“To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men”
Abraham Lincoln
The Silence of Omission
July 6, 2008 at 9:52 pm (Aboriginal, courage, ecology, genetic engineering, multinationals, nuclear dangers, philosophy, politics)
Tags: Lincoln
Different times?
June 27, 2008 at 12:49 am (food, multinationals, philosophy, politics)
Tags: co-operatives, communism, hunger, IMF, politics, tough times, women, World Bank
In recent conversation with my mother, the subject of communism came up. In the 1950’s, in Australia, a person could be jailed if found to be a member of the communist party. Times were tough for ordinary working folk in that early post-war period, for not only had they suffered through the Second World War, but had experienced the Great Depression before that. The solidarity of communism offered an alternative experience, but being a member could be a risky business. In this ‘free’ and ‘lucky’ country.
My mother was a member of a women’s co-operative which operated in her area. This co-operative was set up by well educated women, as a way to enable those less fortunate to improve their daily lives. As an example, a vacuum cleaner was purchased by a group of seven women, who had their one day a week to use it. Gradually, some women went on to have their own machine, until it was just two women sharing the use. This same vacuum cleaner and the arrangement lasted for nearly thirty years!
Now had these women been asked “Are you a member of the Communist Party?” the majority would have been horrified, and denied it. As they saw it, they were simply a group of women trying to help each other through tough times. My mother smiles as she recounts that one member of the group was a staunch Catholic, and was vocal in her opposition to Communism.
I bring this up today, having just read an article:
Choices no one should have to make | SocialistWorker.org
What is the connection? I feel it is that people who would not ordinarily associate themselves with anything titled “Socialist”, would nonetheless relate to the subject matter. Hunger. No-one wants to see their family go hungry. But in the world today millions are experiencing that every day, and the cause is not global warming, it is political decision making.
As the author of the article Anuradha Mittal says:
“Depending on the World Bank and IMF for solutions is like giving a key to the bank robber and asking him to guard the bank. We have to fight back, because there is no other option. We need to deal with that.”
and:
“Being the U.S., we have a job to do, and that is to fight the battle in the belly of the beast. We have to put pressure, especially in this year of the presidential elections. What do the presidential candidates stand for? Are they willing to take back the free trade agreements–there is nothing free about them.”
Now whether one lives in the US or elsewhere, the same principle applies:
“So it is really time to put pressure within this country–on the elected officials and the people planning to be in political office–that we need to have a different kind of policy.”
I come back again to this little group of women in the 1950’s. Just one of many many groups around the country. They did not sit about moaning, they got off their butts and did something. How about you? Do you think the times are THAT different? Remember, every action we take has a political consequence.
What we eat
June 25, 2008 at 12:30 am (food, genetic engineering, multinationals, philosophy, politics)
Tags: consumer, food, GMO
When we put food into our mouths, we are making a statement. About what the food is, about where it has come from, about it’s acceptability. Of course there are usually compromises along the way, as few of us can have the luxury of eating totally according to what we believe. Nonetheless, I am always looking for ways that help me to live and eat according to my principles.
And so I come again to the GMO issue. I am not swayed by the fast talking salesmen/women who are pressing me to buy their products. Yesterday, Bob Phelps published an article where he warns on feeding the world with GM food. http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7530
Bob Phelps is Executive Director of http://www.geneethics.org/
But how many times am I unwittingly purchasing a product that includes GMO’s? The labelling laws in Australia are weighed in favour of the manufacturer, not the consumer, and it can be very difficult to determine just what is in a product.
http://sites.greenpeace.org.au/ has provided information for the consumer on:True Food Network : Welcome
They provide a range of information to enable the consumer to make well-informed choices on the food consumed, and on ways to voice concerns. To be pro-active.
In South Australia the Genetic Food Information Network also is a great resource. http://users.picknowl.com.au/~sagfin/
Information is the beginning of knowledge, the beginning of wisdom.
The final word must go to David Suzuki, who is his book Naked Ape to Superspecies says:
“Our disconnection from the Earth is epitomised by our relationship to food. Most urban people associate food with supermarkets but fail to connect it with the land”
Seeds
April 10, 2008 at 3:06 pm (ecology, insects, multinationals, seeds)
Tags: bees, GMO, heritage, seeds
The summer has passed, and even though there is no consistent soaking rain, it is time for the autumn plantings in the vegetable garden. Of course, the question always is this - should I sow seeds while the ground is warm, or wait until the rains come? If I wait too long, the ground will be cold, and the seedlings will not grow as well. I may hedge my bets and try a bit each way.
With this in mind, I purchased some seeds this week. Now there are some very glossy seed catalogues, and plenty of seed stands in supermarket and similar multinational stores. I ignored them. I purchased my seeds from an Australian company that sells “The finest organic seed of the old traditional varieties. Our Food Heritage.”
These are seeds that I will be able to grow, then save the seeds from those plants for my future use. Over time, those plants will be adapted to my particular local conditions, and I will also be continuing the time-honoured tradition of saving old varieties of seed for future generations.
I am appalled by the consequences of GMO seeds. That is - Genetically Modified Organisms. Here’s what Brit Amos wrote in GlobalResearch.ca - Centre for Research on Globalization, March 25 2008 -
“Genetically modified seeds are produced and distributed by powerful biotech conglomerates. The latter manipulate government agricultural policy with a view to supporting their agenda of dominance in the agricultural industry. American conglomerates such as Monsanto, Pioneer HiBred and others have created seeds that reproduce only under certain conditions, often linked to the use of their own brands of fertilizer and/or insecticide.
The genetic modification of the plant leads to the concurrent genetic modification of the flower pollen. When the flower pollen becomes genetically modified or sterile, the bees will potentially go malnourished and die of illness due to the lack of nutrients and the interruption of the digestive capacity of what they feed on through the summer and over the winter hibernation process.”
And then there is the Doomsday Seed Vault, officially known as Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located on Spitsbergan Island, Norway. Some of the players in this are the Rockefeller Foundation, Monsanto, Syngenta Foundation, and the Government of Norway.
Somehow, I do not feel comforted by the presence of this vault. I do not believe that these investors have spent their money for the ‘public good’.
Thirty years ago my uncle, a commercial seed grower, was concerned about the changes to the industry and how the ordinary person was going to be disadvantaged by these big companies. No one wanted to listen to him then, and not many are listening now. But I remember his words, and I shall save my seeds. I know how to garden, but for me, it is more than simply growing food. It is a political statement. It is part of the journey of regaining personal power. It is saying - I know how to feed myself, I can survive. This you cannot take away from me.
