Corporate Ecocide
It's much more than Monsanto
"The earth is not dying. It is being killed, and the people killing it have names and addresses." - Utah Phillips
The other night, I started watching the occu-doc, American Autumn, on line. It seemed like a must-see, but I stopped the stream after about the 10th time the film highlighted the conflict between human need and corporate greed.
The other night, I started watching the occu-doc, American Autumn, on line. It seemed like a must-see, but I stopped the stream after about the 10th time the film highlighted the conflict between human need and corporate greed.
Without even inquiring as to where indigenous humans fit into this narrow equation, I will state what should be obvious: A myopic focus on “human need” by folks all across the political spectrum is exactly what’s brought us to the brink of ecocide.
A recent example of this is the Chick-fil-A controversy in which the vast majority of activists focused solely on marriage equality without even mentioning how the global animal food (sic) industry is threatening all life on earth regardless of sexual orientation (for more on this issue, my recent article here).
Mic Check: If you wanna set up a more visionary dichotomy than human need/corporate greed, try this on for size: Ecosystem before economics.
Occupy Wall Street has changed the global conversation, but it’s just a start, e.g.:
- Eighty percent of the world’s forests are already gone and rising taxes on the rich won't bring back a single tree.
- Ninety percent of the large fish are already gone and even if we establish single-payer health care, it won't revitalize the oceans.
- Roughly 150 to 200 animal and plant species go extinct every single day. Student loan forgiveness or re-vamping the Federal Reserve won’t reverse this trend.
- Every year, billions of animals are murdered for “food” and this global industry is the number one source of human-created greenhouse gases. Instituting campaign finance reform and term limits won’t slow this lethal damage.
We need holistic justice not single-issue activism, which brings me to Monsanto...
#Occupy the Big Picture
Whether scrawled on cardboard or screamed loudly, this two-word callout is a given at all Occupy events: FUCK MONSANTO.
Assuming the sign-makers and chant-starters know the details behind Monsanto’s evil empire, it’s an understandable mantra. From Agent Orange to Roundup Ready crops to rBGH to a frightening range of genetically modified nightmares, Monsanto has earned its place as a high-profile corporate crime poster child.
However, too much focus on one company is like too much focus on one party (read: Republicans): It lets all the other criminals to slip out of the spotlight.
Something else that lets criminals off the hook: Standard American diet.
Lifestyle choices that connect the diabolical dots: veganism, animal liberation.
Being a vegan/animal rights (AR) activist is much more than tofu recipes. It’s even more than barbarism like veal crates, vivisection, battery cages, slaughterhouses, whaling ships, dogfight rings, fur farms, zoos, circuses, and rodeos.
Vegan/AR issues also relate to ever-expanding global crises like climate change, deforestation, overfishing, desertification, species extinction, health care, habitat loss, corporate welfare, workplace justice, immigration, and so much more.
In other words, Monsanto is far from the only corporation killing the planet via the food (sic) industry. Some more villains for your next sign-making party:
Tyson Foods, which became the world's largest poultry and red meat provider after buying Iowa Beef Processors, Inc. (IBP) in 2001. Tyson controls 27 percent of all meat and poultry sales in the United States. One out of every four pounds of chicken, beef, and pork consumed in the United States is a Tyson product.
Fuck Tyson Foods...
Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer. Smithfield is the largest pig farming operation in the United States and a major producer abroad. Smithfield controls 26 percent of the U.S. pork market, raising 14 million pigs at its facilities and killing 27 million of the 60 million that went to slaughter in 2006.
Fuck Smithfield Foods...
Cargill, the second largest meat processing company in the United States, after Tyson Foods. It is the second largest supplier of animal feed in the world.
Fuck Cargill...
Cal-Maine Foods, the largest egg producer in the United States. In 2009, Cal-Maine sold approximately 778 million dozen shell eggs, representing approximately 18 percent of domestic shell egg consumption. The company's approximately 27 million laying hens and 6 million pullets and breeders is the largest concentration of chickens in the United States.
Fuck Cal-Maine Foods...
Nestle, the world's leading producer of dairy products.
Fuck Nestle...
