MAY 21--RAPTURE? HOW ABOUT, ONE WOMAN- PERSON FOR ONE WOMAN - PERSON PER DAY? MY NEW LIFE MOTTO-SERIES INTRO

Atacama, Chile The most Barren Desert in the World

When I started this blog, it was Supposed to be about fair trade, coops-unions for women, eco-ethics, etc., and along the way, well that kind of changed.  Well,

sort of,

Spiritually I changed [actually a Beginning of change] a couple of years ago...when I began to question My role and self in relation to the world, that was for starters...that and facing the truth and horrors about the depth of patriarchal misogyny and it's effects, not just on my life, but on my core self and soul.  And through this journey, if one wants to call it that, I've taken many self-reflective and questioning paths, confronting numerous life events and behaviors of others as well as my own--so I've tended to switch back and forth between the religious, feminism, my own life/dealing with RA, and the political.  Then there is the post-trauma of living in poverty and homelessness--that life, one doesn't leave behind I am finding...it becomes YOU, not just a part of you.  Hard to explain and I don't really want to get into it at this time--but that Change you see,

numerous changes, left me in fragments, or rather, with a Prism Lens, that makes it very difficult for me to settle for one view or one group think.  That's it--I don't do the whole group think, in fact not at all.  It's bad enough that I have had to find lost remnants of my very self--a self that was damaged and erased from the Beginning [from birth], and that having been done Deliberately by sick and dysfunctional people--supported by none other than RELIGION AND OCCULT AND POWER HOUSES.

Anyhow, without going into long boo hoo diatribe about my life [because well--hey, it begin to BORE me too], to sum it up--one begins to ponder on a lot--especially when looking or questioning, Who really is God?  I got to the point where I simply couldn't handle Christianese of Any sort--that includes the egals and liberal kind...it's not that I have any complaint against them, it's just that, I'm simply not in that frame of mind and in agreement with them--it's NOT my world,

and you know, maybe it wasn't ever supposed to be.  And I'm OK with that...and I'm getting to the place where I am at peace with the fact that we don't operate in a box...God's planet is Extremely diverse--botany is not a one theme pattern nor is Ecology.  However everything IS CONNECTED--INTERDEPENDENT, yet each with it's own function, gift, and life receiving and life giving relationships.  And I'm at peace now with my choice in indigenous beliefs or Native Indian--though I am finding my own path--however God leads me, this isn't easy because it requires stepping out on Faith--and by that I mean, Faith that isn't being programmed by doctrine of the indoctrinators.  Some call it mysticism, not sure if I would call it that, because it doesn't seem to fit into this mystic or gnostic puzzle, that might have something to do with the feminist lens that I do see through and various other influences, don't care to analyze it anymore.  At least not in the usual OCD way that I do...

anyway--so this whole rapture business comes up, and at first I didn't know what it was because I stopped watching the news a while back--stopped depending on internet news and well, sort of just jumped off the world grid so to speak, to Some degree, I did of course keep in connection to issues effecting women, but everything else I just lost interest.  I have learned a couple of things over this past year, being in the Wilderness so to speak,

one of them is, I can't do a damn thing about the world--in like, changing how the world operates as a whole, because I am N.O.T. 'GOD'.  And while it sucks because as a Woman--who is aware of the increasing holocaust against women, I know...I can only do so much, I do not have the powers of some super hero that can change the minds of millions who Choose to walk in hate and misogyny--and Come to think of it, this is what kind of turned me off to those who Still are adamant about hanging onto a cultist church, even though child abuse and woman hate is rampant, with this idea that if they Just hang in there--one day, a miracle will happen and Poof--hard hearts will change.  What they don't get--is that it's not just about Women--the church has been CORRUPT

SINCE THE DAY OF IT'S ROMAN INCEPTION--300 YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF CHRIST.

But even more so--was and is the FACT--that the American Church--as a CULTURE, was founded on none other than

BLATANT ROBBERY, THEFT, LYING, AND GENOCIDE.

And they've been COLONIZING THE POOR EVER SINCE--so this SHOCK that hey, all of a sudden WHITE women are feeling the WRATH of the WHITE MALE CHRISTIAN OPPRESSOR,

is just I don't know--it SHOULDN'T BE, SURPRISING...none in the least.  Now I am aware that we are Conditioned to believe a certain way--sure I get that, I'm just as guilty [if not more so] of being deceived as many are today, I get that.  We live in a very deceptive profit driven/power driven culture.  Always have--but there IS enough INFORMATION out there, that WE as A GOVERNMENT don't really have any EXCUSE...so to blatantly deny and choose NOT TO SEE because hey if we did, then we have to Look in the mirror and see how WE--INDIVIDUALS--HAVE CONTRIBUTED OR BENEFITED even if in small way, from the colonizing, corruption, racketeering and blood letting/being in bed with other government terrors and then you see, then there is the QUESTION

DO WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT-----------OR DO WE CHANGE?

