‘Down and Out’ at Holiday Time

Attempting to discuss economics with someone whose children are hungry is going to be a futile exercise, but I feel I must address the anger of the author. The implication seems to be that my purchase of goods above and beyond what is necessary to keep me alive is somehow taking food from the mouths of her family. This is absurd. In reality, my purchase of anything made or grown in this country is keeping people employed.

The people who work in factories, which produce the expensive toys that the author holds in such contempt, probably have quite another sensation when viewing their product out in the stores, namely, relief, if not gratitude. And the banks, which are accused of conspiring to put the author’s family in the poorhouse, are laying off people by the thousands who will also have hungry children if the banks’ receivables are not collected.

Of course compassion and charity are required of all who are successful in economic bad times, but we should remember that the less some people spend, the less other people work.

SUSAN SELF

Los Angeles