I'll stick with your Jim Hightower quote, and continue to say that
the creek needs to be dried up so the hogs can't wallow there any
more (the "creek" being big money).
I totally agree that "voting with your dollar" is very powerful, but
I still don't think it's enough. There are a couple of barriers I
see. First, in many towns, there is no longer a *choice* as to what
hardware store, book store or coffee shop to patronize. Also, I
don't think there are significant numbers of people who understand
the imlications to all their purchases or care to stop their stressed
out lives to find out. Education is important, but every year that
education creeps along at the grassroots level, more small
proprieters and farmers go out of business, many more mega-mergers
take place, more horrible toxins get dumped on the environment, and
the Fat Cats just keep getting fatter. Also, not everyone is as
disciplined and able to avoid temptation (lower prices, better
service, nicer decor) then you and I and continue to shop at local
yokal places.
In any case, I think this issue is way bigger then just small biz vs.
big biz. The lack of a truly democratic public sector effects us in
every possible way. The incentives for people to "do the right thing"
are few and far between, and the economic and political motivations
in this country are all wacky. (I think it would be quite fair to
say also that in the last generation, many of the social constraints
to wonton greed and profit-at-any-cost have crumbled in the wake of
changing social norms as well.)
If the ozone disappears, if global warming and massive deforestation
change the nature of life as we know it, if the majority of
have-lesses in this country become "have-not-at-alls" I don't see how
even the Microsofts, Monsontos, General Motors, etc are going to
survive, but I don't see things going in any other direction the way
we are headed. Granted, most of the global problems need global
solutions, but getting the incentives corrected in this country would
have global implications.
Meanwhile, I do continue to vote with my tiny dollar (mostly a
negative vote by not buying most of the junk out there), but I feel
like a grain of sand on the beach, and the other guys have
bulldozers.
Anita
> Anita,
>
> Yes, but how do we get rid of the Big Guys? Answer: DON'T BUY THEIR
> CRAP! If nobody showed up at any Walmart stores, they'd be bankrupt in a
> matter of days. Their empires are built on cash flow and any
> interruption spells doom.
>
> It's not a matter of boycotting, it's a matter of education- Why should
> you spend your dollar somewhere else?
>
> And, the whole corporate structure is built on confidence just like the
> American dollar. Many years ago, we had the value of all currency
> circulating stashed as gold to back it up. We could go to the gummint
> and get that much gold for our dollars. Then it was changed to silver.
> Read a dollar bill now. It says "Federal Reserve Note." Not even a
> government agency. What we have now is an agreement that a dollar is
> worth a dollar to all of us. If we all of a sudden say, "Wait a minute,
> this is just a piece of paper," the whole system would crash.
>
> So, we can't change the election system- the elected officials make the
> laws. And they're not going to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
> But we can buy FROM THE PEOPLE and make economic decisions FOR THE
> PEOPLE and let ConAgra & ADM eat their own products.
>
> But, alas, there are whores everywhere that will do anything for money
> and/or fame. However, we have a choice about what we want to be. Just
> because everyone else is selling their souls doesn't mean we have to.
>
> Alex
> "The water will never clear up 'til you get the hogs out of the creek."
> - -Jim Hightower, in reference to politicians.
>
Anita Graf
Research Coordinator
Market Development of Organic Agricultural Products
313-F Conner Hall
Dept. of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-7509
(706) 542-1915 phone
(706) 542-0739 fax
agraf@agecon.uga.edu
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