Dear Sharra, Back in the 1970s and 1980s, huge corporations began to wield influence on American society much like a soulless economic blob with countless tentacles. Instead of siding with the people to push back against the pernicious effects of capitalism without a conscience, the U.S. government has too often been its handmaiden. Nowhere have effects of this been more destructive than on U.S. farming. Huge agribusiness conglomerates—with no reverence for food, land, or the farmer who raises the food and tends to the land—have devastated the farming sector of this country. Where government used to protect the farmer, it now does more to protect the farmer's monopolistic corporate overlord. It is one of the saddest, most dangerous results of crony capitalism and the unholy conspiracy of government to protect it. Farmers have lost their land, which many times was in their families for decades. Many have lost their livelihoods, with bankruptcies exploding. Suicides have become rampant. Our land and crops have been devastated for the sake of a corporate dollar. Animals have been massively abused physically, farmers have been abused economically, and water has been grossly contaminated. Government has not helped so much as it has aided the abusers. If anything is a canary in the coal mine, it is this. And it is not just one canary. It is millions of them. Many farmers thought Trump was going to save them because he has always talked a good game about loving farmers. But in fact his love—and support—is for the agribusiness overlords. Democrats have not in fact been all that much better. The pattern is that they try, and then cave. The political establishment is not the problem-solver here; the political establishment is the problem-creator. It's time for the people to step in. The answer to the problem lies in returning to a time when the U.S. government does more to protect the citizens of the United States than it does to protect their abusers. Capitalism without a conscience has corrupted capitalism, corrupted our government, and hijacked America's moral value system. This isn't a technical problem; it's a moral problem. View my interview with Iowa farmer Francis Thicke for a look at what's happening, and for a sense of what's possible. MARIANNE WILLIAMSON AND FRANCIS THICKE IN CONVERSATION
WATCH VIDEO 
  
Below, watch the interview I did yesterday with Katie Tur on MSNBC Live where we discussed American farming and American food. MARIANNE WILLIAMSON AND KATIE TUR ON MSNBC LIVE
WATCH VIDEO 
We can make this happen. With love and conviction,
Marianne If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately.    | 
No comments:
Post a Comment