Friday, May 2, 2008

Killing poor people

Corn flakes going from $3/box to $4/box is a problem when you are an average American which makes about $40,000 yr. But you are not going to starve. You will simply have to adjust your life and cut corners somewhere else (cancell cable TV or cell phone service?) to pay for your rising food costs. However, if you live in Bangladesh or Africa and you make $1000/yr, having a bag of corn or rice triple in price in the past year means that now you and your kids are going to starve to death. There is no possible way that these "poorest of the poor" are going to be able to triple their income to pay for the food they need. On the front page of the Wall Street Journal, congress is going to start looking in to price gouging practices as large commodity companies like Cargill and ADM as they have made $billions in profits handling a majority of the world's corn and rice. So while US stockholders and CEO's reap $billions it's, in part anyway, at the expense of millions of people now being shoved into starvation.

I strongly believe that Cargill SHOULD be able to make a handsome profit doing what they do best...but I point this out to show what a global society we have become. When we burn corn in ethanol plants and the price quadruples to $6 /bushel because we increased the demand, it affects the "least of these" on all corners of the globe. I know Jesus talked a lot about the "least of these" and I believe that the rich are not only dominating the poor in these Last Days, I believe that we are crushing them to death. Certainly this is just more evidence that Jesus return is imminent as the world cries out for justice and the gap between "haves" and "have nots", grows to it's highest level in the history of the world.

Listen to the words of James 5:5 as he warns "the rich"--You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

1 Comments:

Blogger Ed Mahony said...

Interesting and thought-provoking post.
I wonder why more people don't grow more of their own vegetables (and hens and pork). I see lots of people around me who have big, green lawns (that they have to mow). When they could be growing vegetables. Own fresh veg. Plus it's good fun and expercise out in the fresh air cultivating them!

May 2, 2008 at 1:48 PM  

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