Ideological campaigning.

[NecroCommie]

Today I finally got fed up with capitalism. The finnish government launched (aeons ago) a widespread campaign against personal savings. The campaign is called: "Don't feed the depression!" (Älä ruoki lamaa!) The campaign consists of adds on the bus-stops, on the streets, on the radio and in the tv. It has a website which is filled with nefarious shit about how saving is bad for you, and how spending more means you can enjoy life more. More vile propaganda is hard to find, and most arguments are blatant lies.

Some samples, albeit in Finnish...

the website: http://www.alaruokilamaa.fi/

http://www.marmai.fi/multimedia/archive/00053/_l__ruoki_lamaa_poss_53313a.jpg
The text says: "don't feed the depression by saving."

http://www.alaruokilamaa.fi/wp-content/themes/k2/styles/alaruoki/images/kaatolupa.jpg

The foul patriotic slogan says: "Companies of Finland: Join the struggle against the depression. Sign the address." The headline is: "permission to hunt down depression"

The stamp with the recycling symbol says: "Let the money flow/circulate"

http://fifi.voima.fi/images/pictures/2009/02/277_image.jpg
Bob Helsinki is an add company that is known to launch campaigns by itself for the causes it feels important. The last independent campaign of its was for the baboons of the Helsinki zoo. :lol:

Here they go against the capitalist campaign with a counter add. It says: "The capital needs your money. Let us push together!" The toilet paper on the corner has a Finnish language joke concerning economic success and toilet activities.

But back to the original campaign. The website actually has a test called: "Do you feed the depression?" The website also has statements and interviews by leading businessmen, and utter bullshit statistics. Saving is always accompanied by the word unnecessary. But if you think this is scary as it is, think again! A lot of people actually take the test and browse the website! I have even heard a person quote one of the adds!!!! This is madness!!!!!!!

The campaign is old already, but I just wanted to know if such a move would enrage you as it did me. I am also interested if other countries have similar stupidities. Discuss!

[Q]

Maybe a leftist group could look into setting up a counter-campaign "don't feed capitalism!"?

[NecroCommie]

There was an attempt by the left youth, but it shrank to the level of leaflets and small protests due to lack of funding. Social democrats are all in with the capitalists, and all other leftist organizations are either too apathetic or too small to launch anything like it.

The left youth campaign was done in cooperation with the communist youth and the socialist alliance. It said simply, "Let the bourgeoisie pay their own crisis!" Even I was in one of those demonstrations before may day. :cool:

[The Author]

Today I finally got fed up with capitalism. The finnish government launched (aeons ago) a widespread campaign against personal savings. The campaign is called: "Don't feed the depression!" (Älä ruoki lamaa!) The campaign consists of adds on the bus-stops, on the streets, on the radio and in the tv. It has a website which is filled with nefarious shit about how saving is bad for you, and how spending more means you can enjoy life more. More vile propaganda is hard to find, and most arguments are blatant lies.

That's hilarious! So, I can't save my money in the event I have a medical emergency, or I run into serious trouble looking for work, or when my food and energy bills exceed my income, or having something to fall back upon for retirement in case my Social Security or pension is gutted; instead, I should just throw it away with a new car or a new high-def TV or tickets to some far-away place I'll never visit?

I mean, I might actually be enjoying life if there were no rich fat asses at the top of the social ladder constantly raising prices on essential items like food and energy, or taxing me on housing and healthcare expenses, or capping my wage instead of raising it, and without worrying about losing my job, and living on edge all the time. Then I would be enjoying life. Spending away is merely a short-term fix to one's woes. In the long-run, you become a debt slave in addition to a wage-slave to the capitalists. Savings are important, it's the capitalists who should be footing the whole bill and not living to excess at the expense of everyone else.

[NecroCommie]

That's hilarious! So, I can't save my money in the event I have a medical emergency, or I run into serious trouble looking for work, or when my food and energy bills exceed my income, or having something to fall back upon for retirement in case my Social Security or pension is gutted; instead, I should just throw it away with a new car or a new high-def TV or tickets to some far-away place I'll never visit?

I mean, I might actually be enjoying life if there were no rich fat asses at the top of the social ladder constantly raising prices on essential items like food and energy, or taxing me on housing and healthcare expenses, or capping my wage instead of raising it, and without worrying about losing my job, and living on edge all the time. Then I would be enjoying life. Spending away is merely a short-term fix to one's woes. In the long-run, you become a debt slave in addition to a wage-slave to the capitalists. Savings are important, it's the capitalists who should be footing the whole bill and not living to excess at the expense of everyone else.
Exactly my thoughts. Also, did anyone notice how obvious propaganda this shit is? I mean... just look at what the adds say! It simply tells you to obey! Last time I saw anything that rude was in the propaganda posters of the second world war.

[Stranger Than Paradise]

That propaganda campaign is so blatant. The leftists of Finland need to respond to this however.

[Kwisatz Haderach]

Wow, this is really desperate.

Increasing consumption by reducing the rate of savings is a tired-and-true method of fighting capitalist economic recessions. All capitalist governments do it when a recession occurs. However, they usually do it by cutting the interest rate (so people will be less inclined to save because the interest on their savings will be smaller). If they had to resort to propaganda in a desperate attempt to stimulate consumption, that means they've pushed the interest rate as low as it can go and it's still not enough.

[Kyrite]

Capitalism - Buy more shit that you don't need!