We knew the Democratic Party was increasingly skeptical of free trade among nations. But is free trade among the 50 United States now considered a liability as well - at least when the commodity is food?
Apparently so, as local caterers hoping to do business with Denver's 2008 Convention Planning Committee have discovered. The committee has very specific ideas about the kind of "lean and green" meals that must be served at the parties it will sponsor, and has banned, for example, anything fried. But the most curious - and telling - requirement is that "70 percent or more of ingredients by precooked weight are certified organic and/or grown/raised in Colorado."
No doubt this is the host committee's way of embracing "buy local," a refrain that is supposed to mirror deep environmental values. In fact, it reflects mostly naivete and a desire to turn back the clock.
Does anyone honestly believe that the globalization genie can be stuffed back into its bottle - or should be - short of a wholesale meltdown of civilization?
Are we really expected to spurn the cornucopia of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meats from the Midwest, California, Florida and elsewhere in this land, not to mention those from Europe, Central America, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and dozens of other points across the globe? The mind boggles at the reactionary thrust of a movement celebrating pre-modern self-sufficiency as a virtue rather than the desperate necessity that it actually was.
Ah, but what about the welfare of local farmers, the creation of "sustainable economies" and the profligate use of fossil fuels to transport goods to distant markets? Well, local farmers will thrive, as many do, if they grow or raise what people want to buy. If you are prone to worry about the "carbon footprint" of getting food to market, meanwhile, you'd better start calculating the other inputs of farming and marketing - such as "water use, harvesting techniques, fertilizer outlays, renewable energy applications, means of transportation (and the kind of fuel used) . . . disposal of packaging, storage procedures and dozens of other cultivation inputs," according to The New York Times - because the energy involved can easily overwhelm what is used in transportation.
The Denver planning committee is predictably concerned to find "firms who contract with persons who belong to an organized labor union as well as those firms owned by minorities, women and people with disabilities," but evinces no similar concern for the larger human family - the Costa Rican harvesting pineapples, for example, or the Mexican shipping winter vegetables.
Check the calendar, convention planners. This is the 21st century, not the early Middle Ages, and if our plates are laden with the wares of three, four, five or even six continents - organic or not - it is a sign of our world coming together, not a culinary badge of shame.
Unsettling gaffe
"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times . . . and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK." - Barack Obama
Obama has been much ridiculed for this statement he made last weekend during a rally in Roseburg, Ore., while trying to explain how Americans had to "lead by example" on global warming. "That's not leadership," he went on to say. "That's not going to happen."
Taken literally, Obama said he's not going to let Americans eat what they want - which of course couldn't be what he meant. As Northwestern law professor Jim Lingren wrote at The Volokh Conspiracy Web site, "He made a gaffe and said something stupid - as we all do from time to time. As with George W. Bush and Dan Quayle, this gaffe may reveal something deeper about the way Obama's mind works - or it may be a simple mistake."
I think I've solved the mystery. Obama's blunder was very likely a sloppy nod to the "buy local" ideology that seems to have swept the left. He probably meant to say "we can't expect to eat anything we want from anywhere in the world."
It's still a depressing statement to issue from a presidential candidate, but at least it isn't as chilling as the original.
Vincent Carroll is editor of the editorial pages. Reach him at carrollv@RockyMountainNews.com.
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May 20, 2008
9:48 p.m.
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Gene writes:
We have known for some time Democrats cannot be trusted with our national defense. Now they demonstrate they are not even capable of putting on a luncheon.
I personally have no problem with beef from Greeley, Colorado. But how are they going to make my San Luis Valley potato French fries without frying? Coors beer would be great, but I’ll bet if Pete Coors hand delivered it, there would be some problem. Jimmy Carter tried to make living life no fun. But this Nanny ObamaMama is turning out to be a real piker.
May 20, 2008
10:41 p.m.
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jconder45 writes:
God forbid anyone should suggest that Americans might have to adjust their standard of living somewhat in light of realites. Mr. Carroll and his idealogical compatriots apparently have decided that we have the divine right to drive SUVs, live at all times at the ideal temperature, and eat ourselves to obesity, and that the rest of the world is morally obligated to support us in our sacrosanct ( a moment of hush, please) "lifestyle". I wonder what Bible they're reading.
Mr. Carroll is the epitome of an aplogist for decadence.
May 21, 2008
6:05 a.m.
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Gene writes:
An apologist for decadence.
