>From: "Guy Clark" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: [ecopath] Internal Cultural Activism >Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 13:55:21 -0500 > >I believe, maybe even know, that many more people see the hidden costs in >our current cultural/economic system than did 20 or even 10 years ago. >People are afraid of their food because of how far it is shipped and the >outbreaks of disease caused by the lack of controls which is caused by the >scale of these businesses and their greed and purchase of regulating >agencies. It is true that many are driven to apathy by the scale of all the >problems, but a lot more are starting to ask questions, build food circles, >buy organic, join CSA's. I think the problems are very visible and very >understandable, but some of us are too busy or afraid to see and understand >because it leads to some very hard questions and difficult decisions. I >remember my family (parents, grandparents, and great grandparents) laughing >at me and calling me radical for some of the things I would say and do, the >food choices I would make, etc. Now they are more adamant about some >features of the problem than I am. > >How can the scale and consequences of the problem be invisible and >incomprehensible and yet still "lead to" apathy? If you cannot see or >comprehend it, how does it influence your living? Subconsciously? I think >it is readily apparent to a lot of people, but this realization overwhelms >and leads to apathy, or more accurately feelings of impotence. And this >feeds right back into another of the points of contention; the reason they >feel impotent (without power) is that they buy into the top down view of >power. They believe that power comes from government or other big >institutions; they do not realize that we give/create the power for these >institutions by acquiescing and refusing to own our power. Governments and >corporations rely on this assention; ironically, so do all forms of >political violence, except terrorism. Terrorists believe that they, a small >group, can influence the political/cultural discourse through acts that >influence another small group of people (usually) that will spread terror >in a larger group and cause them to remove their support from the >government or corporation that is in apparent control. When we move this up >the scale ruler we legitimate it with governments and call it "war". > >I have been working with food circles and other groups locally to create a >regional food system. While we can never quite produce everything we want, >we can probably produce everything we need; at least for 9 months of the >year. We can make this year round by canning, drying, freezing our food, >but most of us, myself included, still have to purchase some non-local >food. And until I find a way to grow coffee in Missouri, I am convinced >that I will HAVE to purchase some food from elsewhere. I could not do all >the things I need to do without it, or a tasty alternative. My mantra is, >"Buy your food from a farmer whose face you can see, farm you can visit, >and practices and inputs you can question." Of course this can be applied >to anything you need to buy by replacing a couple of words. > >Namaste, >Guy Clark ___________________________________________________________________ Mulai langganan: "subscribe envorum" ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] Stop langganan: "unsubscribe envorum" ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] Arsip di http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] atau di http://www.egroups.com/list/envorum
