As we all turn our eyes towards the epic tragedy unfolding in Haiti, and as massive relief efforts continue, I am enraged by right-wing commentary that encourages our citizenry to turn their backs on Haiti and Haitians. For what do they have to do with us?
The history of Haiti, and its relationship to the United States is as old as the American Revolution; not withstanding the spews of bigots. This monument stands in Savannah Georgia as silent testimony to our shared history.
When I started having trouble with the Whirlpool washing machine that was already installed in my home when I purchased it last year, I began to entertain the idea of simply replacing the machine with a high-efficiency model. My locality offers incentives for converting to the latest "green" technologies, and I was intrigued by the rave reviews and greater capacity and performance these machines seemed to offer. After much research, I had just about settled on one of the new Maytag Bravos (now a subsidiary of Whirlpool). So far so good.
Lastly, I wanted to be sure my purchase would align with my personal convictions and values. As an Iraq combat veteran, I care deeply about the fate of our country and its people. So many families and hard-working citizens are suffering today from predatory lending and credit practices, inadequate access to routine health care, and the reduction in government services due to revenue shortfalls caused by off-shoring and high unemployment. I didn't put my life on the line in a foreign land only to return to watch my neighbors being ravaged by a government that redistributes their wealth to the already-wealthy through lax regulatory practices and a corrupt political system.
Initially, I was encouraged to confirm that Whirlpool/Maytag is indeed based in the USA, thus fostering our own economy. But I was extremely dismayed to discover where your political contributions have gone: Sen. Max Baucus, who had single-payer advocates arrested during hearings on health care reform, just for peacefully and respectfully trying to get that option on the table; Rep. John Boehner, who stands solidly against environmental progress (one of the reasons I want a new washing machine!); Sen. Tom Coburn, who seemingly prayed for Sen. Byrd's death just to block health care reform; Sen. Jim DeMint, who has blocked nomination of a new TSA chief in the wake of several very troubling security threats, because of the possibility of unionizing the TSA (when many public service sectors are in fact unionized, and certain federal employees can be ordered not to strike -- remember the air traffic controllers?); Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who seems to feel no shame in holding health care for all Americans hostage to her personal whims and interests; and I won't even bother going on about Stupak, Grassley, and the rest. Clearly, the purchase of a Whirlpool/Maytag machine would NOT be in line with my core principles: to improve our global environment and our domestic happiness and prosperity.
I am posting this to several blogs and to my Facebook page. I promise, in fairness, to post any response you may have.
Cross-post (op-ed) from the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet
By Danielle Nierenberg and Brian Halweil
It's been twenty-five years since a well-meaning music producer threw together a bunch of megastars to record the now ubiquitous humanitarian torch song, Do They Know it's Christmas. Bob Geldof's Band-Aid raised millions of dollars and immeasurable awareness with the compelling chorus of "Feed the World," but global interest in those hungry people has plummeted in the last two decades, if the barometer is international investment in agriculture: agriculture's share of global development aid has dropped from 7 percent to 4 percent since the song debuted, even though most of the world's poor and hungry people depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.
The famine-stricken Ethiopia that inspired the song in the 1980s remains hobbled by food shortages today: some 23 million people in the Horn of Africa are at risk for starvation, according to the World Food Program, which delivers food aid around the world. The global recession and a recent spike in food prices aren't helping, either; the United Nations reported recently that the number of hungry worldwide has crested 1 billion.
The sheer number of hungry people isn't the only reason we must raise our standards for success. Because agriculture makes up such a large percentage of the planet's surface, and touches our rivers, air, and other natural resources so intimately, the world can't tolerate some of the unintended-and counterproductive-consequences of how we farm and produce food. And farmers everywhere, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, will need crop varieties and whole new approaches to farming that help them deal with drought, extreme heat and increasingly erratic weather.
Hopefully, our collective understanding of how to "cure" hunger has matured enough over the last twenty-five years to recognize that solutions lie not only in shipping food aid, but a new approach to agriculture that nourishes people and the planet. One of us has been traveling in Africa for the last two months, visiting farmers, agricultural research centers and other sources of innovation. There is no shortage of innovative and winning ideas on the continent.
