My Travel Blog

I had always heard that the Pacific Northwest is an enclave of communists and activist left wingers in general. I am neither, in fact, I don't believe I fit any particular political label, so I don't mean this with any disrespect for anybody's political proclivities.

Thus I was not surprised to find a shop in the Pearl district Portland, Oregon called Cargo. The shop is a communist emporium, containing a vast variety of red paraphernalia, that will make a follower of Mao or Che Guevara cry and go on a shopping binge.

I found the place interesting due to the paradox of it all. The communist always took pride on being very pragmatic about consumption in general and being anti-religion. However, Cargo is stocked up with tons of useless goods, that seem to defy the communist consumption view and seem more fitting with capitalist merchandising and McDonald's giveaways, and it has an aura of religious temple, in which the main saints are the Maos and Lenins of this world.

I guess the joke is on somebody, I am not sure who!