http://www.businessinsider.com/spanish-authorities-are-locking-up-trash-cans-2012-9Spanish authorities have started locking up supermarket trash bins containing food to prevent hungry people from eating allegedly "unsafe" foods.
We all know that supermarkets have to throw out all sorts of produce because of small imperfections, or for not being super fresh - especially bread, fruits and vegetables. We are then led to ask the obvious question: why does this food get thrown away at all? Why does it not go to those who do not have food? I am sure that some supermarkets give their imperfect and one day old produce to local charities, but let's be realistic here - we do, after all, live in a profit and efficiency-based world where free stuff should only go to paying customers - most supermarkets throw their produce away without a moment's thought.
How is it that money, efficiency or the idea that people should only get what they they earn or deserve is so important that we can't even give that which we have in excess freely to those who need it? One third of the food we produce is thrown away, and yet half of the world lives in poverty - how does that even make sense?
This practice of locking up trash bins is not a new one - it happens in other places too, such as Sweden. With the "economic crisis" deepening, we can expect ever increasing numbers of people not being able to feed themselves, or home themselves, or clothe themselves. We may ask ourselves: What will become of us? Let me tell you: Violence and protests will rock every city around the world (check), preventable deaths will become more frequent (check), public services will be slashed (check), people will die from the cold (check), people will fight for every scrap of food, and those who are wealthy (and who, by the way, have been profiting from the "economic downturn") will remain wealthy and safe behind tall fences and guarded gates.
Here in South Africa, the news has been bringing up, every now and then, the reality that we (the world) will run out of potable water and food in 20 years. Think about that for a minute. It's not necessarily that we don't have enough space to produce the required food in 20 years' time - it's just that we are not managing our land effectively which leads to soil erosion and diminishing of soil quality and ability to support plant life. It's also not that we don't have enough fresh water - we just don't manage it effectively and we pollute and poison water. The excuse for our mismanagement of resources every time is: It would be too expensive to do it properly in a way that would ensure that this planet will be able to sustain future life. WTF IS WRONG WITH US!?
How could we possibly use money as an excuse for abusing the planet when we are the ones who willed the concept and reality of money into existence!
Wake up, people. We have all been caught up in a mass delusion.
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