The capitalism paradigm intrigues me [1, 2]. Whilst I see the imputed logic of free market competition, I’m blind to how lots of competition’s rational at this time on this planet. For almost all products, our supermarket shelves boast not one or two, but several choices. That’s overkill. Inefficient and wasteful. As is just about everything society concocts for our alleged benefit. Too much. Too much. Too much. Research reveals the clear benefits of a simpler life. But society – whatever and whoever that is – exerts massive pressures on us that make simplification difficult, and complexification all but irresistible. And so it is too with Days, Weeks, Months and Years. Of the commemorative and promotional type. Aimed at raising consciousness, changing attitudes, improving behaviour. Every day, week, month and year’s a Day, Week, Month and Year of Something. They even overlap and clash. There are too many of them. Way too many. Probably this is just another instance of free market competition. But over a period of years, the primary determinant of survival in the calendar of commemoratives may not be worthiness. Did you know Mental Health Week [3, 4, 5, 6] ended yesterday? Mental health’s way up there among worthy causes. But Mental Health Week gained nary a skerrick of media attention. Why? The media – and so the public – is blasé about commemoratives. Too many. Too many. Too many. Ho hum.
