A disclaimer: I’m a tree-hugging nature lover. So those of you reading this who are not similarly inclined may attribute my words to an idealism getting to be more pervasive among American youth.
But I don’t speak for a movement. I speak for common sense.
As it is, we live in a generally nonsensical world. I hope you can agree with me on that. Every internationally trading country exports the same goods they import, the World Bank’s generosity depreciates the quality of life of their beneficiaries and Paris Hilton makes about 1000 times the amount of the average Ph.D. student — somehow, the pieces of the puzzle don’t seem to fit. In fact, making sound decisions in our society gets increasingly more difficult the more logical our thoughts become.
Take Monsanto, a large agricultural and medicinal corporation. It produces two of the most toxic chemicals in the world — PCBs and dioxins — and is responsible for over 50 EPA Superfund sites, but if you don’t want to support them you’ll have to give up Coca-Cola, NutraSweet and anything that says “soybean oil” in the ingredients. Even Ambien.
Like eating shrimp? Huge acres of valuable wetlands have been converted to shrimp farms, contaminating the natural water-purifying systems. And we don’t have that much water to waste. What about where our food actually comes from? Approximately 10 calories of fuel is used to produce one calorie of food, on average.
We are all deeply embedded in this very dirty process, a conversion of business to corporation that has been permeating our culture since farmers became wage earners. We now basically give corporations full control over our lives — in large part, they determine what we eat, where we live, how we dress and our perceptions of aesthetics and quality of life. They have well-paid lobbyists and advertisers to make sure their products are purchased, and they have catchy slogans and cover-ups to make sure that their names won’t be tarnished in the eyes of their consumers.
If this all sounds like a conspiracy, it sort of is — it’s a corporaspiracy.
The laws are for them and the government doesn’t do much, so if they don’t like it one place, they’ll just move somewhere with lower restrictions — a so-called “Race to the Bottom.” All they know is money, and that’s where you come in.
It is very hard for one to separate from that world completely, and obviously we can’t stop eating. But a few knowledgeable decisions from time to time wouldn’t hurt. Recent events give you that opportunity.
Take Verizon Wireless, the company you all know and love. According to the Power Shift Web site, Verizon supported a Friends of America rally on Sept. 5 that was organized by Massey Energy, a large U.S. coal extractor, to support mountaintop removal. This form of mining involves blasting off over 1,000 vertical feet of mountaintop to reveal underlying coal seams, a process that continues in the Appalachian region, most commonly in West Virginia and Kentucky. The mountains are leveled and the debris thrown into the neighboring valleys.
The destruction is self-evident, but I suggest looking up some pictures. Be cautious if you’re prone to nightmares.
So, what could you do about it? Hit ‘em where it hurts. Switch phone companies, cancel your FiOS plan. When they ask you why, tell them that you can’t logically support such a company. This is really the only power you have against them. Always remember, you are a consumer, but you don’t have to be a sheep. The deeper you dig, the dirtier it gets.
This is not the type of dirty talk one would enjoy.