Well, here’s a good sign for the economy: One man was trampled to death and a pregnant woman had a miscarriage as a result of a 5AM stampede at a Wal*Mart in Long Island. You can’t have a good Black Friday without a trampling death. If that’s not a sign of consumer confidence, I don’t know what is.
Yes, that’s a little callous. But don’t you know better than to stand right behind the door getting busted at a doorbuster sale, even (perhaps especially) in a recession? What’s the saying about underestimating the American consumer?
I guess I’m just trying to find the dark cloud in every silver lining. I guess I’m just annoyed by the ongoing community outrage about saving a dying and likely hazardous tree in Davis Square while there are rather more pressing issues to worry about. Things like the fuel assistance board in MA seeing so much demand this winter that people who are broke can’t even get an appointment to talk about heat assistance until February. Things like community pantries being bare. Things like Mumbai in flames.
But hey, discounted flat-screen TVs! 40% off at Banana!
Secretly Ironic 