Christmas Consuming

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Half of all America's retail shopping occurs between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This month we're expected to run up 114 billion dollars of consumer debt, enough to run the Canadian government for a year. With consumption communities replacing the old anchors of ancestry, religion and alumni association, can we build lives that afford us the best of materialism and spiritualism? What's the effect of this supersonic spending on young people? For answers, we turn to economists and ethicists. (Rebroadcast from December 18.)
  • Newsmaker: Bush's First Post-Election Visit to DC - George W. Bush met with Alan Greenspan before appearing with top leaders from both parties in Congress. David Corn, of the liberal magazine The Nation, says the man who campaigned on compromise wants concessions from across the aisle.
  • Reporter's Notebook: Bush's Foreign Policy Team Shaping Up - Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice will drive foreign policy in the new Bush administration. James Chace, formerly of the World Policy Journal, wonders whether Powell, who he says is certain to run a smooth ship and create bi-partisan cooperation, will be an "architect or a brick layer."

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney