I have to admit. I'm addicted... to slavery. But I really want to quit slavery, so 2014 is going to begin my anti-slavery life. I've been ignoring it for some time even though I knew what the sitch was. Some of my favorite things are produced with slave labor and I have chosen to turn a blind eye to the uncomfortable facts and just continue to do what my government and my society want me to do and consume without thought. I guess this makes me a bad capitalist, but I just can't care about supporting this effed up system anymore. I have to make the decision to stand up to a global economy that forces slavery to be the best option for getting the richest country in the world, the cheapest food in the history of mankind.
In the past year, I've had a weakness for chocolate which was almost insatiable. I probably consumed more refined cocoa in the last year than I have in any other year of my life. Even though I eat a plant based diet and I'm gluten free, I have had trouble steering away from dairy products due to the prominence of them in most of the processed foods available to someone on my budget. Unlike some vegetarians, I have not chosen to limit my meat consumption due to my feelings toward animals, but rather my feelings toward my personal health as I get older. I know it's hypocritical to try to eat a healthy diet, but still be okay with consuming milk fat, but I've realized that my connection to these products runs deep and strong.
My addictions to different food products, which are bad for me, are easy to overcome once I have found the proper thought process which eliminates the decision making process and affects me on a deeper level. Once I realized how much misery was brought on me and the people around me when I was exposed to Gluten, it was easy for me to pass on products made with wheat flour. The cost does not equal the benefit. It's a simple formula. When I realized that eating meat made me a more aggressive person and it was going to lessen my quality of life as I got older, I was just fine passing on the chicken in favor of some beans and rice. I tried to use similar reasoning for dairy products all year long, to no avail.
I don't like any kind of industrial farming like they use for dairy production and have seen the inner workings of a factory farm, but it didn't have the desired impact on me. Yes, the cows seem miserable, but when does a cow ever seem happy except in Chick-fil-a commercials?! As a matter of fact, the cattle on the side of the 101 freeway in CA seem quite content with their lifestyle and an old California Cheese commercial used to tout that the best cheese comes from happy cows. This was a brilliant form of brainwashing employed by the dairy council. I guess I'm just an easy mark for that kind of stuff. Much like the way I have an affinity for McDonalds even though they only have 2 or 3 menu items that I can consume with my self imposed dietary restrictions.
However, I get a much different feeling when I throw human slavery in the picture. I was listening to the Stuff You Should Know podcast from How Stuff Works on the history of chocolate and I heard for the umpteenth time how many child slaves are used in the harvesting and production of Cacao. I'm not sure why, but this time it made a little more of an impact on me. I didn't spit out the candy bar I was eating at the time or anything, but I did start to think about my feelings toward this global industry to which I give many of my hard earned dollars. I came up with the idea to make a New Year's Resolution to give up slavery in 2014.
Since that point, every time I walk into a convenience store and pick up my usual candy bar, it feels like I am betraying everything that I believe in and, if I purchase it, I am choosing to support a practice that should be a distant memory in the year 1914, let alone 2014! So far it's been a successful experiment in self deterrence, but if I really mean it, I can't stop with candy. Now it's time to start my year of awareness. As you may or may not know, this is where the term "Fair Trade" comes into play when choosing what businesses to support. That's an easy way for me to look out for what I can buy with a healthy conscious, but unfortunately it can't stop there.
2014 will need to be a year of research into the labor practices of the companies that I support. Making a commitment to not support slave labor is not a passive decision, but an active choice to make every dollar that I spend count as a political statement. I'm sure it won't be easy, but it will be a testament to supporting human rights across the globe. Honestly, I'm a little afraid of what I am going to find out and where it will leave me. It's hard enough having to pay twice as much for my gluten free products as I would for conventional products. I still haven't been able to give up GMO products in favor of organic ones due to the price discrepancy, even though I can't stand what companies like Monsanto have done to the agricultural heritage of North America.
