I recently revisited the Freedom Trail in Boston as well as the battlefields of Lexington and Concord. It was an enjoyable reminder of how our country was founded by patriots who were united in their common opposition to restraints on trade and taxation by their legitimate government. These patriots took to smuggling, acts of civil disobedience and eventually armed rebellion-- largely to protect economic interests. (Sure, many came to the colonies for religious freedom, but that was not the reason for our rebellion.)
Since these United States of America were founded this country has certainly remained true to its valuation of freedom, and particularly economic freedom. In time however this underlying desire for economic freedom has somehow mutated into a desire for economic growth. This is not what our founding fathers envisioned. In fact, I believe our founding fathers would be ashamed and shocked by our subordination of personal and political freedoms to homeland security and economic growth.
Current policies across the broad spectrum of American society has been to place the interests of industry and finance above those of individual citizens. Regrettably, this now means we are exposed to an incredible array pesticides, toxins, antibiotics, GMO and chemicals all to support an industrial complex that few of us participate in and that cares nothing about us as individuals.
I know- we should all care about big corporations because they pay taxes, provide jobs, and their stocks constitute the currency of our retirement funds. These arguments are largely nonsense; pure manipulation by those that push for greater economic growth without constraint and at the expense of individual health and safety.
The greed of politicians and industry has caused the largest economic crisis in memory with the resulting destruction of wealth for the average pensioner since the Great Depression. Unemployment is hovering at 10% with working class unemployment much higher. What about all those taxes paid by big business? Well, big business uses the carrot of big tax revenues to get tax incentives and government subsidies every chance they get; and then have no problem walking away from the communities that helped them when it is easier and cheaper to do so.
Yes, I think we are now in a place very similar to our founding fathers.
We are taxed without representation as our government is largely in the hands of special interests and industry. We are being forced to participate in a global economy that values cheap consumerism over community and family. We are forced to take the bullet for unsustainable economic growth that will leave us isolated from our neighbors and ill from environmental poisons, all while we sit in front of our flat screen televisions eating processed foods and texting away on our iPhones. Yes indeed, I think we are much like our founding fathers absent the toys.
Of course, we brought this on ourselves. Our founding fathers risked everything to achieve independence. They designed a government that protected individual freedoms above all else and held governmental power in such low regard as to assure its authority was limited by dividing it amongst three independent branches. These three branches each drew their power from different sources and were self regulating.
Over time, we the people, traded our freedoms for a more centralized federal government that now runs rough shod over the states and our local communities all in the name of security and economic growth. So no wonder our food system has created the largest health crisis in history and we are banned from seeing the true impacts of the BP oil spill and our wars by government media censorship.
I have worked tirelessly to support local and sustainable foods, free of GMO, pesticides and other toxins and chemicals; foods that support local communities and often create the glue of these communities. This has embroiled me in a constant struggle against agri-business and governmental policy that values Monsanto's right to sell genetically modified seeds over my right to eat the foods I want without adulteration. I know I am not alone though.
I hope that on this Independence Day we recommit ourselves to the faith of our founding fathers. May we find the resolve and courage to rebel against the status quo and re-take our country so that real freedom will again flourish- the freedom to love, raise a family, share food that is safe and healthy, to establish communities that value individual rights and responsibilities, and to embrace liberty over possessions.
I am proud to be an American, there is no doubt. I live in a country that values liberty so much that it would fight a war against the most powerful nation in the world to govern itself in freedom. I feel I am doing the same by fighting our current system to make sure our communities and food system remain safe and strong. The struggle continues, and we are up to the task. Just check out the history books...enjoy this Independence Day!
KUDOS!!!
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