I believe Marx termed it as 'becoming Conscious'.  And so by consciousness--what I have been seeing, is how that my little actions, good and bad, have impact on other's all the other side of the world.  Because this is how ECOLOGY WORKS, this is how LIFE ENERGY WORKS.  


So, anyway...so I am doing something and on our t.v., the small one my daughter sometimes watches [though I do watch the Office, admit I am an addict of that one show], and on the news they are talking about this May 21 thing--which you know, with my RA background triggers in huge way--Blackjack, number 21, talk about running numbers and Bookie work, oh yea--triggered big time, and FEAR,


oh my gosh, fear.  And then that FEAR [because it reminds me of the RA] triggers this rage that is just Boom--eating away, so the OCD hamster wheel gets a rolling and back and forth, love God hate God, it's just a nightmare and when I get into that frame of mind I begin to deconstruct and question and not always in a nice way either....which that later leaves me with Guilt.  And so I find myself having to disconnect even more from all of it [blogs, t.v., electricity, modern things and get quiet, in meditation and prayer] and then of course, THEN all the 'bad things' I've done, begin to grow up, in visions, before me, and I've done some really awful things,


I've lied, a lot, I've stolen [that includes not paying debts], and yea even though I was dirt poor, true, that doesn't justify my evil actions, you know--because it's the SAME DANG FORCE people--


one lie, breaks trust, that brokenness causes another to lie, breaks more trust, and more brokenness and then before you know it, the Connection and life force between us is all shattered like hell and that is what Iniquity is, it's  Cancer, it attacks healthy cells and invades and then one day, it has taken over the entire body.  And then, that body


dies.


So--I've been going through these deconstructs-reconstructs daily with God this past year [and past prior years to that] and seeing more, not just about the world but about myself, how the abuse destroyed me but NOT JUST THAT--how that abuse in destroying me, took me captive and I then was a tool, but also not just a tool, but by nature, began to destroy others.  All it takes is a chipping away, with the power of Words.  But not just that,


for years I screamed about the injustices of politics, power, men...but God would show me things you see, like,


how much Food I have wasted.  Now that might not seem like a big crime--but you know, when you see the life force in ECOLOGY and see how many in our world do STARVE on a daily basis--then YES, it goes beyond just being ungrateful--it is part of that evil life taking vampire force, because it's a force that works and gets it's power out of


BROKENNESS.


So I find myself becoming conscious of these tiny things...things that built up.  And then, the meaning of Love began to pester me more and more--what Did Jesus mean by so much of what He said [or that other's said He said through the passing of folklore.]  Many claim that folklore has no truth or merit, no scientific backing,


I beg to differ, folklore is the learned by experience Wisdom from the elders, the sages, the prophets.  To me, it IS  a science.  Because those before us--LIVED.  They breathed the air, felt the pain, saw good and saw evil, some more than others and they told us, through words, some words were hidden on purpose by power mongers but it always seeps out, like herbs [what modern man calls weeds] through the cement cracks on a sidewalk--eventually truth seeps out.


You can't kill it, and interestingly, it was WOMEN, who passed down much of the folklore, just so you know.  The clay vessels that carry the water, the water taken from the wells--water that has carried generation after generation through trial and tribulations.  KILL WOMAN AND YOU KILL WATER--it's that simple folks.  And it's SCIENCE, it's ECONOMICS, it's LIFE.


NO WATER = SOUL THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS

Atacama, Chile The most Barren Desert in the World

So this whole rapture thing, got me to thinking...about What really IS important.  I do believe that one day, the Lord is coming, but  I don't believe it's in the literal sense of the terms that have been proclaimed.  And I believe it has Far more to do with each of us, in the individual HEART and SOUL, than as groups and nations.  And I find myself questioning, do I change [repent] because of the 'if you don't This horror will happen' and if That is the reason then--how is that Love?  Most of all, how in the world is that heart TRUTH?