I have never gotten over being a kid walking down the sidewalk without, "Step on a crack, break your mother's back." Now , "If you don't eat your green-green colored vegetable grown within walking distance of your toilet, and dispose properly of your biodegradable color coded fork, you break your mother-earth's back." The Denver Post dutifully published the whole green food service code for the DNC. Aside from being a skit for a comedy routine, it was downright depressing. And, if carried out to the letter, I honestly doubt the earth would be one better bit better off. I say bugger off, nanny state domesdayers. The Democrats had better keep their people inside the fix-window hotels, or we will have a million people opening windows and screaming, “I’m mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore.” They had better keep them lined up on benches like drones watching the big 1984 Visiontron of Algore preaching polar bears, and hope that Hillary in shocking pink pantsuit doesn't come running down the aisle with her Sir Edmond ice ax and throw it through the Visontron and explode the bulls.t all over the Democrat Party. If he-whose-middle-name-must-not-be-used is running for President of the United States by blatantly telling people how warm their house must be and how fast they can drive their car, then there must be polls that show there are more mind-numbed stupid people out there than I can imagine.
May 21, 2008
7:29 a.m.
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Froward69 writes:
Carroll and gene never grew up and ate those vegetables they were offered as children. Daily they look for reasons to marginalize Democrats. Today it is about refusal to eat healthier. Just like children who refuse to eat vegetables.
granted your right to eat what ever, in however larger quantities still exists. Somehow conservatives would have us believe eating fried twinkles by the caseload is patriotic.
While anything resembling a vegetable or a moderate portion thereof, is for third world countries.
to republicans gluttonous consumption is the American way. as it has always been. never mind that it is proven to lead to an early death.
May 21, 2008
7:56 a.m.
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Gene writes:
Foreward69 illustrates how, in addition to not able to trust Democrats with our national defense, or putting on a luncheon, we have made a big mistake in letting them educate our children.
May 21, 2008
8:08 a.m.
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vudumom writes:
I think it would be fun to see how many Democrats we can stuff into a Volkswagon. Maybe they can get some tips from the clowns at the circus. They are related in a way, right? Sorta like separated at birth?
May 21, 2008
8:17 a.m.
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Froward69 writes:
So gene how does national defense relate to this article?
it does not... you just feel the need to interject your bias, and obvious lack of Reading comprehension.
Ill bite, one few statements of fact about republicans' handling of our national defense...
1) actually reading the intelligence brief entitled "AlQueda intent on attacking inside the united states." (pre 9-11)
2)Where's Osama Bin laden??? you do realize he is still receiving dialysis treatments in some cave republicans refuse to investigate...
3)meanwhile in the needless war in Iraq. a war fought solely to plunder the national treasury. a war to be in a war... feeding the republican industrial military complex. with our tax dollars.
4) then the refusal to honor our military with a decent GI bill. as "they would not stay in" if they had benefits they surely deserve.
5) the firing of generals and intelligence personel/Generals who had the audacity to tell the administration the sad truth. only "yes" men are entrusted with leadership roles. Ignoring the truth is always folly.
Democrats have NEVER abused our Military/Defence mechanisms as badly as the rethuglicans have. NEVER!!!
May 21, 2008
8:23 a.m.
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Froward69 writes:
just think if bushyboy had actually read that brief. and stymied the 9-11 attack...
or gone after Osama. but the republicans need a boogy man to rule by fear. just like the Terrorists wish to do. terrorist enablers is all republicans have turned out to be.
May 21, 2008
8:23 a.m.
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Gene writes:
I second my post of 7:56 a.m.
I amend that post to read, . '. not even capable of bringing me my lunch.'
May 21, 2008
8:26 a.m.
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Froward69 writes:
get off you butt gene and go get your own lunch. or are you not self sufficient enough?
May 21, 2008
8:35 a.m.
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jacka writes:
Some Democrats (not all) simply desire to move out of the capital model to the Russian model of the collective farm.
You know the one, membership is mandatory and you are their for life...no hall pass to Moscow.
Its all for the Collective Good.
May 21, 2008
8:50 a.m.
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Gene writes:
Did you notice the huge 75,000 person rally he-who-must-not-be-middle-named had last night in Oregon? Some may have come for the free music, not knowing they would have to listen to he-who-must-not-be-middle-named. Unsure. The popular indie rock band that attracted the crown was The Decemberists (1917 uprising in Russia) The band typically opens their concerts with the Soviet National Anthem.
May 21, 2008
8:57 a.m.
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TC writes:
If I remember this correctly...
Richard Nixon, the bastion of conservatism, as President of the United States, requested that we all lower our thermostats to 68 degrees to save energy back in the '70s. Further, Richard Nixon actually enforce lower speed limits by fedral mandate (remember the 55?).
Those damn liberal Democrats!
May 21, 2008
9:01 a.m.
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Gene writes:
Of course, Richard Nixon was not the bastion of conservatism. However, I believe you confuse Richard Nixon with Jimmy Carter.