Harbortown is a small village located on a remote island. The people are like people anywhere else. Maybe, a little more self-reliant, since the ferry only comes once a week, but, other than that, they're pretty much like you and me.
Times had been hard lately. The cannery, the biggest employer on the island, had cut back wages and then cut jobs. Quite a few people needed help to get by. The unmet needs of their neighbors bothered many islanders. One day, some of them got together to find a way to help.
At the meeting, it was soon clear that the most pressing problem was hunger. Harbortowners are known for their independent spirits so it was no surprise that they had a harder time agreeing on what to do about it. In the end, they settled on the most obvious solution. They were surrounded by the sea so they agreed to pool their money and buy a fishing boat. It would be staffed by volunteers with an elected captain. The catch would be given to the hungry. Everyone felt better about the situation as they left the meeting.
The band teacher, because of his organizing skills, was given the task of recruiting the volunteers. He soon had enough to gather the crew to hold a vote for the captain.
(This diary was posted first to Daily Kos, and I am including it here as it unfolded with updates and an addenda)
It has come to my attention, that somehow a filmmaker and blogger named Jane Hamsher, who seems to be the new leader (appointed by whom I don't know) of a portion of "left progressives" has proposed a new political alliance with Teabaggers.
While idly skimming comments today in a diary here on DKos, this factoid happened to catch my eye. The reference was to recent statements she has made on the Huffington Post, a place I rarely visit, unless it is to follow a link posted here.
I realize that this person has her own blog. Found that out during the health care debates around here. Never been there.
Disclaimer: When I wrote this I was envisioning it as a Saturday Night Live skit.
[Flashback to three weeks ago]
The President is seated at his desk in the Oval Office. He shuffles through some papers. A hard knock on the private door used by the Chief of Staff causes the President to lift his eyes and call out, "Enter."
The door opens and the Chief of Staff hurries in with the President's science adviser in tow.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. President, but this couldn't wait."
"What is it, Bob?"
"Dr. Singh has brought urgent news. A large asteroid is headed for Earth. We have three weeks before it strikes."
"Good God,"
The harried looking physicist who had entered with the Chief of Staff glances at his watch and says, "22 days, 2 hours, and 14 minutes, Mr. President."
At a time when many foundations have cut back funding, even to the big prestigious groups and institutions that normally look to them for sustenance, the Union Square Awards were given out last week in NYC, to local grass roots organizations that are doing progressive work in their communities.
These awards are not just a plaque and a pat on the back. They provide sorely needed funds for small grassroots groups doing important work in the diverse communities that make up the rich cultural melange that is New York City.
Now, as I know, all of you won't agree with me on this, but think of a man, who on his dying bed is waiting to receive his prescription for an herb to help his chemo-related loss of appetite, pain and general discomfort. Would you turn him down? Marijuana has been PROVEN a magnificent medicine for many different diseases and different ailments, but people are still stern that it's just a "street drug", with no purpose being distributed to people, legally, or not. I've read the stories, leukemia, chronic pain, AIDS, epilepsy, there's so many different ones, but should they be punished with a class 1 drug for trying to better their lives? I think not. Marijuana could do tremendous things in my eyes with the economy, medical world, and peoples minds in general. It IS a drug, however, not a drug in the way most think of drugs. Marijuana is non-addictive (physically) and has very light effects on the body, maybe a little coughing, but I'd put that over a liver or kidney that has been destroyed by pills. Now I'm no doctor, but I'd give a prescription to medical-grade marijuana for pain over giving someone a prescription to vicodin or oxycontin, same being some of the most addicting substances known to man. What would you do? All I'm saying is, look at the facts, look at the plant, and realize what we've all been missing until recently; marijuana is a wonder-med.
We're so disgruntled nowadays, aren't we? We who worked so hard to get this fresh, inspiring, and -- gasp! -- intelligent President (oh yes, and black, too) elected look back now and assess his accomplishments so far. And we're comparing where we thought we'd be by now with where we actually are. We note that the unemployment rate's still climbing; we're still in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and may even be sending more troops; DADT hasn't been repealed; health care reform is fighting for life; no investigations of the previous regime's deep corruption; and other drivers still sometimes cut me off in traffic. Wasn't the world supposed to be set on a fundamentally different path last November?
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. President, but this couldn't wait."