Dean Foods, the leading producer of fluid milk and dairy products in the United States and the second largest dairy company in the world next to Nestle.
Fuck Dean Foods...
McDonalds, the largest purchaser of beef and second largest purchaser of poultry in the United States.
Fuck McDonalds...
KFC, the largest purchaser of poultry in the United States.
Fuck KFC...
Every bite we take impacts the planet but too many on the Left refuse to acknowledge this crucial reality. For example, there's Z Net’s Michael Albert who unabashedly declared in his memoir:
"I see no comparison in importance between seeking to eliminate the roots and branches of sexism, and seeking to eliminate the roots and branches of violence against animals. I see no comparison in importance between how chickens are treated and how women or any humans are treated. In fact, for me the animal rights agenda resonates barely at all, and the anti-sexism agenda is part of my life."
Such shortsightedness attempts to accomplish the impossible: separate humans from the natural world.
Fuck the Old Left...
#Occupy for all Species
If you’ve been to any of my talks, you may have noted that I open and close with this simple declaration: Peace and power to all species.
This is my personal challenge to the standard “all power to the people” greeting. Without even inquiring as to where indigenous people fit into this limited equation, I will state what should be palpable: A myopic focus on “power to the people” by radicals is part of what’s brought us to the brink of ecocide.
As I’ve written before: It's not nearly enough to rise above the latest man-made conflicts and/or differences and proudly declare oneself a "humanist." In the name of holistic justice and planetary rebellion, we must go deeper to identify as earthlings and stand -- fists raised -- in solidarity with all of our fellow earthlings.
Before anyone tries the “what I eat is my personal choice” defense, please allow me to remind you that factory farming is the number one source of human-created greenhouse gases -- and that’s just the proverbial tip of the proverbial iceberg.
Note to my fellow Titanic passengers: What you eat is cannot be a “personal choice” when it directly contributes to unspeakable animal cruelty, a human health holocaust, higher profits and more control for the 1%, and -- oh, by the way -- irreversible environmental degradation.
Comrades, every time you order a pizza to one of your rallies or get a quick bite at McDonalds (or any such death emporium) or opt to chow down on Ben & Jerry’s because the owners are so “progressive,” you are voting with your meager dollars for: unspeakable animal cruelty, a human health holocaust, higher profits and more control for the 1%, and -- oh, by the way -- irreversible environmental degradation.
Side note to the lesser (sic) evil crowd: Neither party gets it or wants to get it. As Obama clarified at his inauguration: “We will never apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense.”
Fuck Obama and fuck the so-called two-party system...
#Occupy for Holistic Justice
The correlation between animal rights and Occupy movement is clear. The system being challenged by OWS is built, in a major way, on the exploitation of non-human animals and the eco-system. If the new wave of occupiers and the old guard of animal rights activists join hands, well... the 99% becomes that much more unstoppable.
It's all connected within a culture constructed on the premise of unlimited growth and it must all remain connected within a movement aiming for holistic justice.
Mic Check: Dark green environmentalism is an OWS issue. Animal liberation is an OWS issue. Veganism is an OWS issue.
If you're working to dismantle corporate power, expand freedoms, and create a safer, more sane culture, you already have plenty in common with animal rights activists. Why not take things even further and recognize that the mighty 99% also includes non-human animals -- and the entire ecosystem itself?
Let’s join together so together we can spread the word that we occupy because we've reached the point of no return; we occupy because minor changes are not nearly enough; we occupy because we must stop acting like we're the last generation of humans; we occupy because we don't want our legacy to be one of inaction and shame; we occupy because we are the ones planet has been waiting for, and we occupy because we must re-imagine our relationship with the natural world.
Giant first step: Broaden our focus beyond “human needs” and “all power to the people.” #GoVegan
Note to those in NYC area: I’ll be leading a teach-in on all of the above (and more) at the next Occupy Town Square -- in Sunset Park on Sat., Aug. 25.
Join us...
Mickey Z. is the author of 11 books, most recently the novel Darker Shade of Green. Until the laws are changed or the power runs out, he can be found on an obscure website called Facebook
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This article has been published here with the kind permission of the author, Mickey Z. - it was originally posted at the website of COUNTERCURRENTS.ORG