May 21, 2008
9:04 a.m.
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TC writes:
No actually if you check your history it was in fact Richard Nixon.
May 21, 2008
9:14 a.m.
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Gene writes:
A bastion of conservatism does not put in place wage and price controls and the E.P.A.
May 21, 2008
9:17 a.m.
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Froward69 writes:
At least Nixon had the HONOR to resign... unlike bush/cheney, who have proven are nothing more than power hungry warmongers. John Sydney mccain III, along with America hating neo-cons wish to continue.
May 21, 2008
9:45 a.m.
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mytwosense writes:
Although I take an opposing view to Mr. Carroll's position, I'm glad he brought this up in his column. He makes some valid arguments worth addressing.
Specifically: "Does anyone honestly believe that the globalization genie can be stuffed back into its bottle - or should be - short of a wholesale meltdown of civilization?"
I believe Carroll is looking at this from an "either or" perspective. MY perspective is that we need to balance out our trade more than it currently is. We can now see that importing so much of our consumables leaves us too dependent on faraway countries or states to produce what we use on a regular basis. For one thing, skyrocketing oil prices are in turn tacking on soaring transportation costs to what we're paying for these goods.
And many trade restrictions take away basic freedoms. I was reading about a farmer in India who can't plant a certain kind of seed because it breaks an international trade law. A farmer can't grow what he wants on his own land???
This is sheer lunacy.
I believe that we have tipped too far in the direction of imports and need to balance back out a bit. There is so much we can produce and buy locally, so why not support your country and community? This is hardly impossible. Especially for Coloradoans. There are many farms you can buy produce from, or even buy into a coop and get your fresh veggies every week. A good selection too, that tastes much better than what you'll buy at the grocery store. And don't forget, you can always grow some of your own veggies.
Anyway, we didn't get to a trade deficit overnight, and we won't balance it back overnight. If we tried to, yeah, we'd probably have a meltdown as Mr. Carroll suggests. But constant criticism of any attempt to change to more national and local economic systems just delays the fixes we need to make on our trade deficits, and it also keeps people too soft and reliant on faraway countries and locales.
May 21, 2008
9:50 a.m.
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mytwosense writes:
Gene: "The Democrats had better keep their people inside the fix-window hotels, or we will have a million people opening windows and screaming, “I’m mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore.”
Nice reference to "Network." You do realize the anti-corporate message the film was delivering...don't you? Remember this eerily prophetic quote?
"You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I won't have it. Is that clear? You think you've merely stopped a business deal? That is not the case. The Arabs have taken billions of dollars out of this country, and now they must put it back. It is ebb and flow, tidal gravity. It is ecological balance. You are an old man who thinks in terms of nations and peoples. There are no nations; there are no peoples. There are no Russians. There are no Arabs. There are no third worlds. There is no West. There is only one holistic system of systems; one vast, interwoven, interacting, multivaried, multinational dominion of dollars.
It is the international system of currency which determines the vitality of life on this planet. THAT is the natural order of things today. THAT is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today. And YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature. And YOU WILL ATONE. Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? You get up on your little 21-inch screen and howl about America, and democracy. There is no America; there is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today."
May 21, 2008
9:53 a.m.
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mytwosense writes:
Hmmm...now that I think about it, Carroll probably ascribes to this view, too. Only instead of calling corporate rule "the primal forces of nature" his term is "the globalization genie."
Creepy!!!!
May 21, 2008
10:06 a.m.
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mytwosense writes:
And I meant to address this, too. Carroll: "We knew the Democratic Party was increasingly skeptical of free trade among nations."
Does Mr. Carroll really want to spin skepticism about free trade as a Democratic opinion? Seems to me I've heard more than a few Conservatives urge we "buy USA" and stop being so reliant on imports from China.
But if the Republicans want to adopt an opposite talking point, I would welcome it! It will be entertaining to see how they reconcile such a fervent global trade ideology with their so-called patriotism.
May 21, 2008
10:16 a.m.
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RainbowWarrior writes:
mytwosence has great vision and understands the big picture... Too bad that Vince and his fellow so called conservatives are lost in the fog and do not see that what they support is against everything they believe. Relocalization is the only way to fight the corrupt corporate system they have become a part of and take back what belongs to all of us.
Corporations now have more protected rights than individuals, and through the privatization proccess the investor class has priority over everything else, equal justice, labor practises, the environment... the works.
I really wish they would wake up and smell the coffee and come out of their daze and join the fight as fellow Americans against the Multinational's plan to make us all wage slaves and peons, dismantle the commons and sell it off as stock in some huge corporation rather than being their mouth pieces and part of the mindless echo chamber.
