Published on July 8th, 2008
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Green news from Turkey. The Turkish newspaper Today’s Zaman reported on a new new book exchange campaign launched by the Ministry of Education that will be aimed at “saving millions of trees, protecting the environment and contributing to the country’s economy.”
Every year 155 million books are distributed by the Ministry to students in Turkey. Most of these books, according to the article, are thrown into the trash at the end of the year. The cost of these books to the Turkish public is more than USD 800 million annually.
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Published on December 24th, 2007
What’s the truth about Santa Claus? Who is this large, jovial fellow with flying reindeer and hordes of merry elves? If the truth about Saint Nicholas can lay the commercial icon to rest, maybe it can also restore the true meaning of Christmas as a time of peace on Earth, love and goodwill toward all.
The German intellectual, Georg Lichtenberg, once said that “to do just the opposite is also a form of imitation,” but reversing Saint Nicholas’ image is certainly not the most sincere way to flatter it. Santa as a commercial icon undercuts the ideology of benevolence and humble giving. See this video on the chain of consumption for an idea of who gets left out when Santa goes corporate. A truer idea of the real Saint Nicholas and his current image around the world might reconnect us with the greater feelings of compassion and caring that should symbolize this (and every) season. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags:
capitalism,
Christmas,
Coca-Cola,
Coke,
commercial,
consumerism,
humility,
love,
peace,
Saint Nicholas,
Santa Claus
