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  Grist = The Economist Lite

  Grist has done little to challenge The Economist's position. The weak-kneed response inspires me to explore what old-school post-industrial foundations fund this political front.

  The Grist's position implies that, as long as the ethical-food movement is 51 percent political, it is still worthwhile. The Grist echoes the position of virtually every other funded national progressive movement in the US -- movements for cultural reform must always take a back seat to politics.

  These bought-and-paid-for calls for political advocacy can be heard from political 'zines from Mother Jones down to the lowliest campaign worker's Web log. They are all frontal assaults on those of us who would trade away our right to drive an SUV with a bicyle rack on top to our favorite exclusive government protected wilderness area during our four-week vacation from our oh-so-ethical government job enforcing the laws well-fed heirs of industrial money have piled on year after year, claiming they and they alone can save us from ourselves.

  Some of us really did intend to "get back to the land and set our souls free." We, the naive who considered cultural reform vastly more important that political reform, were late to realize the "land" to which C,S and Y were returning was a piece of overvalued land in Malibu where they could enjoy the reassurance of their political allies 24/7. We were slow to wake up to the alliance between arts promoters and political promoters that took our ambition to live like 90 percent of people in the world and turned it into an ambition to have more and more and more, of which a nice little organic garden and shopping at Whole Foods is but a small part. They made sure the Western children would turn either to the greed of their parents or toward a wanton embrace of hedonism, which if it didn't kill them with intoxication and sexually transmitted disease, would eventually turn them back toward the institutions that must not die -- the companies, the unions, the universities and even the churches of our forebearers.

  Damn them all. What rock star has spent their money taking land out of the speculative market? Why, of the billions of dollars spent to influence politics, does so little go to directly confronting land speculators, auto-makers and educators who steer youth toward their evil career recruitment goals?

  No, Grist says it's okay to have cultural reform parties, as long as they don't offend the lifestyle of those rich folks who fund our political campaigns. The Economist says, in effect, any movement oriented more than 10 percent toward cultural reform is counterproductive, and the Economist is willing to lie to make it so. Grist comes along and says it's okay to advocate minor cultural reforms, as long as they don't require more than 49 percent of our time and equity. Same lyrics, different tune. Time to change the station.

   On Why The Economist's recent assault on "ethical food" missed the mark posted 2 years, 10 months ago 16 Responses