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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] INactivism - $90B farm welfare

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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] INactivism - $90B farm welfare
  • Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:24:23 -0600


More thoughts on that while it heats up outside - good excuse to kill time
at the computer.

Barb threw out some points after seeing that post - this is a silent
movement, under the radar. This is a movement that can't be co-opted or
killed off because it has no leaders to buy off or arrest. They can't
investigate millions of home growers - they can't afford an army of
mindless bureaucrats to do it. They can't identify targets or call in air
strikes. They 're too busy stealing anything that's not tied down.

Growing our own, buying local, bartering, selling local - these are
profoundly political acts, with more certain results than voting or writing
letters to the editor. Taking the decision making on our food, our health,
our spending, and our livelihoods into our own hands denies it to the
distant powers that be. Nothing can stop that.

I yield the soap box.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 7/20/2007 at 10:57 AM TradingPostPaul wrote:

>Thanks again, Ken. BUT there are those who lobby for more of the federal
>pie to come to small farm operations and sustainable growers. And they
wait
>for it and pin their hopes on it instead of beginning sustainable
practices
>where they are, right now. IMHO, fighting over who gets the tax money is
>the wrong strategy. We won't get it and we won't stop the Agribusiness
>Leviathan until enough people grow their own and buy local, and consumer
>demand falls and cripples the mega-farms and middlemen. Lobbying and
>protest are up against corrupt billion$. What little progress they think
>they've made politically comes with very long strings attached, and with
>money comes control. Control of our health and livelihoods.
>
>You could call this INactivism - refusing to support an unsustainable
>system we don't believe in. And consumer demand is the lifeblood of the
>system. It should die the death of a thousand cuts. Do we really want all
>the contaminated crap from China, or ADM or Cargill? The beauty of
>INactivism is we don't need mass protests, votes, or foundation grants to
>do it. We don't need anybody's permission, licenses or permits. We just
>need to get growing.
>
>This doesn't sound glamorous; it doesn't give anybody a chance to head
some
>movement and be a big shot or plead for donations from a deep leather
chair
>behind a big desk. But pulling my own carrots and garlic brings a strange
>sense of satisfaction - the simple pleasure of knowing you can actually
>feed yourself from the land you live on. And eat healtier for it. And save
>the cost of a fitness club ... do people really pay some company - some
>club - to let them exercise???
>
>paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>
>*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
>
>On 7/20/2007 at 7:06 AM Ken Hargesheimer wrote:
>
>>Each year, the U.S. government spends about $90 billion to ensure that
>>its citizens have cheap food. This leads us to ask, “Who should get
the
>>$90 billion?
>>
>> This Saturday at 9am Pacific, the Food Chain with Michael Olson hosts
>> John Keeling from the National Potato Council and Larry Mitchell from
>>the American Corn Growers Association for a conversation about the 2007
>>Farm Bill.
>>
>> Log on www.metrofarm.com to listen on your radio, computer or IPOD.
>>
>> Topics include why governments subsidize agriculture; why 70% of U.S.
>>subsidies go to 10% of the country’s farmers; and which farmers should
>get
>>the money.
>>
>> Question of the Week: Who should get our $90 billion?
>>
>>http://farm.ewg.org/farm/index.php gives the names of farmers and
>>corporations and how much welfare they received.
>>
>> Ken Hargesheimer
>
>
>
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