in Green Valley (mostly a retirement community) for a few hours to purchase two laptops for less than $350.00 apiece, when they were selling usually for +$1000.00 each. that would probably be why those people were so desperate; Prices too good to pass up. I hope the worker's family wins their lawsuit, but what about the cold unfeeling public; How do we exact repentance from those callous assholes?
After a day to think this over, one thing that occurs to me is that I've let the Wal-Mart management off the hook about this. They've had Black Friday tramplings at Wal-Marts in the past, and up to now they certainly haven't done anything to discourage these incidents. Maybe now, with a lawsuit looming, they'll start to wake up.
You are right to point out how freakin' awesome you are. And thank the lower case GOD (capitalized ONLY for emphasis) that guy with the impossible name got killed or we all might never have known of your wisdom and greatness! And it happened in a Walmart??? I am sure that made us all collectively hyperventillate. If it could have only been in a Haliburton store instead, then the message of Jesus would have been truly laid out bare and naked to the evil, festering world. Please Santa, could you PLEASE do something to make an innocent person get crushed at a Haliburton office? Maybe even a minority person? PUH-LEEZE??????? That would make Christmas feel so right!
Anon, it may sound a tad immodest, but I'd say I really did size up the possibilities of this one pretty well, hours before the nasty event. It should be clear by now that, for the most part, the kinds of people who will camp in front of a store to rush the door at 5 a.m. profoundly lack something in moral character, as well as in understanding even WHY we have a Christmas season.
It's a very human flaw of mine to feel hostile impulses toward such people. But it's now clear what their cretinous misbehavior can lead to. And none of this is related at all to the color of anybody's skin. It's the content of their character that I am commenting on.
As for your bringing up Halliburton somehow in reference to this incident, your analogy is more than a little broad.
The Wal-Mart trampling was an example of how hundreds of greedy fools can kill one person.
Halliburton, corporate war profiteer, is an example of how the greed of just a few fools can help lead to the deaths of a few hundred thousand.
The enormities therein seem like another story, for another time. Merry Christmas, Anon.
I couldn't believe it when I heard about this....
Well, actually I could, after my immediate shock. And this is the most disturbing thing of all: that I COULD believe it.
In social psychology, I think this could rival the infamous Kitty Genovese incident -- you recall, in which the young woman was stabbed to death outside her home in Queens in 1964, and 38 neighbors did nothing to intervene as she cried for help.
Right. The incident was a bit before my time, but I know it well. No one helped because they all thought someone else was helping...
re: the Kitty Genovese case.
Actually, the idea that dozens of neighbors were aware of the attack but refused to assist or call the police has been pretty much debunked. (see the Wikipedia article on this case for more details). The urban myth surrounding this case first arose in a largely sensational and inaccurate "New York Times" piece that appeared 2 weeks after the murder.
I've seen the Wikipedia article, and had actually already seen it. One thing I feel compelled to point out is that many Wikipedia contributors tend to have a right-wing agenda. I have strong reservations about their intellectual honesty. They leave out a lot of things, from what I've seen.
But even if you went as far as to throw out the Genovese incident, there have been many other similar ones. You don't have to go back even as far as 1964. A few are quite recent.
And, still, what would that say about the Wal-Mart trampling, in this context? I invite you to clarify your point, anon.
An addendum: From what I'm seeing about other articles "debunking" the early account of the Genovese incident, they suggest NYT exaggeration that was cautiously cut down to verifiable proportions during the trial. But I don't see that the basic problem pointed out via the incident is "debunked." The Wal-Mart trampling seems, if anything, to support it quite startlingly.
Addendum 2, Anon: You guys need practice at not being so obvious. When you put "New York Times" in quotation marks, you quickly gave yourself away as a "crypto-Nazi." (Translation: Republican.) One thing you righties usually give away is that you telegraph your punches. You are seen through very easily, via such indiscreet details.
Post a Comment