On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 23:08:34 -0700, Jan Steinman wrote:
>> From: "Barry B. Bean" <bbbean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>
>> ... when corn prices are cheap,
>> we get blamed for starving African corn farmers by flooding the
>> market with cheap corn. When corn prices are high, we're starving
>> Mexicans by increasing the cost of tortillas. We can't win.
>I'm not blaming you; I'm not blaming other commodity farmers;
Thanks. I'm glad I can do the same thing as all the bad guys and be held
blameless.
>I'm
>blaming commodification in general.
Commodification has been around for an awfully long time, and would seem to be
one of the building blocks of modern civilization.
> You're right, people die
>when corn goes up OR down,
I never said people die when corn goes up or down. I said we get blamed for
starving people when corn goes up or down. Given the range of corn prices from
too cheap to very high is $2/bushel, I
said I don't believe people are starving due to corn prices.
>and it isn't your fault! So who's fault is
>it, then?
Its the natural course of things that life involves hardships. Hurricanes,
droughts, tornadoes, winter storms, floods, etc. kill people. Not everything is
somebody's fault.Life is hard.
>My solution was to drop out and seek something totally different.
Idle curiosity: If everyone lived on a self-sufficient commune, how would we
react to widespread drought, flood, or other crop killing crisis? Where would
the surplus food come from? How much land
would that require, and what would society look like?
fwiw, I fully support your choice, and hope it goes well. I considered a
similar option 25 years ago. I thinks its a great way to live for people who
are fortunate enough to have the prerequisite
resources and opportunity. But I don't think its a prescription for society as
a whole.
> I
>believe that you, as a good person, do the best you can within the
>situation you're in to avoid having negative impacts from your
>actions. But as you think of me, I think your actions may be
>misguided, and thus I suggested we agree to disagree.
Noted.
>I don't know for sure, but I sorta doubt that very many people on
>this list think everything is fine and good with the world. We each
>do what we can, and I apologize if you perceived that I was somehow
>making you the villain for the evils of the world.
Thank you for that. I appreciate it.
--
Barry B. Bean
Bean & Bean Cotton Company
Peach Orchard, MO
www.beancotton.com
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