It isn't...it's Coercion and eventually it will fall flat, fall away, because there is NO LIFE IN IT.  And you know, that in of itself, is HELL, because it's that brokenness that causes hell on earth,

hell caused by FEAR, LOATHING, CRITICISM, CYNICISM, INDIFFERENCE, APATHY

now Not saying, one walks around in a bubble land fairy PRIVILEGE world either, that isn't LIFE either, that is VAMPIRISM...because it Takes energy to Give LIFE.  That energy has to come from somewhere or SOMEONE...therefore indifference is just the other pole to the whole hell equation.  

And religion falls into those poles...why there is no life in it, no water and lots of hate of woman.

Anyway--so I'm thinking on all these things, even on the question of Eternal Life--would I really want to spend an eternity being lifeless, cynical, and most of all--with others who are the same or worse?  That isn't life--that's just another form of hell--if I can't stand the church culture today I darn sure don't want to spend eternity with them--Question is though,

Why?  And really, if you probe deeper into this, IN TRUTH, when our hearts are broken we don't want to spend eternity with our SELF either.  Broken by loss of CONNECTION.

AND YOU KNOW SOMETHING--THAT IS WHAT I TRULY THINK, HELL REALLY IS, AN ETERNITY WITH 'SELF', A SELF THAT IS DISCONNECTED WITH OTHERS BECAUSE SELF REFUSED TO

LOVE.

It don't matter how much 'Jesus-knowledge' one knows, if there isn't LOVE inside, that is Hell.  And I don't mean love by pretense, you know that whole religious fake ass thing, nor love by hedonism--yea fucking and orgies don't count men, for 'love', romance doesn't count for love either, it falls into the me, me me category and hedonism [that includes the ole marriage under Gawd as man as head puke and woman as sex slave puke] 

and culture don't count for love either, or any other 'ism' for that fact.

So what is love?  I think the answer, is right in front of us...in NATURE.  The eco systems we depend on, each system has a message--if we only took the time to listen, we are CONNECTED, in some way, to the entire Cosmos.  Our actions, choices, have an IMPACT,

not just on each other, but on the entire ECO SYSTEM.  That system that gives humanity

clothes for the naked
water for the thirsty
food for the hungry
healing/balm for the sick, afflicted
rebuke [bee stings, etc] to correct or teach wisdom
justice--what goes around comes around but this is measured also with MERCY to those who are MERCIFUL
etc etc etc etc

so in every thing we do, we have an impact, now there is always evil, what I mean is, what is 'good' for us can be 'evil' to someone else, and vice versa, I'M not talking here about Deliberately doing evil, but about life itself, such as,

let's say, damming or diverting water to farm and downstream that causes another to not have water...there are just some things that I don't think we can prevent, that's probably not a good example but it was one on top of my head here---but you see there is a Huge difference between natural cause and effect,

and then, deliberate cause and effect through INDIFFERENCE, APATHY, RACISM, CLASSISM, SEXISM, ETC., 

and I mention this because I don't think we ever arrive at utopia [not in this world] but we can still become Conscious of our self and our self's relationship to others and to this world and to God and the earth.  This is what the Native Indian and other Indigenous people believed, and still do,

and I think they are absolutely right.  In fact, I believe that IS THE TRUE MESSAGE OF GOD...this is what I believe.  So, I'm thinking on Afghanistan and the world and the horrors and my life and failures and what I've learned--and the end, etc., and how so many were making a mockery of the whole end of world thing [that's the other side of the Evil coin btw, shows a complete arrogance and indifference to our place in the cosmos] and the lack of love due to iniquity and how I, like a tree, could see this rotted corpse,

and then it all began to make sense, and then, in this dark abyss, I asked self, What now?  Do I just continue to go on or do I choose--to choose love?  I do believe one has to make a willful choice, it's not like God comes down and puts a 'spell' on you and you just become some magical fairy being, no,

it becomes a willful choice, you CHOOSE, what to be.  No matter how dark this world is, you CHOOSE, now God helps you, and transforms you once you make that choice, God is Love, but the change, comes on the INSIDE OF YOU, OF ME,

and that seed grows.  You don't just exist, live, you begin to Want to give LIFE to others--because that is what REAL LIFE IS,

giving LIFE, not just consuming life.  And it's not just in works--it's in all we are, do, become, and what I find interesting, is that I've seen people actually living this out, and they aren't always Christians, in fact most of them are not, they are Spiritual, but they are not Christians, in terms of 'labels' and so forth--but they LIVE what CHRIST TAUGHT,

and That, to me, is what the Spirit is.  And so--this series, rather than focus on the ills of the world, I want to focus on life givers, and life giving projects, and not just campaigns but life changes--that have positive LIFE GIVING impact to others, that save lives, show LOVE IN ACTION--and if we were do Do, one small change, daily, as Women, we Do work towards LIFE GIVING

TO OTHER WOMEN ELSEWHERE,

one woman--per day.

IT may not seem like much--but the more Connected we become, healing those broken connections, the more we see or become conscious of that life-love force, but not just become aware of it,

we become a Part of it, and it becomes a Part of us.

And that's what I think the Tree of Life truly is--it does take a death, a death to the old nature, self, corrupt tree, that whole poison and lens, because it becomes other centered [giving life, not objectifying, big difference there] rather than

self centered.

Jesus says..if you've done it to the least of these, you've done it UNTO

ME....

one woman, per day--one small barely hanging on, grass in a barren cold loveless land--desert,

one act = [multiplied, that breaking bread] =

 

Atacama Desert, Chile

next in series--Food, the $2.00 a day project, one woman shares on her blog--and the first accusation/tempting and causing Mistrust/Disconnect, with Woman [the serpent attacks her in garden over FOOD, and has been doing this to Woman ever since--what I am learning, and how it's connected to life elsewhere.

Jane

A MUST SEE VIDEO!!!

http://littleecofootprints.typepad.com/little_eco_footprints/2010/02/dumpster_diving.html

I confess, I have been a dumpster diver for years, so has my husband, not that much for food though. There is one store near us, that we have found food that was thrown out, nothing wrong with it...that is more my husband's thing--fruits/vegies we give to our parrots, sometimes eat, my husband is not as hesitant,

I am, I always worry about food poisoning, etc. [I'm weird like that]

Anyway, how I got started, was by accident actually--when living in inner city, near a diverse economic neighborhood, I would walk the alleys back and forth, to the store, college, etc., because of how the city is set up, anyway, I would see trash bags near the dumpster or on top, full of clothes, dishes, and other good items. At that time I was extremely low income so finding clothes, esp for my girls who then were very small, was a blessing.

But it became more than just finding things we needed, I couldn't Believe WHAT PEOPLE WOULD THROW OUT. I have designer suits, pants [including a Donna Karen wool jacket,Nothing wrong with it], dresses, I have found a diamond watch, tons of costume vintage jewelry, cassette tapes, books [three boxes of new books-non-fiction] and purses, you name it. I found So much, I couldn't keep it all, and then came the distribution. Downside, a LOT of laundry,

but lets just say, one single mother who had Just had a baby--and was in homeless shelter, was given an Entire baby layette that someone, had thrown away, that a friend of mine found--told us--and we told the shelter, and a mother who had Just given birth to a girl, who had Nothing, had Everything, provided. That, was God, amazing. There were PRice tags still on many of the baby girl clothes, a barely used baby swing, carrier, etc. That was 6 years ago, I never forgot that one. And what started out as an innocent walk finding some really pretty dresses and toys/clothes for my girls,

became a lifestyle of finding, Recycling, Reconstruction and Re-Use. I will say, that in the South, where I grew up, I don't recall seeing So much waste. But whether its 'region' or 'urban' [due to migration/jobs] or what have you, it Does boggle the mind a bit at just HOW much we Consume and HOW much we waste.

AND then we go and buy more!

BUT, as products go, the ONE Thing we have to remember...is that, IF we were to all one day, stop buying/stop consuming, there would be thousands of jobs gone. Its NOT just about recycling, we Have to also, provide alternative jobs, for those industries that wouldn't produce as much, we forget 'that' part of the equation, I do NOT have any answers or solutions there, but I have thought about that.

As for food, even I was shocked to see this video, I had NO IDEA, I have only once, found that level of food in any dumpster and that one was at an apartment complex, someone had moved out, they threw out a weeks worth of steaks, turkey, and still frozen. Needless to say, I cooked that Turkey that year, it was a year we were struggling after the birth of our son.

Often times things I find need just a slight fix, like the Bulova {sic?} Diamond watch, found in a thrown away purse, the links were broken. Trip to the jewelry store it was good as new. A huge Casio piano [electric] that was missing a cord, easily replaced and one key slightly damaged, my kids didn't care though, we still have it today. In fact, the majority of the things in our home, are Recycled, from furniture to decor, about half or more of them, found IN the trash. I can't count how many baby things like high chairs and strollers we have found and given out. Sure, you find a lot of broken unusable things, but you also find things, that there is nothing a little clean up and some new fabric, bolts and creativity won't fix.

We don't dumpster as much as we used to, one, lack of storage space and time to wash all the laundry, it Was getting a tad burdening at one time, one year we had found So many clothes we couldn't keep up with the giving them out. AND, you have to watch that you don't start 'hoarding' yourself, especially when you recycle, put some of your creativity into and before you know it, you have clutterville, even With the give aways.

And not everyone is willing to take Used things, especially not out of trash---early lesson learned, but like in the video, they are right.

We have taken So much for granted here in the West that we really don't Have a clue really, just how Gluttonous we truly are, and I'm not just talking food either. Some things I learned about Myself, through all this,

is Why do we consume or feel we need to and Why do we feel we have to have 100s of garments and Why do we feel the need to have New? For me, it opened up my eyes, to a lot of Self Esteem issues, I had, when I really let God show me, in His Word and through learning about other countries, just how much our need to consume for a host of reasons, pulls and destroys the earth, affecting the planet, animals and yes, human beings.

But even I was shocked to see the Level of Food we throw out as a nation, and then there are people Starving in our world. Hey, I'm guilty, there, I admit, something God has been working in me a lot here lately is how much food I waste in buying wrong things or not the right things and not planning more wisely, throwing food out that has rotted, etc., I am Terrible about fridge storage, Terrible.

Some of this, is related to that 'weird' thing I mentioned earlier, I have a form of OCD, like, I am NOT anal about cleaning on a lot of things, in fact the opposite on some things, but like totally Obsessed over other things, like food, won't drink Any thing that anyone else drinks out of, don't matter if its a sip, just unnerves me to like obsessive and food, IF I think it has any age or anything I won't eat it-- wash my hands all the time but not like till they bleed, though I have chaffed them a bit, but I can handle other opposite extremes, WHY, I have NO idea, parrot seed and poop around the cages and on floor doesn't bother me, At all, kind of a slob that way [another thing God has been dealing with me on]-- but food wise and some other things, I'm just weird about. Has to do with some childhood events, long story but it's a form of OCD, just not the typical kind you see like with the everything having to be labeled and in certain space--though with dishes I'm like that? Who knows, lol...


And it Has been one of those things eating at me, you know when God is working in you to change something--to be a Better steward, to NOT take things for granted,

being Grateful isn't just about saying Thank You God but knowing Everything we get/have, has been pulled from somewhere or from someone else, its not like this intangible item, it has somewhere, connected with life, be it the labor of someone or the ground in which it grows.

I won't sit here and say I Always think of these things, oh I don't or that I don't slip back into old ways, oh I do and I still struggle and cave in to temptation a lot, I'm not no saint by Any means,

but I am seeing, more and more and without getting into Legalism and Bondage [the other extreme and can be Just as harmful--and the Bible warns us of that], lets just say,

we Do waste a lot and we Do need, to stop and think, the next time we shop, consume, or

throw out.

To the side bar, under the Women who are working for change, there are a couple of Good blogs, with a LOT of good advice for sustainable living to not wasting food to even housing your own chickens. While I don't do All those things, I do some of them and am adding to them. Like, trying not to buy items for house decor and instead, recycling and making my own--

the glass jars which are coming along nicely, though finding ways to use them, takes some thought. But I'm learning, Time it takes to Do these things, now That's another matter and well, yea, it Does take time, some space, its not something that should be Forced on people or people made to feel guilty, etc.,

for many people, simply working, caring for family, and keeping a Roof over their head, is enough burden, particularly for single mothers, etc. And I have been there and so, yea, the Green lifestyle is good,

but we need to remember, there are other issues to consider such as economics, time, region, support.

But being Aware, especially of our Consumption, IS a start....

so, I will be working on my fridge this weekend and working on meals/shopping, and well, maybe I won't be so hesitant, to eat that baloney my husband finds now and then, from the local grocery.

[ok probably Won't do that...but I can recycle in other ways] note: we did, for a long while, pull Tortillas from one place, they would throw out tons, if they had a tear--they got so well known the freegans would hang at that place a lot.

Peace, Love, Solidarity,

Jane

WHY WE NEED TO LEARN ABOUT ETHICAL CONSUMPTION INCLUDING IN OUR CLOTHES

[see update--bottom]

Most, are aware of the sweatshops,

but, are we aware, of the abuses, of children, child labor--in the picking and producing of

cotton?

I will be adding some articles here, on the abuses, in some places where they are down right Horrid, in regards to the

COTTON SLAVERY

that we get our clothes from--

starting with Uzbekistan.

http://www.ejfoundation.org/page142.html

more on this to come later today and this week....so check back

Consumers should:

• Demand that all products containing cotton are clearly labelled stating the country of origin of the cotton fibre;
• Pick your cotton carefully - refuse to buy cotton products without certain knowledge that they have been produced without causing human rights abuses or environmental destruction;
• Choose products which have been certified as fair trade.

MORE INFO, ON THE INDUSTRY OF COTTON, AND THE SLAVERY-EXPLOITATION OF THIS MARKET...

http://www.laborrights.org/stop-child-labor/cotton-campaign

BTW, I first learned, of the 'cotton' exploitation, by stumbling on it, I was fully aware of the sweatshops and how that whole industry works, from corporate to the fashion industry, and I had wondered about the utilizing of what Could be, lands for agriculture for food, being used for cottons,

but I did not know, about the brutality, of the cotton industry, Until I was browsing through a photo archive, by one photographer who does a lot of photography [and who has been threatened by political Islamists because of his photos of brutality in many Islamic countries], and he had done a write up and photo essay of the Suicides, by Cotton farmers, in India. I will go back and pull that section up, to add on to here,

but I simply had no idea, but its like in the flowers [why I don't buy flowers for Valentine's day--another very exploitative slave market] and why I am switching over to Fair Trade chocolate, why I don't buy diamonds any more, because of the blood diamonds, but look, NOT like this is any sacrifice OK, not like I ever BOUGHT diamonds to Begin with, LOL, like Duh...ain't in that money level market, closest thing I get to diamonds is those nice little things called

Glaaaasssss

ah, but anyway, not big on diamonds anyhow, so like, not like here bragging on like these Huge sacrifices, because well, its not sacrifices for me/my family because well, we just don't shop much--no money, ya know,

but still, people need to be informed and well I always shopped either thrift stores or dumpster diving [yea, we Fregans] and well, other than my teen girls, not much of a clothes shopper either. But the reason I got so involved with the anti-sweatshop coalitions, was because of learning about the fashion industry and the ties to the slavery of women, in piece meal work, including in embroidery, which well, then That, that raised my eyebrows...and it took off from there,

long story, one day I might share it, but if you know sewing, you might not know, just the Extent, of the exploitation of Women, because of their caring for children, being more easily exploited, cheap labor, etc., of just how far that all goes, back in history, and how Deliberate the exploitation in Textiles has been. And well, its just corrupt beyond measure and the thing most people aren't aware of, is that Textiles, I do believe, is the second largest Global industry, according to the WTO and IMF. Don't quote me on that, its either second or third, but its way up there, as one of the top five largest,

and, the Most, exploitative and what is NOT really mentioned, is how Women--as CONSUMERS, actually have a lot of power here, and how, sadly, we, as Women, and on this, I blame that whole beauty market-patriarchal 'standard' to be 'accepted' to male desires/mores, actually, Feed into the Slave Market,

every time we shop IF we are not aware. And I say this, NOT to condemn, because many simply do not know,

but I will say, I have run into, those whom I Have informed, who after they do know, simply, do not care--and maybe that is why, I tend to get a little vocal in confronting Privilege, or better, the 'insistence' of protecting privilege and its here, that you really see the Geo-political racism, imperialism, American exceptionalism and well, class and before one says, yea its those white folks,

got news for you, there are Plenty of African Americans and Latinos, that have assimilated into that whole consumerist 'imperialist' exceptionalist culture just as much--Greed has no race--ethnicity or religion, or the rationalizations for, so,

well, lets just say,

its one thing to be Aware of these things, its quite another, to radically change whole consumption lifestyles, particularly if one has teens, long years of habitual shopping, because its NOT something, we like, think about, and may I also add,

often times, the 'ethical consumption' is more geared towards the upper middle classes, who can Afford the higher prices. And fair trade-etc., can be more costly--because they aren't in demand as much as cheap products. For working class--lower middle class to lower incomes--sometimes its simply not an option, to pay $70.00 for a shirt when they can pay $5.00 at Target or Walmart, and the thrift stores, while they are an alternative,

they don't always carry boys clothes, etc., so even if you thrift, you still depend on the 'markets' for clothing, etc. So, I just want to say,

because of this, I will be adding here, other alternatives, for ethical consumption, BECAUSE I know, what it is, to be low income and to also contend with trying to find alternatives--that one can afford, and sometimes its one of those things you just have to weigh, so, no condemnation here, OK,

because there ARE ways, in which we all can help, if anything, to make our voices heard and to Give support, to those who are working for Fair labor practices which btw, is Demanded, by Scripture, in both Old AND New Testaments.

