.. your very wording:

"the U.S. states Kansas and Iowa together produce more than enough food to feed the entire planet every single week."

So, like Baldur, I thought that was what you meant.

... anyways, now I get you after very briefly reading some of your links, it's very clear that the world is fully capable of doing so.

And, BTW I've always thought that we produce so much food waste, others waste as well.. with is why we recycle in out household, probably more so then others in our community.


One thing that I wanted very much to talk with you about and as well as get your opinions on, relates to capitalism (I'll still e-mail you when I get my inbox up to pair). Firstly since I can't e-mail you I would like to first offer an apology for how I came across in one of our very past e-mails (I never did apologize for this..). You may net remember, but it's been on my mind for awhile, in this e-mail I stated that we had fish in out home, you asked about them, I went on-and-on about my views and should've just responded more diff then what I did, for that I offer an apology. I am able to talk about animals w/o bringing my views in the picture and that's what I should've done.



Now, as to this post and your thoughts I'd like on capitalism, well actually a form that has been called "the ultimate form of anti-capitalism”, freeganism. From Freegan.info ⚠️ ↗: Freeganism is a total boycott of an economic system where the profit motive has eclipsed ethical considerations and where massively complex systems of productions ensure that all the products we buy will have detrimental impacts most of which we may never even consider. Thus, instead of avoiding the purchase of products from one bad company only to support another, we avoid buying anything to the greatest degree we are able.

The word freegan is compounded from “free” and “vegan”. Vegans are people who avoid products from animal sources or products tested on animals in an effort to avoid harming animals. Freegans take this a step further by recognizing that in a complex, industrial, mass-production economy driven by profit, abuses of humans, animals, and the earth abound at all levels of production (from acquisition to raw materials to production to transportation) and in just about every product we buy. Sweatshop labor, rainforest destruction, global warming, displacement of indigenous communities, air and water pollution, eradication of wildlife on farmland as “pests”, the violent overthrow of popularly elected governments to maintain puppet dictators compliant to big business interests, open-pit strip mining, oil drilling in environmentally sensitive areas, union busting, child slavery, and payoffs to repressive regimes are just some of the many impacts of the seemingly innocuous consumer products we consume every day.

OK, so I guess my question to you is- are I going all that I can, I feel that I am. As I cannot go freegan cause of where I live, in places like NYC they have more more ppl that are freegans, we only have one, that I know of. We have more veggies and vegans then freegans. OK, so what freegans argue is that simple buying cruelty-free, organic, far-trade etc products does not ensure that workers are not overworked, harmed or that children are labored (is that the correct word?) etc. I guess products with such labels could be faked? (is that the word I'm going for), though I'd think it'd be very hard to do so.


My only thought that comes to mind is, if everyone in the went freegan then this lifestyle would'nt work. Based on the fact the one needs to trow out food in order for freegans to get theirs. Veganism however, is a plant-based lifestyle (I don't call it a “diet”, or I try not not as least.. depends).

I'm not aware of any other anti-consumerist movements, although I'm sure there's some. I have an anarchist-way of thought, I wouldn't call myself an anarchist. Because, well I vote but I'm not sure how much my votes really matter, I've also read that even anarchist should vote too. IMO, anarchism and voting is really not an issue. I'm vegan, buy organic when I'm able to. I also buy far-trade etc products, when I'm able to. I protest also when I can i.e. 9-11 etc Diss, is there a term for somebody like me?



More info (from Wiki):

Freegans believe that even if a product is vegan, it does not guarantee that:
-Workers were not exploited in the product's production;
-Pesticides were not used in its growing;
-Non-renewable and radioactive resources (such as petroleum, coal, and nuclear power) were not used in production, energy use and shipping;
-Rainforest was not cleared to generate plantation land;
-Wildlife was not harmed in production;
-Wasteful packaging was not used.

Freegans claim that people sincerely committed to living the "cruelty-free" lifestyle espoused by vegans must strive to abstain not only from eating, wearing, and using animal skins, secretions (e.g. milk and its by-products), flesh, and animal-tested products, but must attempt to remove themselves from participation in the capitalist economy altogether as workers and consumers.

But not all Freegans are vegans. There are some that consume animal products only if those animal products would otherwise be wasted.
/End of quote


... anyhow, just some of my thoughts and stuff. I really do try to do what I can and am able to. I think that's good enough.