"Let them eat cake."

Chances are, you've already seen this. The G8 pigs are at the trough, while much of the rest of the world starves. Why do we allow this?

It reminds me of the book I am currently reading, Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization. The hubris, the thirst for war, and the absolute cruelty of the world's leaders at that time (and I'm not just talking about Hitler; Churchill and Roosevelt were equally inhuman in their own ways) was shocking. Nothing has changed, the thirst for power and profit rules the planet.

Food for People, Food for Thought

Two articles caught my eye tonight, and I think they have some ideas in common. The first is about the possible demise of the world's honeybees. I've written about it before and it is one of those things that simply scares the living daylights out of me, until I start thinking about food production on a smaller, more human, scale. Read it here, and feel free to let me know what you think in the comments. When I read about "beekeepers" who load millions of bees into semis and drive them across the country, well, that's hardly food production on a human scale, and it is really about the corporatization of our food supply. Furthermore, it seems as if the California almond growers, as well as the big-time "beekeepers", are less concerned with finding answers to the long-term questions than they are with maximizing their profits in the short-term, the future be damned.

The other article is about small family gardens in Lesotho, as one small scale solution to the food crisis (which, by the way, I believe is largely manufactured and highly profitable for that small percentage of the Earth's citizens who always profit off the misery of the many.) Anyway, reading it was a balm for my soul tonight.

I was delighted over the weekend to find a small patch of ground in my postage stamp of a yard where tomatoes can grow. After work today I went to our Tuesday Farmers' Market and bought 4 tomato plants, 3 of them heirloom varieties, which will be going in soon. There is little as empowering as growing your own food. (Warning to Mr. Ether: This year it's tomatoes. Next year, chickens! Can backyard sheep be far behind? I hear there is a growing market for sheeps' milk cheese ...)

Can You Help?

A week ago, the father of a student I had last year had a sudden massive heart attack and died. He leaves behind his wife and four young children. The family emigrated to the U.S. less than a year ago. This man worked two jobs and his wife worked a job as well. As you can imagine, none of these jobs payed well or carried benefits, and they were just getting by.

On the day he died, the parents were at school for parent-teacher conferences (which they probably took off from work to attend) and expressed their desire for the children to do well in school.

Right now the family's immediate concern is paying funeral expenses and transporting the man's body to Mexico for burial. Beyond that, there is the ongoing great need for groceries, warm clothing, money for rent and heating, and other living expenses. If you have some spare money, or earmark money for charitable giving around the holidays, and you would like to contribute something to this family in crisis, could you let me know, either in the comments or via email? I would be happy to send you an address where funds can be sent.

Thank you.

Just a note: At my school, where the number of students receiving free and reduced hot lunch -- a common indicator of poverty -- tops 70%, each year several families lose a parent to death. This is just one more fact of life when you are poor. As a nation, can't we do better than this and shouldn't we be demanding this from political candidates and representatives?

Happy Thanksgiving?

I watched some t.v. with my daughter last night. (I'm not a t.v. watcher, but sometimes it gives me an excuse to sit and knit.) I was disgusted by ad after ad after ad for "day after Thanksgiving" sales, many starting at 4 a.m. And our newspaper yesterday weighed at least 3 lbs. -- I'm not exaggerating -- because of all the circulars. It is obscene. All the more so, after reading this article today about hunger in the U.S.

I have to say, I take issue with the wording of this last paragraph:

“At least at this time of the year they are prepared to give generously but the worry is that a system based on charity will mean that the supply of donated food will always ebb and flow,” he [Mark Winne] said. ” We may be entering one of those perfect storms where everything goes wrong but if we depend on food charity rather than ending poverty, this is what is bound to occur.”

Calling it "a perfect storm" somehow implies that the hunger crisis facing Americans and those who would help them is an act of God. Make no mistake -- this is one more product of the greed and callousness of the Bush administration, whose policies have willfully created a shrinking middle class, a rise in the number of "working poor" and homeless families, a culture of rampant materialism, selfishness at the top, despair at the bottom, and no "safety net."

I think that statistics show that people with less income tend to give a greater percentage of what they have, than those with more. I have no problem with charitable giving. I honor anyone, rich or poor, who sees a responsibility greater than themselves to help others.

But I also happen to believe that a government has a responsibility to take care of its citizens (both those born here and those born elsewhere.)

The teachings of Jesus were essentially about not hurting others and taking care of the poor.

Most politicians like to bray loudly about their faith, and no one brays louder than George F.W. Bush.

I am disgusted.