When guys like Vince and Gene figure it out I just hope it's not too late for them to switch sides and join true Patriots that understand what is happening to our Great Nation and people around the world!
May 21, 2008
11:08 a.m.
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Gene writes:
Mytwosense,
I don’t believe Vince Carroll is against globalization. You libs with a chip on your shoulder take a phrase and run wild with it, making gross assumptions and leaps and flips, and then set up a jay-trap-false-dilemma that your peers can peer-review and peer at and can feel smug about. By yelling out the window, I was not endorsing whatever corporate bashing you are currently favoring. I was just referring to the "Mad as hell, . ." attitude. I can’t go the oil import fees or the poor Indian farmer’s crops. I’m a simple guy. I was making fun of the DNC food service idiocy.
RainbowWarrior,
Nice of you to lump me with Vince Carroll on the patriotic front, although I am just here as the unwashed man on the street. I am however, I believe a true patriot, and I am, considering calling myself a 'scientist' as greenfleaf does. I do not believe green is the new red, white and blue. I believe green is a good color for British racing cars and garden tools. I believe sustainability is a word that is used 99% of the time these days to mean anything a lib wants it to mean. I believe 'folly' should be used a lot more.
May 21, 2008
2:54 p.m.
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mytwosense writes:
broupous, you feel the government is over-controlling. I feel corporations are over-controlling. Neither one of us likes to feel controlled.
Agreed?
May 21, 2008
2:59 p.m.
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mytwosense writes:
Gene: "Mytwosense,
I don’t believe Vince Carroll is against globalization."
Neither do I! It's quite clear the man is a rabid fan of it, in fact. Your post puzzles me.
May 21, 2008
3:02 p.m.
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bugmenot writes:
Given the history Democrats have for not paying bills it is appropriate to wonder how many caterers will not be paid for work done for the DNC.
Thank you for your time.
http://theoutlander.blogstream.com
May 21, 2008
4:18 p.m.
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Cwillyrun1 writes:
Why does the government feel the need to get into our private lives? If we want to eat something, and it's supposedly not healthy, so be it. It's freedom of choice.
Someone mentioned Republicans wanting citizens to eat fattening food, but wasn't it Bill Clinton stuffing a Big Mac in his mouth almost daily?
May 21, 2008
4:31 p.m.
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Gene writes:
Mytwosense;
My apologies; I read your posts too fast. In my mind I tied globalization to the Mr. Beale corporations point. This is something, you and Vince Carroll and I agree on things. I also didn't realize you were the same age as Jack Benny, but I will never bring that up again.
May 21, 2008
4:55 p.m.
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jay writes:
"You libs with a chip on your shoulder take a phrase and run wild with it, making gross assumptions and leaps and flips, and then set up a jay-trap-false-dilemma that your peers can peer-review and peer at and can feel smug about. "
come on gene....if you're going to come in here and fling poo against the walls like "We have known for some time Democrats cannot be trusted with our national defense. Now they demonstrate they are not even capable of putting on a luncheon.", then you're going to get your intellectual ass handed to you time and time again.
don't pout about it...that's like going up against mike tyson in the boxing ring and then whining when you get knocked the f*ck out.
elevate your game a little and you won't get the smackdown so often...may even do something for your self esteem issues.
May 21, 2008
6:30 p.m.
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mytwosense writes:
Gene, I still think you're speedreading my posts!
I am not the fervent advocate of globalization that Carroll and I guess you are.
Sorry! Guess we don't agree again...but I still wish you a Coke and a smile. :)
May 21, 2008
6:34 p.m.
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mytwosense writes:
Carroll: "Ah, but what about the welfare of local farmers, the creation of "sustainable economies" and the profligate use of fossil fuels to transport goods to distant markets? Well, local farmers will thrive, as many do, if they grow or raise what people want to buy."
If trade restrictions don't prevent them from doing so. In fact, I recently saw a documentary on such a situation in Jamaica. The farmers are forbidden to grow certain crops and forbidden to sell certain percentages of their crops to local markets. All because of trade restrictions, which have been crafted in some cases to actually over-ride a country's own laws.
May 21, 2008
6:46 p.m.
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socrates writes:
Right Vince. Shame on the Democrats for wanting to help Colorado farmers. With 50,000 people coming to Denver, the last thing we would want to do is make certain that our farm economy benefits from the opportunity.
And of course, that can be parlayed into a mindless article on how Democrats want to tell everyone what to eat all the time.
I think Vince is running out of ideas....
May 21, 2008
8:28 p.m.
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Gene writes:
Socrates,
You should realize, this has nothing to do with helping Colorado farmers. It has everything to do with not hurting mother earth.