There is a poster at a local coffee shop that shows a big fish about to
eat three small fish, but then there are a bunch of small fish behind
the big fish - all forming the shape of an even bigger fish about to
bite the actual big fish. The poster has one word on it: "Organize"
I
have a bone to pick about that poster: In our situation, the big fish
is heavily armored. All those little fish behind it will do nothing but
break their teeth trying to bite it. After the real big fish eats the
three little fish already in its mouth, it will turn around and start
feasting on all the rest of the little fish behind it while they are
busy fooling themselves into thinking they can have any impact
whatsoever upon the big fish. Kinda like macing, beating, and arresting
innocent protestors who have broken no laws. Sound familiar.
On
the other hand, if all the little fish were to get together and distract
the big fish while they got the first three little fish out of his
mouth, then the big fish wouldn't have anything to eat. If all the
little fish continuously worked together to keep as many small fish out
of the mouths of the big fish, then the big fish would eventually starve
to death.
What this means in real terms is to create a separate
economy that both helps the poor to survive and keeps everyone from
supporting the big corporate giants. Create businesses that give poor
people jobs creating things locally that people normally buy from
corporate giants. Start with food. That is the largest part of a poor
person's budget, other than housing, that you can easily replace with
home or cooperatively created stuff. Work to create shared, inexpensive
housing for poor people to live in. In Europe it is common for many
unrelated people to live in a large flat. People used to do it here
before housing developers and banks convinced people that owning a "home
of your own" was the American Dream. Yeah, a dream for the bankers
getting rich on mortgage interest. Only college students share housing
here now. These types of cooperative living arrangements help the poor
and keep money from flowing into the pockets of slum lords.
Many programs, supposedly designed to help the poor, do nothing to truly alleviate the situation. For instance, all Habitat
for Humanity does is convince people that that bogus "American Dream" of owning one's own home is still valid. It is a dream that was sold to us just like the notion that the Coke (note upper-case) I am addicted to will bring me
happiness. Now I can't stop drinking the stuff even when it makes me
feel bad. Crazy huh?
In this blog, I hope to discuss ways that we can all work starve the big fish while helping each other. This will involve a lot of big changes for me. I am used to just going to the regular grocery store and buying what is most convenient. As I learn to buy more locally sourced products and services, I will discuss how that affects my life and the lives of those around me. Maybe I can start (or find an existing) movement. Who knows.
