In Reply to: Who would make your computers, cd-players etc? posted by Frances Keating on June 05, 1996 at 00:10:23:
: If all multinationals were abolished, who would make your computers?,
: and how would you connect to the Internet wihtout modems? and what would
: you wear on your feet? and what would you eat when you wanted a fast
: meal? and what would you play on your cd player? and where would
: you get another cd player from when that goes wrong?: We all know what the problems are, but what are the solutions?
I can't speak for McSpotlight but I feel I should reply to these questions.
You pose the question as if the items are all essential for a decent standard
of living or perhaps even essential to human life itself. This is not the case;
we can life well, and content without computers, CD players etc. However, the
point must be that we don't neseccarily have to do without them. It is not
inconsistant to demand accountability from multinationals and campaign for
sustainable practices, while still wishing to buy and use consumer products.
Do you really think that it is impossible to produce modern products without
exploitation of people, animals and the enviroment?We certainly don't need as many 'things' as we may wish to have and the distruction
of the corporate culture would also mean the end the advertising pressures that
make people want things for the sake of having them. Demand for unneeded products
would fall and those items which were really needed or really wanted could be
produced in less exploitative ways.I don't claim to have all the answers, I don't even know what all the problems are.
But I am open to learn, and I know that identifying the problems is the first step
to finding a solution. I also know that we cannot continue to 'take, take, take'
without limit and therefore it makes sence to reduce our consumption, starting with
the things we don't really need, it makes sence to reuse things rather than replace
them with new things (as fashion might dictate), and it makes sence to recycle things
rather than throw things away and start with raw materials. These things are all
partial solutions to a problem - and everyone is able to do these things NOW.If you are not part of the solution - then you are part of the problem.