Wednesday, April 22, 2015

How Americans Anywhere Demonstrate Their Values with Discretionary Spending

Watching the news today (04/22/'15) on Chicago's
independent TV station, WGN, I was struck yet
again by the vapid spending choices too many make
here in the USA:

Lady Gaga came to Chicago yesterday to raise
funds for her charity Born This Way. For $2,500
someone could bike alongside the entertainment
diva on stationary cycles at a local bike shop. TV
file film showed a respectable turnout for this
event, but raises some telling questions:

(1) Why is it necessary to have celebrities rub
shoulders with fans to persuade them to part
with contributions for worthy causes?  Can't they
simply send a check? ( Or pay via the electronic
equivalent thereof.)

(2)  What's the  motivation here? Are these
fans philanthropists, or are they shelling out
kale for later bragging rights? (--I seriously
suspect the latter.)

This brings to mind most of discretionary
spending in the United States; how do
relative amounts between spending on
entertainment vs. donating to the needy
and/or unfortunate compare?  I'll wager
much more is spent on sports tix, movies,
concerts, cds, dvds, etc. (-Time for more
research just to be certain....)

Whatever the true figures, imagine how much
more aid work the American Red Cross,
the WHO, the United Way, the ASPCA and any
other charitable organization could accomplish
--but worshipping at the altar of fun will sharply
militate against such sharing.

Attempting to demonstrate discretion,
Donna Quixote signs off for now.


1 comment:

  1. Those windmills can prove to be a dead weight, Donna Q, that's for sure. Yep, folks' financial priorities can appear to be pretty lopsided at times, considering the context you present.

    In regard to the celebrity "appeal-a-thons", it does seem as if they work. A cause associated with a revered celebrity often seems to bear financial fruit.

    It's not my glass of tea either, Amber, but for whatever reasons the appeals seem to sprout legs.

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