With the U.S. economy in decline and a war raging abroad, President Bush has told the American people that it is their patriotic duty to go out, hit the malls and shop.
But on Friday – the busiest shopping day of the year and the start of holiday shopping frenzy – some will be chanting a different slogan: "Buy nothing."
That's the message Adbusters advocates for its annual "Buy Nothing Day," a 24-hour shopping moratorium designed to educate consumers about the consequences of over-consumption.
With leaders across the world touting shopping as a panacea to boost consumer confidence and save a flagging economy following the events of Sept. 11, some have questioned whether Buy Nothing Day should go on this year.
Adbusters has posted an online debate for readers to air their opinions.
"What do you think? Should we shelve our Buy Nothing Day campaign in light of the tragedy, or should we shout the message from the highest rooftop?"
Nevertheless: Yes, Virginia, there will be a Buy Nothing Day this year.
"There's a real passion to go through with Buy Nothing Day with a vengeance this year," Kalle Lasn, founder of Adbusters Media Foundation, said.
What began as a local effort by a Canadian artist nine years ago is now an international event, with over 55 countries participating. The event takes place in North America on Friday and in Europe on Saturday.
Buy Nothing Day has sites in Denmark, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, among others.
The international day of protest takes various forms of grassroots organizing and guerrilla "culture jamming." Over 50,000 people have signed up on the Adbusters.org website to participate in the culture jammers' network.
To spread the word on the street, some supporters cut up credit cards outside malls; others wear pig snouts while going on mock shopping sprees or hand out $0 bills. This year, many will stage peace marches through shopping centers.
Supporters can also send Buy Nothing Day e-postcards.
In San Francisco, local organizer Marie Drennan will be impersonating the Statue of Liberty and visiting downtown stores and shopping centers while dispiritedly carrying "flag-bags" and telling people, "It wasn't supposed to be about shopping."
Adbusters will also launch a series of Web and broadcast publicity campaigns for the event, including opt-not-to-shop "uncommercials" to television and radio stations. The Buy Nothing Day TV spot aired on CNN Headline News on Nov. 20; however, continued attempts to buy airtime on NBC, CBS, and ABC have been rejected.
There's no right way to celebrate Buy Nothing Day, Adbusters' website says.
"The idea is to do something to spark up debate, not shut it down. The shining hope for a revolution in human consciousness lies in the actions of everyday people. And so in the most profound sense, nothing has changed at all."
Critics say that the campaign should be stifled in light of the declining economic conditions following the attacks.
"I live in NYC and so many people have lost their jobs, people are struggling. Buy Nothing Day seems elitist and out of touch to me, right now. We live in a capitalist country, not in the woods. People need to pay rent right now, and they need a job to do that," said Erica, a New York resident in an online posting.
"Those who say that nothing in American culture changed on Sept. 11 must only be 12 years old," agreed Hilary Russ, another New York resident. "It's extremely naive to push the Buy Nothing Day agenda at this particular moment in time. And it may deafen some people to the legitimacy of your points."
But supporters say that the events of Sept. 11 have only heightened the need for Buy Nothing Day.
"This war is about consumption. We are in the Middle East because we need oil, to support our plastics-dependent, auto-transported, consumer-driven culture. We should wake up.... Slowing consumption is the only sane answer, not killing people," said Kathie, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, in an online posting.
"Buy Nothing Day should go on. If not for the purpose of culture jamming, then for the purpose of 'going on with our lives' and doing what we've always done.... This isn't compensation, and we should by no means shut up, we should shout even louder and make it a buy nothing week," said Alia, from Houston.
Adbusters continues to broadcast its message loud and clear.
"We're living for short-term gain and creating a long-term disaster," Adbusters' Lasn said. "Buy Nothing Day is the time to think about and vigorously debate how much is enough."