While I'm in no way, Utopian, and believe that all these injustices will change in our lifetime, I do believe, we have a responsibility, at least some, to at least--make an effort, to be more fair, in our consumption, by fair, I mean, more ethical, in how our choices, lifestyles, may effect others, our neighbors, and again,

these are not things you just like overnight, change because consumption, IS after all, a habit. And some habits, are a bit hard to break...oh, you may not think so, but like with the chocolate,

once I started looking into buying only Fair Trade chocolate which there isn't any near us, without driving miles and with no car--you know, makes it kind of hard and the prices, don't help either, but what got me, was just how much, we really use Cocoa, its not just the chocolate but how many products USE cocoa, that is made by child-slaves. More than we think...

so, I decided, because the kids asked, that well, we might not be able to like, forever end all buying of cocoa...but we will do our best. And in meantime, write those letters, to Hershey and Nestle, demanding, that they change their labor practices, and work to inform,

because the MORE people are aware, the MORE social pressure, the MORE the DEMAND then begins to DEMAND, ethical labor practices. And it has to start somewhere...

and that means, Supporting those companies that Do take those cuts in Corporate Profits, when they do decide, to do more ethical and fair trade business. The more we support those, the more they become competitive, and the markets begin to change...

Personally, I don't know why we all can't just get a class action lawsuit and sue some of these Chocolate companies for Mental Cruelty, because to Think, that all those years, especially in my CHILDHOOD, I was eating chocolate that was made by forced slavery, of CHILDREN, who the same age as my youngest--

is Deplorable and I think, and outrage, and I think, that Hershey and Nestle and some of those companies, M&M included, OWE THE CHILDREN WHO WORK IN THESE SLAVE CAMPS, MORE THAN JUST AN APOLOGY--REPARATIONS, AND

THEY OWE AMERICA'S CHILDREN,

A BIG FAT APOLOGY--because if Children really knew, WHAT they were buying,

they wouldn't be too happy about it.

Both of my children, passed on Hanukkah's golden coins {we celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah} this year Because, they didn't want to eat something, that reminded them of the horrible images of small children being beaten with chains, BY ADULT MEN, for not harvesting cocoa leaves fast enough. It has caused my one daughter some problems--seeing those videos [because she's older and has more understanding] and as a parent, yea, it sort of pisses me off,

because Corporations, are making big bucks, off ENSLAVING KIDS. Kids sold for $30.00 [BECAUSE OF OVERPOPULATION-PATRIARCHY=LOW STATUS OF WOMEN, WAR, AND POVERTY in Africa]...

why I DO support, Birth Control, oh yea...OK won't get into That issue--but well, when children, are sold for $30.00 to be beaten, so we can buy cheap consumer goods,

Something, is really Sinister and EVIL about the whole economic framework that institutes that.

Anyway, come to find, its not much different in cotton either, not only that but cotton, industry, pulls a LOT of resources, from land AND water due to irrigation, water in places where water is rare AND the people, are impoverished. AND as one, who has been a dumpster diver for YEARS and has first hand knowledge of the MEGA AMOUNT OF CLOTHES WASTE IN THIS NATION,

there is simply, no excuse for pillaging and raping the land--for cotton production and on top of that--to do this labor--via SLAVES?

so, yea, I'm gonna be posting a lot here, about these things because well, we need to know.

Let me close in saying, while I am dead set opposed to the unethical practices of capitalism, I in no way, any longer, support the left parties--or the political 'agendas' of those who Manipulate these issues, who are Just as despotic, as the imperialists and the capitalist-corporations are...and Why is that?

