Friday, November 23, 2012

Pseudoeconomics starts early this year

Everyone likes to complain about Christmas breaking down the door the moment Thanksgiving is over, if not sooner. Well, the large retailers aren't the only ones trying to win over shoppers today - the localists are in full force with campaigns combining empty promises, guilt trips, nationalism and misinformation. The following Facebook image is a perfect example:




What's funny is that the tagline "people not profits" is used to justify an advertising scheme to increase profits to local businesses.

I wonder how option number 10, of using cash and not a credit card, is going to accomplish the goal of harming bank profits if the person ends up paying ATM fees.

Some people don't have a dozen hours to spend knitting a scarf or have skills that can produce gifts that anyone wants. Purchasing gifts is an old tradition, not a plot by capitalist overlords.

2 comments:

  1. I always wonder what these localists think of places like dunkin donuts or mcdonalds that are franchises and not corporate stores.

    And where do local restaurants in Maine get things like pineapples and ketchup? Do these fools think they are growing tropical fruits in the back?

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  2. Most localists write off franchises, often I assume because they fail to understand the difference. We had a case at work where local garages were upset that a franchise from a national towing company won a bid to be the cities designated tower, and that it was hurting local businesses.

    Of course, Maine localists are quick to embrace LL Beans because the headquarters is in Maine.

    The big non-study in Austin Texas from Civic Economics that localists use to justify some of their arguments (It compared where they claimed money is spent from a Borders bookstore versus a local bookstore and music album store. The two local stores paid for the non-study) When the Borders shut down, it was replaced with the GQ for Whole Foods. The localists in Austin are happy with this, as it's the HQ, even though it's national.

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