In the end, I hope I can write a post in a year about how much healthier I feel, not only in my body, but also in my mind and spirit. I hope to be able to affect change on a local level that can be felt on a global level even if it only makes a difference to one person. New Year's Resolutions seem to be all about hope, right? We look forward with a positive mindset to tackle the fear of the unknown with a fervor. At the very least, perhaps I'll stop spending more money on things that are bad for me if not bad for humanity. Now is the time. Down with Slavery in 2014. Let's wipe this despicable practice from the face of the earth so that all children can look forward to a life of comfort and joy!
In the past year, I've had a weakness for chocolate which was almost insatiable. I probably consumed more refined cocoa in the last year than I have in any other year of my life. Even though I eat a plant based diet and I'm gluten free, I have had trouble steering away from dairy products due to the prominence of them in most of the processed foods available to someone on my budget. Unlike some vegetarians, I have not chosen to limit my meat consumption due to my feelings toward animals, but rather my feelings toward my personal health as I get older. I know it's hypocritical to try to eat a healthy diet, but still be okay with consuming milk fat, but I've realized that my connection to these products runs deep and strong.
My addictions to different food products, which are bad for me, are easy to overcome once I have found the proper thought process which eliminates the decision making process and affects me on a deeper level. Once I realized how much misery was brought on me and the people around me when I was exposed to Gluten, it was easy for me to pass on products made with wheat flour. The cost does not equal the benefit. It's a simple formula. When I realized that eating meat made me a more aggressive person and it was going to lessen my quality of life as I got older, I was just fine passing on the chicken in favor of some beans and rice. I tried to use similar reasoning for dairy products all year long, to no avail.
I don't like any kind of industrial farming like they use for dairy production and have seen the inner workings of a factory farm, but it didn't have the desired impact on me. Yes, the cows seem miserable, but when does a cow ever seem happy except in Chick-fil-a commercials?! As a matter of fact, the cattle on the side of the 101 freeway in CA seem quite content with their lifestyle and an old California Cheese commercial used to tout that the best cheese comes from happy cows. This was a brilliant form of brainwashing employed by the dairy council. I guess I'm just an easy mark for that kind of stuff. Much like the way I have an affinity for McDonalds even though they only have 2 or 3 menu items that I can consume with my self imposed dietary restrictions.
However, I get a much different feeling when I throw human slavery in the picture. I was listening to the Stuff You Should Know podcast from How Stuff Works on the history of chocolate and I heard for the umpteenth time how many child slaves are used in the harvesting and production of Cacao. I'm not sure why, but this time it made a little more of an impact on me. I didn't spit out the candy bar I was eating at the time or anything, but I did start to think about my feelings toward this global industry to which I give many of my hard earned dollars. I came up with the idea to make a New Year's Resolution to give up slavery in 2014.
Since that point, every time I walk into a convenience store and pick up my usual candy bar, it feels like I am betraying everything that I believe in and, if I purchase it, I am choosing to support a practice that should be a distant memory in the year 1914, let alone 2014! So far it's been a successful experiment in self deterrence, but if I really mean it, I can't stop with candy. Now it's time to start my year of awareness. As you may or may not know, this is where the term "Fair Trade" comes into play when choosing what businesses to support. That's an easy way for me to look out for what I can buy with a healthy conscious, but unfortunately it can't stop there.
2014 will need to be a year of research into the labor practices of the companies that I support. Making a commitment to not support slave labor is not a passive decision, but an active choice to make every dollar that I spend count as a political statement. I'm sure it won't be easy, but it will be a testament to supporting human rights across the globe. Honestly, I'm a little afraid of what I am going to find out and where it will leave me. It's hard enough having to pay twice as much for my gluten free products as I would for conventional products. I still haven't been able to give up GMO products in favor of organic ones due to the price discrepancy, even though I can't stand what companies like Monsanto have done to the agricultural heritage of North America.
In the end, I hope I can write a post in a year about how much healthier I feel, not only in my body, but also in my mind and spirit. I hope to be able to affect change on a local level that can be felt on a global level even if it only makes a difference to one person. New Year's Resolutions seem to be all about hope, right? We look forward with a positive mindset to tackle the fear of the unknown with a fervor. At the very least, perhaps I'll stop spending more money on things that are bad for me if not bad for humanity. Now is the time. Down with Slavery in 2014. Let's wipe this despicable practice from the face of the earth so that all children can look forward to a life of comfort and joy!
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