While watching the news today, I noticed so many people are still without power. Various news channels were interviewing so many people, some of whom have been out of power for going on 6 days! That is a tragedy and while the electricity companies are private entities, I do think the government should step in and help out. And it is doing that by activating 1000s of National Guard members, having food trucked in, etc.
But, I also heard people who were complaining that no one has come and cleaned up the fallen tree in their yard or their street. Grocery store shelves were completely empty. They showed pictures of American's walking dogs amidst the debris as if everything was kosher.
When are we as a society going to wake up and stop accepting the status quo. Yes, the government is there in times of need. But who says you shouldn't try tracking down a chain saw and cut up that tree. Or talk to the farmer who not only has food but probably has a lot of tools to help clean things up. Our forefathers would scoff at our idleness. Did no one on any of these blocks think a generator would be a good idea? Hopefully, some people learned their lesson in all of this and will make changes to be better prepared for disaster.
Harsh? Very. How can progress be made without constructive criticism and analyzing how we as a country do business? What if the local people in conjuction with volunteers were the runs to run the cleanup and the money saved by the Government goes towards working with the electric companies to put the lines underground? What if people didn't need to trust their food safety to hourly paid workers and inspectors employed by the Government? What if in-office presidents were made to do their job for all 4 years instead of only really work for 2 and campaigning the last 2? What the tax code was simplified in to a flat tax and at least 50% of the IRS would no longer be needed?
Taxes would plummit. In essence we pay the goverment for our increasing lethargy towards self-responsibility. We as a country are too busy out having fun while our government mismanages us. Has anyone kept track of all the food contamination and recalls? I will give you a hint; it isn't normal. By the time the organization responsible for keeping us safe realizes the food is spoiled, it has already made it to 20 states and 1000s of stores... The USDA recently announced it is going to be laying off 1,000 inspectors at several chicken plants across the states. They are touting the move as a huge success in that the remaining inspectors will focus on food safety and detecting illnesses. Let's hope they are right. A related article can be found here:
http://foodct.com/2012/01/23/usda-poultry-inspections-could-get-streamlined-saving-95-million/
Ultimately though, the main inspectors then become the people working for companies just out to make an extra ten cents; people so removed from consumers the quality doesn't matter. I can assure you local farmers don't have the "could care less" attitude. They keep their farms clean knowing many people will be coming to pick their food up directly. They are a good people who care about the satisfaction of their customers. Word of mouth (or blog) is their marketing strategy and repeat customers is their goal and livelihood. They are a people who have been distanced from their consumer base so it would be easier for big industrial agriculture to profit. If we could just close the gap between local farmer and consumers in the city, the stereotypes and falsities would be destroyed. Optimistically speaking, as gas prices are increasing, so is the gas efficiency of vehicles. Either way, the internet has evolved as an instant link between farmer and consumer. Perfect example: http://www.localharvest.org/ Give it a shot. . Take food safety into your own hands. You won't regret it.
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