The reason why people go so crazy on Black Friday and Boxing Day is not that they really need all those two-dollar waffle-makers. What they want is the feeling that for once – even if it is just this one time – they have defeated capitalism at its own game.
It’s easy to despise people who jostle and punch each other to get discounted X-boxes. But these are people who feel so confused and cheated by the system they find incomprehensible that they deserve this symbolic little victory.
Clarissa's Blog 
They’re my heros. The bloodier the better. Let the gladatorial trials begin!
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Exactly right! Venkatesh Rao wrote and amazing post about how capitalism ‘gollumizes’ us here: http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2011/01/06/the-gollum-effect/
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