http://www.realpickles.com/index.html
Real Pickles is a small business in Massachusetts that produces organic, naturally fermented pickles. In support of a regional food system, they buy their vegetables and spices exclusively from local, organic, family farms and sell them only within the northeast. They operate out of a 100% solar powered, energy-efficient, 6,500 square foot organic pickling facility, and this year they are in the process of transitioning to a worker owned cooperative.
If even half of the businesses in the world operated by the same standard as Real Pickles, then maybe capitalism would be such a cesspool of moral corruption. It's only one small business, but we are beginning to see a trickle of businesses that are seeking to do more than maximize short term profits while screwing everyone else (like the ownership at Hostess Brands).
Bob's Red Mill, a producer of natural and organic milled grain products, has also recently transferred ownership of the company to its employees via an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Program). This is a company with an annual revenue of between $30 and $50 million. An ESOP owned company is not quite the same as a worker owned cooperative, but it's still better than nothing.
So there is hope that the world may be slowly changing from the disastrous experiments of a globalized system of casino capitalism to a much more equitable and cooperative one.
Australia being such a very small market, it's hard for business to stay afloat once it reaches a certain level. Employee buyouts of collapsing firms are quite common, but very few of them last beyond a year or two. The same market conditions apply, but now workers (or more likely, workers' families and dependants) have expectations they didn't have before, so when cost-cutting is really needed it can't be done. We have an additional handicap that 95% of sales are through two giant retailing corporations competing viciously for market share, so almost all sales are price-controlled and manufacturers regularly go to the wall.
Originally posted by rwingettYeah well, good luck with that. Since I live in the real world, and understand how it works, I'm going to continue being an evil capitalist.
http://www.realpickles.com/index.html
[b]Real Pickles is a small business in Massachusetts that produces organic, naturally fermented pickles. In support of a regional food system, they buy their vegetables and spices exclusively from local, organic, family farms and sell them only within the northeast. They operate out of a 100% solar powered, energ ...[text shortened]... nts of a globalized system of casino capitalism to a much more equitable and cooperative one.[/b]
I brought back a box of Cuban cigars from Mexico last week. Cohibas. I bought them with the evil money I made doing my evil job. Just for you, when I light one of them up this weekend, I'll give you and your ilk a quarter second's thought. It'll make the smoke that much more enjoyable.
Originally posted by sasquatch672You are not a capitalist.
Yeah well, good luck with that. Since I live in the real world, and understand how it works, I'm going to continue being an evil capitalist.
I brought back a box of Cuban cigars from Mexico last week. Cohibas. I bought them with the evil money I made doing my evil job. Just for you, when I light one of them up this weekend, I'll give you and your ilk a quarter second's thought. It'll make the smoke that much more enjoyable.
In a world of laws Cuban cigars are illegal 😉
Originally posted by rwingettBoth 'buying local' and 'organic produce' are little more than marketing slogans and in many cases are not beneficial to the world as a whole. I do support the use of renewable energy, and worker owned co-operatives.
http://www.realpickles.com/index.html
[b]Real Pickles is a small business in Massachusetts that produces organic, naturally fermented pickles. In support of a regional food system, they buy their vegetables and spices exclusively from local, organic, family farms and sell them only within the northeast. They operate out of a 100% solar powered, energ ...[text shortened]... nts of a globalized system of casino capitalism to a much more equitable and cooperative one.[/b]
I strongly suspect that the focus on 'organic produce' is as much a product of the capitalism and corruption that you so despise as it is of any moral standing.
We have always had a trickle of businesses that do not just go for the profit motive. I see no indication that the number of such businesses is increasing. Do you?
I don't buy organic food. Not just because it is more expensive, but also because it's bad for the environment. Since organic food takes more land and resources to produce per tonne of food, it puts an unneccessary strain on finite resources. I suppose it is true that no pesticides are used, but these days, especially in Western and Northern Europe, environmental regulations are strict and effective, so the impact of pesticides on the environment is minor.
"Organic" food is nothing more than a cynical marketing tool to take advantage of people who mean well but don't have the factual knowledge to make sufficiently informed decisions that will actually help the environment and/or sustainability.
Originally posted by KazetNagorraHaving children puts an even greater strain on finite resources. We live in a strange world where folks will drive three miles to recycle a few beer cans, but don't give a thought about pumping out that third or fourth "mini me".
Since organic food takes more land and resources to produce per tonne of food, it puts an unneccessary strain on finite resources.
