September photo...The two regional giants, India and China, have remained friendly with the military regime, lured by the nation's oil and natural gas reserves. As recently as Sept. 23, India, the world's most populous democracy, dispatched its petroleum and natural gas minister, Murli Deora, to Myanmar on a state visit in search of deals.From an October 1st story here...Seven American soldiers, primarily Sargents serving in Iraq, wrote the following for The New York Times in August...
In a lawless environment where men with guns rule the streets, engaging in the banalities of life has become a death-defying act. Four years into our occupation, we have failed on every promise, while we have substituted Baath Party tyranny with a tyranny of Islamist, militia and criminal violence. When the primary preoccupation of average Iraqis is when and how they are likely to be killed, we can hardly feel smug as we hand out care packages. As an Iraqi man told us a few days ago with deep resignation, “We need security, not free food.”
In the end, we need to recognize that our presence may have released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed them of their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain dignity is to call us what we are — an army of occupation — and force our withdrawal.
Until that happens, it would be prudent for us to increasingly let Iraqis take center stage in all matters, to come up with a nuanced policy in which we assist them from the margins but let them resolve their differences as they see fit. This suggestion is not meant to be defeatist, but rather to highlight our pursuit of incompatible policies to absurd ends without recognizing the incongruities.
We need not talk about our morale. As committed soldiers, we will see this mission through.
SOME LOCAL FOOD RELATED LINKS...and HOW NOT TO EAT PETROLEUM OIL:
What's Eating America article in smithsonian magazine by Michale Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma
Unfortunately eating organic isn't always easy ...sometimes it is more expensive, and sometimes we may not be able to trust the rating system of what defines organic.. Trust me though, eating organic is a lot cheaper today than it was when I began eating organically as a teenager. More and more people are seeking oot locally grown organic food, cutting down the use of petroleum products used in fertilizer and air transport...and forcing the prices down to competitive markets.
Local Food
"The most political act we do on a daily basis is to eat, as our actions affect farms, landscapes and food businesses," said co-author Professor Jules Pretty, from the University of Essex, UK.
"Food miles are more significant than we previously thought, and much now needs to be done to encourage local production and consumption of food." From BBC Science News
Eat Local Challenge
Food Routes
Local Harvest In America
Local Harvest in Canada
The Green Pages Canada
