tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post5757925465269772073..comments2023-10-21T03:54:12.029-04:00Comments on A Gift Universe: The real problem is materialismSheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10853868724554947854noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-9504071656398452652013-06-03T20:46:27.779-04:002013-06-03T20:46:27.779-04:00Chik-fil-A made a big splash this past year when t...Chik-fil-A made a big splash this past year when they came out against same-sex marriage. Proponents of same-sex marriage predictably organized a boycott, but the funny thing was that many religious people came out in droves in an "anti-boycott" to support them. It was considered virtuous all of a sudden to go get a chicken sandwich; people were posting on facebook that they had been there or were going there and encouraging others to "show their support."<br /><br />I'm pretty sure CFA made a mint on the controversy. It had nothing at all to do with the sandwiches. But I'm okay with that; it's a way that people vote with their feet.<br /><br />Gambling is another good example. Lotto tickets are not at all a practical way of making money. For the amount you spend for a ticket, your odds of any return on that investment are slim. But people don't buy a chance at making money. They buy the thrill of knowing it's possible. They buy something to daydream about.<br /><br />As far as the working-vs.-staying home question, I think a sociologist would tell you that having a parent available probably makes a bigger impact than living in a nice neighborhood. On the other hand, if the schools are terrible, that could make a big difference. I guess I would tell the couple to list out their priorities, figure out which ones are real necessities, calculate how much *just* the necessities will cost, and do the math. Maybe the wife could switch to part-time, or a work-at-home job, to make up the difference.<br /><br />In the current economic climate, we don't always have free choice of options. (And I HATE it when living on one income is seen as just a matter of giving up some luxuries. It is for us now, if you consider eating beef or buying new shoes to be luxuries, but it is a much bigger challenge for a lot of people.) So you kind of have to hack it a bit and see what works. Some couples actually choose to work opposite shifts (one days, one nights, or one weekdays, one weekends) so that the kids can always have a parent around. Others juggle a variety of at-home, part-time, or freelance work. (Or homesteading, which cuts costs directly and allows you to use the labor of at-home parents and children too.) And some choose to work one partner almost to death while the other stays home. It's hard. But it's a PRIORITY, you see? You do what you can. And if you can't manage to stay home at all, then you try to find the very best situation for childcare you can. A family member can be a great choice because then there's continuity. Or a nanny or home daycare that you know shares your values and has plenty of love to go around.<br /><br />But what we really need is to fix our economy so it's even possible to live on one income for a majority of people. That's where my economic views relate to my social views.Sheilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10853868724554947854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464977109229359349.post-78819719679968068622013-06-01T16:05:55.604-04:002013-06-01T16:05:55.604-04:00+JMJ+
Your discussion about Chick-Fil-A and Star...+JMJ+ <br /><br />Your discussion about Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks reminds me of a lecture I watched recently on YouTube. The speaker's thesis was simple: "People don't buy what you do. They buy why you do it." Bascially, no one cares if you have the better product or not unless they also have a compelling reason to buy it. <br /><br />I know relatively little about Chick-Fil-A's politics, but I am aware that they don't operate on Sundays. That appeals to me very much, and I could see myself going out of my way to give some business to a company with such a policy. Similarly, I often pay extra to buy food grown locally, because I believe in supporting our farmers. But it's not just the capitalist world which gives us examples . . . <br /><br />Do you think I would have planted a single seed this year if you hadn't compared it to <i>gambling</i>? =P I didn't buy what you were doing for its own sake, but I totally bought that particular reason for doing it. <br /><br />The radical idea of <i>everyone</i> putting kids before careers reminds me of a couple who were interviewed for a discussion on "working mothers" vs. "stay-at-home moms." (You're right that it's branded as merely a women's issue when it's actually a family issue.) The wife said she wanted to quit her job and stay home full time with the kids; she didn't care if they had to give up some material things. The husband said that there were a lot of non-material things that cost money but which were equally important, like the safety of a good neighbourhood. <br /><br />I haven't drawn an insight out of that yet. You could say I'm still thinking about it, after all these years, but I thought I'd add it to the pot in case you had the brilliant comment that would finally help me get it. =)Enbrethilielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03414765854670926854noreply@blogger.com