Is nothing sacred? It's the day to not buy

It has turned the day after Thanksgiving into a stress zone, as people, like snorting bulls in Pamplona, stampede through The Bon Marché, the Southcenter Mall and shopping centers everywhere in pursuit of material goods -- items they think will make them or their loved ones happy.

Which brings us to Buy Nothing Day, a loose-knit but burgeoning campaign that opposes today's unofficial opening of holiday buying madness.

Haven't heard about it? No surprise there. After all, it is not in the interest of Madison Avenue to see your cash hibernating in your wallet.

The intent of the effort is positive: a 24-hour purchasing moratorium; a holiday from shopping woe; a respite from what some call "a suicidal buying binge."

Such talk, of course, gives retailers the heebie-jeebies, which is understandable.

But, ultimately, we all know the engine of our country depends on spending.

In the long run it is important to spend and stimulate an economy that is in worse shape than the Democratic Party.

We're talking one day here -- not a big-time, all-out boycott.

The overall message is worth a moment of consideration when the seasonal chorus is crooning "Buy! Buy! Buy!" -- and little else.

By one account, the average North American consumes five times more than a Mexican, 10 times more than a person in China and 30 times more than someone in India.

In 2000 outstanding consumer debt topped $1 trillion in the United States. Just last year, consumer credit card debt crested over $600 billion.

Also to be considered are the political and ecological effects of spending too much, says Kalle Lasn, the founder and editor of Adbusters magazine, which sponsors Buy Nothing Day.

The day began 11 years ago in Vancouver, B.C., as No Shop Day.

Over the years, campaigners have gone to places such as Westlake Center, and to other cities, including Boston, to spread the gospel.

They've handed out "gift exemption certificates" as well as coupons, which offer recipients "gifts of time" instead of material items.

They've sung holiday songs with revamped words such as "Slow down, you frantic shoppers."

They've even drafted pre-shop lists of questions a person should ask before slapping down the plastic:

Do I really need it? How many do I already have? Can I do without it? Are the resources that went into it renewable or non-renewable? Is it made of recycled materials?

Think of this whole shebang as the campaign cousin to Earth Day.

"The kind of overconsumption we're doing right now in the first world is political dynamite because one of the root causes of September 11th . . . is this incredible difference between the rich and the poor people of the world," Lasn told CNNfn.

Lasn added: "If we consume 86 percent of the world's resources then how much are we leaving for the rest of the 5 billion people on the planet?"

So, people ought to purchase what they really need, Buy Nothing Day-ers advise, and they should also consider the personal, social and environmental effects of what they buy.

Their logic sounds an awful lot like words my Momma always says:

Moderation. Stay within your means. Don't spend yourself silly and willy-nilly.

Perhaps it is fitting that Buy Nothing Day comes right after we've stuffed ourselves with fowl and given thanks for gifts that truly make us happy -- and make life worth living.

The love of our families and friends. Our health. The strength of our nation during a time of global trouble and terror.

Something to think about if you're planning to dive, head first, into mall mania today.

P-I columnist Robert L. Jamieson Jr. can be reached at 206-448-8125 or robertjamieson@seattlepi.com

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