11-01-2008
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Elliott Bay Marina, J 28 Seattle, WA
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How holidays influence our political system...
After the race today, I was driving home and reflected on how Halloween and other holidays influence most of the political agendas that we may subscribe to. Maybe this will make sense, and I am pretty sure it will not make Snoop or FactChecker.org - but I think my revelations may have some merit.
Let's think about the origin of Halloween.
From WIKI: "Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (Irish pronunciation: [ˈsˠaunʲ]; from the Old Irish samain).[1] The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes[2] regarded as the "Celtic New Year."[3] Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celtic pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the living and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them."
Exactly how did it evolve to kids dressing up in cute costumes and then going door to door begging in sorts for candy and treats?
Now think about this politically for a second. Dress up in a costume and go door to door and just on the basis you have a costume - you get a treat. Costume doesn't have to be good, elaborate or bad - it is simply placing young children in what I would describe as "Introduction to door to door sales" and as they get older - "How society embraces handouts".
I personally do not celebrate Halloween as there really is no incentive for single guy buying lots of over priced candy to further influence the current trend of obesity amongst our youth or perpetuate the idea I support a handout of whatever form.
And that is what we teach with out holidays today. The ever so graceful turnip was replaced by the pumpkin because other than pumpkin pies how else could a pumpkin be sold. Introduce the Americans and film makers, and finally the pumpkin can be featured in its full form because it can be carved in frightening ways. May I add - still be used in November for thanksgiving.
You have to give it to us Americans - we can take the butchering of livestock, the coincidental time frame of harvest ( centuries old traditions) and turn it into a holiday that capitalizes on capitalism and at the same time introduces the basics of socialism - the handout by correlating handouts and fear at the same time. In fact - that is what actual politics is about - the fear and handouts.
Promise a great solution and tax breaks and better this that and the other, while instilling fear of what happens when you do not believe in fear (or handouts). Much like how when you live in a neighborhood filled with adults that have children and you are the sole person not to have any - that somehow they expect even when you have the lights off - that merely ringing the bell will introduce someone that gives a handout.
Its not just the ghastly marketing around Halloween - its Christmas too. A month ago in August - a local hardware store was already putting Christmas displays out.
"Wow - Christmas holidays and Halloween is not even here here yet?", I asked a sales clerk.
"Business is slow - Halloween out Christmas early.", was the reply...
Christmas is another one of those handout holidays. Not being overly religious, I do understand that three kings at the birth of Jesus brought all kinds of gifts. If you put it in historical context, gifts or "sacrifices" in the older days of history were common place. Somehow in all these years, everyone is obliged to give everyone a gift and obliged to feel slighted if they do not get what they want.
Here is the political tie-in again.
I think Halloween failed.
When you compare getting apples, and shrink wrapped candy to actual gifts of some value AND you do not have to go door to door to get it - it is easy to see where merely the handout system doesn't work but for a few hours on a chilly and otherwise boring walk up and down the streets you already know well.
When you have a holiday that only gives one way it really doesn't work. Christmas introduces the "take from one and give to other and I too shall receive". Much like the pork barrel projects that get tagged onto say - "Economic Bailout Bill for Mortgage Companies."...
Bail out AIG, Fanny Mea, and others - but of course a 32 page bill gets 400 more pages of extras so it can pass. Much like Christmas presents and the ideas we have on what to buy someone, who we hope if we buy them we get something greater, or even if we do not but send a card - we get something...
See where I am going with this yet?
Holidays such as Halloween and Christmas are subliminal brain washing tactics to change the course of a established form of government. Each year we do the handouts, expect sometime in return but when we look at things closely - never really does the amount we give in give us what we want out of it other than the fall back notion of marketing "it makes you feel better about yourself".
This is what we teach our children in America since the 1920's. And progressively as a nation we have veered away from all that our country was founded on. Like Halloween, that only gives out a payout but never gets anything in return (like our Health Care System). Christmas - where we get the pork barrel or gifts for pet projects buy exchanging gifts...one can easily see how holidays greatly influence the political agendas that we see transforming our country this day and age.
Don't even get me started on Easter...
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-- Jody
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