The True Cost
I recently watched another incredibly good documentary called The True Cost. It's about the fast fashion industry. I was just naive enough to think that this movie would not make me as angry as those about our food that I've watched lately.
I was so wrong! It again came down to Monsanto and GMOs -- a cotton farmer who follows all of Monsanto's rules gets a brain tumor caused by Monsanto chemicals, has to turn to Monsanto for his medical treatment as well, dies anyway, and his wife switches to organic farming.
More than that, though, the movie was about worldwide injustice and worker abuse in the name of a global economy. The more I've looked into how we learn, the more I've discovered regarding who we are as Americans, and I'm not liking it.
Capitalists/big business are so good at finding opportunities to exploit. They are doing to other workers in other countries what they did and still do to workers in America. The difference is that US citizens have fought for worker rights and legislation for many years already, with results, but other countries are just beginning the same fight -- with the same enemy -- American Corporatocracy. I don't think they should have to fight that fight, to be honest.
I would hope that Americans would make damn sure workers who produce American products have rights and don't have to sacrifice so much just to make a living. We are literally talking about people's lives.
But what does American Corporatocracy do instead? It goes to other countries and exploits their workers, forcing American capitalist beliefs on those who would rather have nothing to do with it. Runaway capitalism in a way.
Workers in other countries have to fight two enemies -- 1) the American capitalists and 2) their own people who manage their work and buy into American capitalism.
The definition of a global economy, according to American Corporatocracy -- spread American capitalism around the world. That is just scary. Why can't we spread democracy around the world? What's really scary is that too many people think capitalism is democracy.
So what do we do about it? I think we ordinary everyday Americans are already doing something just by changing our lifestyle. We are eating organic. We are buying local. We are downsizing and shunning the materialistic trappings of capitalism.
We are hitting the road to see the wonders out there that we have been ignoring for so long. We are quitting our jobs and cutting our costs. We no longer see the need to work so hard and so long only to enjoy life when we retire at 65... or older... if we don't die first. We want to enjoy life now! Everyone around the world should have that right.
So I say let's start with New Mexico and start learning more about who we are and who we want to be. Do we want to be ruled by the almighty dollar? Do we want to continue to play a stupid game we are destined to lose? NO!!
Let's start loving our lives. Let's quit dreading Mondays. Let's help each other pay off our debts so money has no power over us. We are awesome! We are creative! We are incredibly funny, if you think about it, eccentric in many ways. Money? What's that? We don't need it! We are New Mexicans!
I was so wrong! It again came down to Monsanto and GMOs -- a cotton farmer who follows all of Monsanto's rules gets a brain tumor caused by Monsanto chemicals, has to turn to Monsanto for his medical treatment as well, dies anyway, and his wife switches to organic farming.
More than that, though, the movie was about worldwide injustice and worker abuse in the name of a global economy. The more I've looked into how we learn, the more I've discovered regarding who we are as Americans, and I'm not liking it.
Capitalists/big business are so good at finding opportunities to exploit. They are doing to other workers in other countries what they did and still do to workers in America. The difference is that US citizens have fought for worker rights and legislation for many years already, with results, but other countries are just beginning the same fight -- with the same enemy -- American Corporatocracy. I don't think they should have to fight that fight, to be honest.
I would hope that Americans would make damn sure workers who produce American products have rights and don't have to sacrifice so much just to make a living. We are literally talking about people's lives.
But what does American Corporatocracy do instead? It goes to other countries and exploits their workers, forcing American capitalist beliefs on those who would rather have nothing to do with it. Runaway capitalism in a way.
Workers in other countries have to fight two enemies -- 1) the American capitalists and 2) their own people who manage their work and buy into American capitalism.
The definition of a global economy, according to American Corporatocracy -- spread American capitalism around the world. That is just scary. Why can't we spread democracy around the world? What's really scary is that too many people think capitalism is democracy.
So what do we do about it? I think we ordinary everyday Americans are already doing something just by changing our lifestyle. We are eating organic. We are buying local. We are downsizing and shunning the materialistic trappings of capitalism.
We are hitting the road to see the wonders out there that we have been ignoring for so long. We are quitting our jobs and cutting our costs. We no longer see the need to work so hard and so long only to enjoy life when we retire at 65... or older... if we don't die first. We want to enjoy life now! Everyone around the world should have that right.
So I say let's start with New Mexico and start learning more about who we are and who we want to be. Do we want to be ruled by the almighty dollar? Do we want to continue to play a stupid game we are destined to lose? NO!!
Let's start loving our lives. Let's quit dreading Mondays. Let's help each other pay off our debts so money has no power over us. We are awesome! We are creative! We are incredibly funny, if you think about it, eccentric in many ways. Money? What's that? We don't need it! We are New Mexicans!
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