I have never liked this slogan which always seems to me to be smug and egotistical - but ideal for the consumer-driver capitalist economy. We discussed it at the sewing group. Catholics against, but not confidently. Protestants vaguely pro. Linda pointed out that you need to have confidence in yourself in order to contribute. Yes - we need to instil confidence in children, but without them seeing their value in terms of materials goods. But at the moment one is linked very tightly to the other, and it is in the interests of the economy that this should continue.
However, this conversation led on from a session admiring Linda's diamond rings - she has the most amazing jewellery, and a husband who likes to buy her jewellery. Michele, too, is not short of lovely things.
I think that if we believe this slogan - and people quote it all the time - it is such a successful tag - we teach our children that a child who has more things is more deserving than they are themselves, which is complete bollocks. All children are equally valuable. It takes a whole religion to teach children that they are valuable because they just are. Self-evidently. And this is where Marx was completely wrong about religion.
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