Originally posted by SoothfastActually most well educated reasonably well off people do have less children, though probably because they recognise the financial burden to themselves rather than worrying about world population. A few people do go to the extent of adopting rather than having children, and are to be commended for that.
Having children puts an even greater strain on finite resources. We live in a strange world where folks will drive three miles to recycle a few beer cans, but don't give a thought about pumping out that third or fourth "mini me".
Originally posted by SoothfastIf we're going to talk about impact on environment, just wait till the kids go all vegan and put all the meat eaters up against the wall.
Having children puts an even greater strain on finite resources. We live in a strange world where folks will drive three miles to recycle a few beer cans, but don't give a thought about pumping out that third or fourth "mini me".
They're a moral lot our young, contrary to popular opinion, and a fact we ignore to our peril. There will come a day when they package all their desensitized rage at our self involved non-attachment to them as people, and come the revolution when they need a scapegoat for the environmental trauma we were all too blase about stopping, all that media and violent gaming we were so careless to indulge them with, will really come in handy and make our slaughter all the much easier for them to perpetrate.
Sweet dreams 🙂
Originally posted by KewpieTaking over failing corporations would naturally be a risky business. But if healthy corporations are transferred to worker control (as with my two examples), then they should face no more of an impediment than any other corporation.
Australia being such a very small market, it's hard for business to stay afloat once it reaches a certain level. Employee buyouts of collapsing firms are quite common, but very few of them last beyond a year or two. The same market conditions apply, but now workers (or more likely, workers' families and dependants) have expectations they didn't have before, ...[text shortened]... share, so almost all sales are price-controlled and manufacturers regularly go to the wall.
Another one to add to the list would be New Belgium Brewing, in Colorado. They transferred to an ESOP ownership several years ago. ESOPs, though, are funny things. Even though the employees "own" the corporation, they frequently exercise no more control over its direction than they did before. The ones pulling the strings are the banks that financed the buyout, and it should come as no surprise that their interests, and those of the workers, seldom align. Far preferable to ESOP owned corporations are worker owned cooperatives.
Originally posted by KazetNagorraWhile it's true that the term 'organic' is open to a certain amount of abuse, it is much more preferable to the colossal disaster of industrialized agriculture, with its excessive reliance on fossil fuels and pesticides and the litany of abuses that have followed in its wake. Topsoil loss, land degradation, pollution, loss of biodiversity, monocropping's increased susceptibility to pests and blight, the throwing of whole populations into wage slavery, the list goes on and on. The most revolutionary act any community can take is to reclaim its food supply from the control of big agribusiness.
I don't buy organic food. Not just because it is more expensive, but also because it's bad for the environment. Since organic food takes more land and resources to produce per tonne of food, it puts an unneccessary strain on finite resources. I suppose it is true that no pesticides are used, but these days, especially in Western and Northern Europe, env ...[text shortened]... ficiently informed decisions that will actually help the environment and/or sustainability.
Originally posted by rwingettNot to mention GMO crops and the negative side effects that this food has.
While it's true that the term 'organic' is open to a certain amount of abuse, it is much more preferable to the colossal disaster of industrialized agriculture, with its excessive reliance on fossil fuels and pesticides and the litany of abuses that have followed in its wake. Topsoil loss, land degradation, pollution, loss of biodiversity, monocropping's in ...[text shortened]... t any community can take is to reclaim its food supply from the control of big agribusiness.
Originally posted by joe beyserAgreed. That's certainly a big one as well. Everything about Industrial agriculture has been a complete disaster, except for the fact that it produces a lot of food cheaply. Which is all the myopic economists, technocrats and beancounters care about. The whole litany of awful side effects of the system simply don't enter into their stilted calculations. But organic permaculture farming is catching up in productivity. With massive top soil erosion, land degradation and growing resistance to pesticides, industrial agriculture's productivity advantage will decline in the long run. Our current agricultural practices are the surest road to ruin.
Not to mention GMO crops and the negative side effects that this food has.
Originally posted by rwingettIf we are going to measure environmental damage, then we have to count the beans. It is your refusal to count the beans that makes your dreamy eyed claims a load of nonsense. Producing a lot of food cheaply on the minimum amount of land causes the minimum amount of environmental damage. Its as simple as that.
Agreed. That's certainly a big one as well. Everything about Industrial agriculture has been a complete disaster, except for the fact that it produces a lot of food cheaply. Which is all the myopic economists, technocrats and beancounters care about.
There are of course better ways to farm than we currently do, but 'organic' is not one of them and is merely a marketing catchword.
An 'organic' farm may or may not incorporate practices that are better for the environment than other farms.