Some time ago I made the comment that what "helps" one group salve it's environmental or health conscience is often at the expense of another's.
Example: Oprah's
Acai RunRead the article all the way through, it's illuminating.
Another example of this type of item was the vast increase in corn prices when the ethanol craze started to take off, and has now become a constant fixture in American life - especially with the summer blends of fuels. Though much of the ethanol corn is American-grown, there is a demand for corn that remains - usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup used so ubiquitously in US consumer goods (the good/bad aspects of that are for another time and discussion).
This increase in corn prices meant that farmers in the "free trade zone" of NAFTA were MUCH more inclined to sell their corn to the US than to the local markets. As a result, the price of THE staple food for the poor in Mexico nearly doubled in price. NEARLY DOUBLE. If you are a poor person living on the EDGE of survivability, and your one staple food goes up that much...well, we can all imagine the consequences in human misery.
But, we're wealthy, happy, and unconcerned by that which we can't see - and can salve our conscience about the "environmental" impact of our wealthy lives. All the while increasing human misery with the very choices we so altruistically enacted.
Finally, there is the misery involved in
electronics recycling.
Again, we thrill ourselves with the concept of e-waste recycling. We drop off our machines, and give no thought to what must go on after we have done the great work of dropping them off at the nearest business that recycles waste. And never stop to think of what happens after we drop these off and go on our merry way, thinking of how we have helped to "save" the environment. We may even congratulate ourselves a little bit.
And on and on and on. For the most part, when the great masses of "bleeding hearts" who discover something or another that is "natural" or "great for you or the environment", there is a price in human misery to be paid by some wretched souls somewhere in the world, so that these comfortable, high-minded, obscenely wealthy (by comparison), people can FEEL good about themselves.
Think of the bottled water issue.
Look at the previous post. In what we SPEND on bottled water instead of relying on our WONDERFUL local water supplies, we could give the WORLD a healthy water supply. Trust me, coming from Mexico where bottled water jugs of the 5 gallon type are a necessity to prevent e. coli or amoeba infections, the water here is a DREAM. The fact that people despise the wonderful benefit they have available from their tap that many in the world would literally kill for is an affront to all of suffering humanity.
I do not advocate we all become self-sustaining agrarians, don't get me wrong. I simply abhor the self-indulgent joy these small-minded people get when they believe they have done something for their health or the world's good that simply ends up making someone else miserable at their expense. I despise the obtuse perspective that ignores the true nature of their selfish choices. This is the true reason for my disdain of "hippies". People who are so enamored with "bettering" themselves by making more natural choices - etc, etc, etc - but who are merely selfish children willing to plow the world under to satisfy their own self-righteousness and continued existence of their comfortable, worry-free life (again, relative to the wretched souls of the world).
I do not pretend that what I do is without its cost. I understand my relative wealth, comfort, and position relative to the world's poorest, and I do not resent THEM for it. I also am THANKFUL for my opportunities, and while I try not to waste more than necessary, I do not waste the opportunities presented to me. I realize I am blessed, and am thankful for it.
Finally, a great commentary on
social 'justice'.
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