CONSEQUENCES By Norm Lowry October 2013
"My nonviolence does not admit of running away from danger and leaving dear ones unprotected." --Gandhi
We choose what we live by Directly, we choose our thoughts and actions; indirectly, our feelings and physiology. Internal control holds sway and external control is utterly nullified, as we choose to become responsible for the inherent, often frightful and severe pricetags attached to our volition. Consequence lies solely in our life-offering or life-defeating thoughts and actions.
This premise is faultlessly illustrated in Raj Patel's solicitude over the McDonalds Big Mac, which he posits, in all actuality, to be "The $200.00 Hamburger."
When we think of the Big Mac, we think of a $4.00 sandwich, which can be discounted when packaged in a meal. We seldom consider the socio-political, ecological or economic impact. It tends to make us nervous when we consider the sordid costs, such as the "carbon footprint" (around $300,000,000.00 per year for all Big Macs sold in the U.S.), government agricultural (beef, corn, et al.) subsidies, governmental economic and healthcare subsidies to underpaid/under benefitted employees, underpayment to agroworkers in Florida's tomato fields et al (slave labor), etc.
Who do we presume to be fiscally responsible for this year's U.S. $107,800,000,000.00 Big Mac subsidy? To whom should I remit my $196,000.00 repayment to society, for the 1000+ Big Macs which I've consumed over the past 40+ years.
Recently, on America's most popular morning TV news/gossip show, the panelists nearly unanimously agreed that maybe it's time to remove the phrase, "innocent women and children," from media reporting on oppression, terrorism and war, due to its caustic impactions. I bawled like a baby! I mean, who on earth, in the history of humanity, has been more abused than "innocent women and children?" Women are humanity's most faithful, though largely unrecognized and unfitted, servant-leaders; children, its most helpless yet hope-filled trusting precious ones! How dare we?
Interestingly enough, the lone dissenter to this conversation was a woman who dared to play the "I get paid less than a man for doing the same work" card. The panelists got fidgety, made a few jokes and moved on, missing yet another momentous opportunity to adsress the monstrous bigotry and racism that is literally rotting our humanity away, from the inside out.
This week will see the premier of a movie which chronicles the hijacking of an American Captained container ship by Somali pirates. From the pre-release trailer we are promised that, once again, good will prevail against evil. Tom Hanks portrays the hijacked captain, a hero. I wonder who will portray Larry Summers, former Obama chief economic advisor and recent appointee for Federal Reserve Chairman who, while an executive at the World Bank, spearheaded the dumping of U.S. toxic/nuclear waste into the ocean off Somalia. Accepted reasoning was that it was more economically sound to pay $2.50 per ton for disposal in Somalia, compared to $1000.00+ per ton for disposal in the U.S. For his fiscal brilliance, Mr. Summers was appointed to the Clinton Administration Treasury Department. Somali fishermen lost their fishing ground to toxic, radiation-typical poisoning and chose to become pirates. With no justification intended, in the actual, portrayed hijacking, did good prevail over evil?
Our society has no shortage of good people! This being so, how is it that we allow:
1. our consumption to be such that, if all other nations were to consume as we consume, it would require Nine Earths to absorb the ecological effect?
2. racism, bigotry and poverty-production to drive our so-called Justice System?
3. our prisons to house 25%+ of the world's total domestic inmate population, in a country comprising merely 4.5% ot its total population?
4. our government to expend 70%+ of all federal revenue on war making?
5. et al.?
Inside each of us exists a "quality world" (William Glasser); a virtual picture gallery of what we most value. We pursue only what we most value! In order to perpetrate or perpetuate an "evil,," we have to make it our "best" option; the "right" thing to do, according to our "quality world."
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I sat enjoying a cup of coffee, in my favorite Portland Oregon Coffee Shop. Three friends, Portland CIty Police Officers, came in late that morning and were quite haggard looking. Greeting them, I said, "You guys look like crap. Something bad happened, didn't it?" They proceeded to fill me in on the occurrences at NYC's Twin Towers; of the planes hitting the towers. The youngest officer commented, "But you told us a couple months ago that this was going to happen."
After that morning, the subject was never broached again. This was quite surprising, especially so, as the ensuing weeks exposed Portland Oregon as being a key city in the supposed terrorist attacks.
There is no history nor holy book which tells us that those who perpetrate and/or perpetuate oppressive horrors will end well. There are always consequences!
