If you haven't seen it, please do. Like the current Sicko, it should be required viewing for U.S. citizens eighteen and older, especially our law makers. It's a wake-up call to take back our rights as consumers and Americans. I haven't felt this worked up since Michael Moore's book Stupid White Men woke me from my post-9/11 somnambulistic state back in 2002.
In this country, it's clear that we vote with our dollars and politicians are for sale. Businesses with cash reserves much larger than ours are setting policy in our government. Our only recourse is to not buy what they are selling by not voting for candidates tucked into the pockets of corporate backing and by not buying what those corporations keep shoving in our faces.
I'm no angel when it comes to ethical economics. My shoes are vegan, but they were probably manufactured in a sweat shop somewhere, possibly even in the good ol' U. S. of A. But together, all of us can make smarter choices that will help steer our country toward a healthier state - economically, environmentally and societally.
If you read this blog regularly, then you probably already have an edge on most people when it comes to being aware of the injustices going on in the world. And, like me, you're probably also frustrated at how hopeless and helpless it can feel to not be able to take immediate action and see immediate results.
Uncle Sam has an addiction-driven personality and we're all in al-anon. We're not going to see overnight results. We can help by taking it one day at a time.
Just for a day, be a little more conscious.
Think before you spend any money. If you support the company and the product you are buying and it makes you feel better to encourage that company, then buy it. If a little voice inside you're head goes,"Sheesh, I can't believe I'm giving my money to Satan, again. I don't even like this coffee. I have to pay extra for foam and syrup just to keep from gagging on it." Then maybe you should put your wallet or purse away and step away from the counter. Just for the day.
Think before your eat. Listen to your body. Are you feeding an addiction for salt, sugar or fried food or legitimately satisfying a hunger? And what the hell are you putting in your mouth, anyway? Is it genuinely nutritious or is it something advertisers told you was needed to get through the day? Are you really lovin' it? Check the ingredients. If there are a lot of words you don't recognize as English, maybe leave it off your plate, or tray, or desk. If an animal died for it, be very aware of where it came from and the torture process the animal went through and the amount of growth hormones and other chemicals pumped into it before you take a bite. Maybe some whole fruits or vegetables, instead. Just for a day.
Before you turn on the TV or crack open a book, consider what you are feeding your brain. Is it junkfood or nutrition? Will it make you think? Will you learn something? Or will it put you into an entertainment coma? Give your brain a balanced meal. Keep it healthy, too.
Think before you act. Let people off the train before you hop on. Give the car ahead of you time to move before honking your horn. Open doors for people. Give people room to pass on the sidewalk. Slow down in getting your body from Point A to Point B. Be kind. Be aware of your surroundings. See the other human beings around you. Maybe leave the ear buds at home - just for a day.
Universal health care, electric cars, organic foods, world peace... There are a lot of people who don't want you to have these.
There are people in our government who want to keep you dumb and afraid. There are people paying those people lots of money to keep you dumb and afraid. They don't care about the environment or our neighbors. They don't care if we choke on our air, get scorched by our sun, or drown in our undrinkable waters. They do care about lining their pockets with money. And if that money comes soaked in blood and oil, then that's just an acceptable loss they are willing to make on our behalf.
Not everyone in government and in corporations are driven by greed. There is hope. There are a few good eggs out there. But it takes us waking up and seeking them out and encouraging them to make the difference we want to see in the world in our lifetime.
It starts by being a little more conscious of our actions and a little more thoughtful of others and ourselves - just for a day.
THE BS NEWS QUIZ OF THE DAY
Yesterday, I asked...
"In New Zealand, people who prefer NOT to have sex with carnivores are called what?"
37% answered "Herbaphiles." Nope. That's people who want to bink this guy...
12% said picked "Petabreds." I love this one. PETA bred/ Pita Bread. People who only sleep with PETA members. I think I may have just coined a phrase here, myself. What? Members of Peta are all hippy crunchy granoloa-y and smell too much like patouchli to want to get it on with? I beg to differ.
25% said "Cowfuckers." I will NOT be posting a picture for this one.
Well, okay...
25% also picked the right answer..."Vegansexuals."
According to the newspaper The Press, The New Zealand Centre for Human and Animal Studies discovered the phenomenon (their words, not mine)while doing a survey on cruelty-free consumerism. The word "vegansexual" sure doesn't make vegans creating the free-range beast with two backs sound very sexy. Any of my other answers would work. I also offer for their consideration, Tree Huggers And Kissers, Hemp Humpers or Tofu-ckers.