Well, will tell you, because many of them, have joined forces, with Political Islam--and they see nothing wrong with enslaving women [in the most brutal and Inhumane ways] and not only that, while they are opposed to Western Religions--due to the history of imperialism,

well, Ironically, in Islam, Slavery is not only tolerated--its condoned and supported by Hadiths. Look at Sudan--

and so, to say, on one hand, one is Marxist--and then, support a religion, that is pro-Slavery, well, its sort of an oxymoron...in my opinion...

you don't end slavery/wage slavery by embracing a system that is rooted in the beliefs of SLAVERY, like, uh, DUH, knock knock, anyone there? You know,

[and if one doesn't believe that, do some looking into the torture and oppression of the Communist Worker Party in Iran--and yet, we have idiotic 'leftists' and 'liberals' here in This country, who march along side, the very ones who one day, will yes, indeed, enslave them--the leftists in other nations, KNOW THIS,

but for some reason, there tends to be some either denial or complete stupidity in America AND in Europe over this. Even commies-socialists and union leaders in former Soviets, know a bit more, about the dangers of compromising with fundies on this one...[though, we won't get into the hypocrisy of the commies there--with that reality of capitalism for the elites--feudal Slavery for the masses, but eh, I speak as a one time, supporter of that whole ideology'.

Regardless, though, I never embraced capitalism nor will I--but I do believe, there has to be some other 'alternatives' other than state social engineering, selling out to the Dark Ages and/or embracing complete anarchy [been there, done that one too], LOL,

well--I think one solution, is women centered economics--another issue, another time,

and well, what DID surprise me, was the Voluntary 'communal' distribution in the Bible--from hearts of Love--not by coercion,

and it was one scripture, that Marx often quoted, many think its his own--to each according to his needs,

well guess what, its in the Bible--read the book of ACTS. It was, the First Church--who claimed that one.

Bet many didn't' know that, eh?????

One more thing, and this is another area where I really butted heads with many in the far left in those days [when I was a party member], and its on the state--protection of children, which often times, is really not protection, but is more exploitation on a whole other level. Allow me to explain,

one one thing, that I would disagree with, with the labor front--international, is in regards to child labor--its not 'enough' to say, end child labor WITHOUT replacing the NEED for that labor, with alternatives, because IF WE DON'T,

THEN THOSE SAME CHILDREN, ARE VULNERABLE TO TRAFFICKING-SEXUAL TRAFFICKING ESPECIALLY.

Now, the capitalist will USE that fact, to perpetuate the 'excuses' to justify child labor, or to sweep them under the rug, etc., and the leftists will use the children to target capitalism yet once the economy has been pulled out, even though yes its exploitative, they tend to leave the children vulnerable to Other predators and those predators are in the left as well as the right--so, this is where I think, a women centered or feminist [true women centered, not misogyny masked as feminism] economics-fair trade is in order. I would suggest, Until there is either a better market [labor] or means for families to make enough to support themselves, to make fair labor practices While cutting hours, and making education available for these children--that way, they aren't cut off at the knees OR exploited,

that is only one suggestion. I also think, this is Really, where Empowerment, Economic Empowerment for Women-Mothers really is important, because a lot of the child-labor IS due to the low status of women, who can't get work that pays enough, to support AND the patriarchal low status of women in many societies, that force women to be pregnant--in abusive marriages, etc., who can't work, because they always have young kids to care for--leaving the older Kids to have to work--to support families.

In other words, its an oxymoron to say on one hand, lets end child labor, but on the same hand, be tolerant or apologetic towards Cultures that oppress and subjugate mothers, e.g. women, and think, that child labor will end. It may end, but it won't end completely, it will only be transferred to trafficking,

which, one one hand, at Least--if children are employed locally, they can be monitored with Labor unions, if they are trafficked to other nations, with different languages, in sweat shops OR in worse--sex slavery-legalized prostitution [oh, Holland is the WORST] where there IS no rescue or help for these kids--

and they can't be monitored there--and many wind up dying, either of AIDS or torture/mutilation, etc., which is why, the support of Porn--the demand for legal prostitution which 'normalizes' that whole market--[which ironically, is supported by today's hypocritical LEFT], is also, a part of the whole problem--and I include this, because its that whole sex industry, that guess what,

is supported by big Corporate Lawyers and big business conventions all over the big cities--to entertain--those big business elites. Corrupt, you betcha,

it gets really nasty.

So like with many things, you can't end one form of exploitation and be 'sympathetic' towards another and Expect real change to come about--and what is so funny, both Marx AND Lenin, said as much,

and why they were opposed to the more 'liberal' forms of what they deemed as Bourgeoisie Liberal Socialism.

Hate to say it, but on Those points--they were 100 percent correct. So--taking All that in mind, there needs to be, a more wider solution, targeting the problems of economy, so that, in one form or another, these children AND their families, don't fall between the cracks. And part of that solution,

is where WE come in...demanding Fair Trade, Ethical Labor-Living Wages-and an end, to Fraudulent practices.

Jane

more on this later, Peace




Jane