[CMI-CM] How Radical?

[Zachary C.Miller]

> The timing of "Buy Nothing Day" is unfortunate.  Even if millions of
> people refuse to buy anything, it will still be a busier than average
> buisiness day.  

Well actually the timing is completely on purpose. 

I do see that it might not be the most effective time to make a
statement and that critical mass may not be the best venue to make
that statement through given our currently small numbers. 

But I think there is definately something to be said about making a
statement about consumption at the time and place where you can reach
the most consumers. Sometimes you have to create contradictions to
shake people of their assumptions (...ok so its the holidays, which
are supposed to be really fun, and those freaks on bikes look like
they are having a lot of fun, and here I am miserably stressed out
about shopping on the biggest shopping day of the year...what is wrong
with this picture...they appear initially to be rejecting the holidays
and I appear initially to be embracing the holidays...I'm so confused,
I'm going to get back in my SUV and go home and have a drink.)

Riding our bikes real slow down the street at rush hour on a friday
might not be the best time to make a statement about cycling. People
might think we are "anti-weekend". 

Having critical mass at 1pm on saturday wouldn't make sense. Having a
anti-consumption demonstration on a wednesday in the summer wouldn't
make sense. Ya gotta have an audience.

But then I also think its fun to mess with peoples heads sometimes
even if you don't change their minds. I know some people aren't into
that.

Random thoughts. Need sleep.

-- 
Zachary C. Miller - @= - http://wolfgang.groogroo.com/
IMSA 1995 - UIUC 2000 - Just Another Leftist Muppet
 Social Justice, Community, Nonviolence, Decentralization, Feminism,
 Sustainability, Responsibility, Diversity, Democracy, Ecology
Take it easy...but take it. - http://www.greens.org