This weekend, we can expect the usual parking lot & store fights, stampedes, cold/fatigue related injuries, debt spending, and such. All this to keep our consumer economy humming and shore up retailers' financials. Or we can boycott the insane, unnecessary, perverted-capitalism process.
If you are troubled by the recent trend that some retailers are opening on Thanksgiving (and staying open like 40 straight hours into Black Friday), you can also boycott them all year-round, divest from their stocks, and let their management know that you disapprove of their operating decisions and worker treatment. These employees deserve (hopefully paid) time off just like the white collar workers and others who are their customers - esp. because they will have to suffer through the longer, uglier hours in Dec anyway. It's not just retailers, but also the public services, entertainment, food, and convenience industries. If workers must/choose to work (i.e. we need some gas stations and hospitals open), they should get OT/bonus pay. SD is trying to enact a law that would require 2X pay during TG and Xmas - not sure how it will pan out and there is no federal bill of course. Retailers may claim that they are just responding to customer demand; maybe so but that is also what a drug dealer would say. Sure, no one is expecting us to spend 24-7 with our families without going crazy, but there are other things to do besides consuming with the herd: enjoy the outdoors, catch up on chores/studies/sleep, volunteer at a kitchen, etc.
It's all especially sad/ironic because TG/Xmas are holidays where we are supposed to be good to each other and reflect on our blessings (usually blessings that can't be bought in a mall). Do we still have or remember what people gave us 3 years ago? We are the best shoppers for ourselves anyway. Holiday gifts are not that important, so why do we continue to stress and waste effort over gift buying year after year? Unless it's a Lexus with a big red bow on it (who actually does that?), or you need to impress someone with a gift, what's the point? And even still, if you need to give gifts to make someone like/accept/remember you, then maybe that relationship isn't meant to be. There are plenty of other ways to express your feelings, and the most precious gifts can't be bought anyway (sharing special moments together). Many Americans' homes are overflowing with stuff already; why not celebrate Buy Nothing Day instead?
Not sure if it's just a few stores or company-wide, but struggling chain Kmart, as well as Wal-mart, are mandating that its staff work on TG (no time off requests will be honored). I guess those mgmt teams think their workers should be thankful to even have crappy minimum-wage retail jobs.
Here is a list of retailers that will be open and closed on Turkey Day:
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/
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