Consumerism Kills Man

[qwerty]

All of this "aid to the consumer". Bring back the "citizen", I say.

"Wal-Mart Employee Trampled to Death"
By JACK HEALY and ANGELA MACROPOULOS
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/bu...almart.html?hp

"A Wal-Mart employee in suburban New York died after he was trampled by a crush of shoppers who tore down the front doors and thronged into the store early Friday morning, turning the annual rite of post-Thanksgiving bargain hunting into a Hobbesian frenzy."
...

"People did not stop to help the employee as he lay on the ground, and they pushed against other Wal-Mart workers who were trying to aid Mr. Damour. The crowd kept running into the store even after the police arrived, jostling and pushing officers who were trying to perform CPR, the police said."

“They were like a stampede,” said Nassau Det. Lt. Michael Fleming. “Hundreds of people walked past him, over him or around him.”

Apparently there were people there at 5am with their children.

To snap up bargain "stuff".

[LargoWinch]

Re: Consumerism Kills Man

Yeah MS Windows 95 is out!...wait been there done that.

[politicalfootballfan]

Re: Consumerism Kills Man

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[kingcopper]

Re: Consumerism Kills Man

Watch Wall-E. We are the humans in that movie no doubt. I was originally embarassed by the very thought. This incident is proof to me. I haven't seen the video of the people involved in this particular incident but will assume they were too heavy to bend over and help! All of America is at once diabetic?

[Tim T]

Re: Consumerism Kills Man

I think this is pretty simple. 2000 people trying to get through a door. Crap like this is bound to happen. A lot of people are concluding these people must be savages and the like but it just seems pretty simple albeit tragic. I was not there so maybe 2000 crazy savage people really did go nuts but I can imagine how this could unfold without savages.

[metalman]

Re: Consumerism Kills Man

I think this is pretty simple. 2000 people trying to get through a door. Crap like this is bound to happen. A lot of people are concluding these people must be savages and the like but it just seems pretty simple albeit tragic. I was not there so maybe 2000 crazy savage people really did go nuts but I can imagine how this could unfold without savages.

2000 desperate dolts chasing 2 discounted tvs.

[grizam303]

Re: Consumerism Kills Man

It's the same thing that happens at sports events when they throw out t-shirts or whatever into the crowd, and people go nuts trying to grab the shirt with disregard for safety.

Even though that same person would likely walk by the same shirt on sale at a store without a second look.

[politicalfootballfan]

Re: Consumerism Kills Man

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[qwerty]

Re: Consumerism Kills Man

If this recession/depression takes consumerism out behind the woodshed, then every cloud has a silver lining.

It's not that they are pyschopaths, and yes it is understandable how the initial injury could happen, but it's just the lack of perspective, stepping over a dying man to go shopping.

It's not like they are raiding the grocery section for their starving children.

This from a follow-up article in the NY Times:

"“When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling, ‘I’ve been on line since yesterday morning,’ ” Ms. Cribbs told The Associated Press. “They kept shopping.”"

Most depressing if true.

[Tim T]

Re: Consumerism Kills Man

If this recession/depression takes consumerism out behind the woodshed, then every cloud has a silver lining.

It's not that they are pyschopaths, and yes it is understandable how the initial injury could happen, but it's just the lack of perspective, stepping over a dying man to go shopping.

It's not like they are raiding the grocery section for their starving children.

This from a follow-up article in the NY Times:

"“When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling, ‘I’ve been on line since yesterday morning,’ ” Ms. Cribbs told The Associated Press. “They kept shopping.”"

Most depressing if true.

Agreed that it is most depressing if true. Something about the way the media tells the story though - they just can't resist telling a story of a vicious-toy-hungry-drooling-mob killing someone. Whenever something tragic happens many people join the blame crowd and perhaps there is someone or a group to blame (certainly at least a few people where out of line here) but often people are quick to judge. Even if some people did yell what Ms. Cribbs said, an objective person who is restraining their anger and lust to blame would ask whether the yelling shoppers heard the part about a man dieing or did they only here that they have to leave the store. Were the shoppers that continued shopping even listening at all (cell phones, ipods) If they got mad and yelled when they heard they had to go then they probably did not hear the part about a man dieing? If that is the case then they are only guilty of being too high strung - still jerks but not as bad as there being made out. And I wouldn't jump to judge people for stepping around, or over the man (if you have to) I mean what you going to do. You aren't going back the way you came. 2000 people waiting outside a door is a bad idea even if they are decent people.

Keep in mind that only the front row of the crowd can see a man hurt, they have a moment to change course or stop and help (maybe he has help already) before you know it and realize whats happening you are already in the store. Now I don't know so maybe the crowd was informed over loud speaker and they still acted like barbarians but before I believe the whole vicious mob story I would need to know how events unfolded in real time and what each individual was perceiving and experiencing.

[we_are_toast]

Re: Consumerism Kills Man

Many investors believe that in order to stop the pain of a bear market and find the bottom you need capitulation. Many here at iTulip believe the Fire/excessive consumption economy is in descent and we will transition into a new type of economy.

This story, along with all the other "lines stretched for blocks" stories about black Friday, indicate to me that the American public still doesn't get it. The excessive greed of the consumer society isn't anywhere near capitulation.

The pain has a long way to go.

My sympathies go out to this man's family.