2004-07-21

Plastic Bags? And the HEMP Alternative

This e-ssay began as a comment on a newspaper headline in the Sydney Morning Herald or The Australian on Wednesday 14th July '04, which said plastics corporations are bearing the brunt of the anti-plastic-bags campaigns raging here in Australia.
Typically, it ended with my warping toward the FUNDAMENTAL issues, which quite overwhelm the polluting-bags situation......
I've also converted it or incorporated it into an e-ssay around the campaign for legalisation of Cannabis, as an industrial, medicinal, psycho-therapeutic product, which, as I attempt to say herein, may very well be a significant panacea or Positive Shift to a more Wholistic Planet Overall.
 
About 4 years ago, I remember re-firing the anti-plaky-bags campaign of the when? early '90s, in reflecting on the question of charging (in supermarkets etc) for them, in an article in a one-off pocket magazine for the Nimbin Environment Centre.
Since then, the national campaign has soared, I feel, what with the media, government and manafacturing industry's attention on the perceived problem of plaky-bag pollution in/on the environment.
That's Good, I guess.....
Howowowowe-e-e-ver....
It begs the more important and stark question of the downers of the ho-ho! gi-normously, gargantuously bigger problem of the plastics-industry in general, and the phenomenal amounts of pollution it creates over all? .......the Planet......
This begs asking the question of whether the "plaky-bags" attention is but a distraction from the REAL issue of "macro-plastics-pollution"?
"Too big to tackle", aye?
Well, this is politics: -
On the side of "over-consumption" of plastic-and-oil products, stand(s) the psychopathic thief: the very centralising "factor" inherant throughout private corporate business models of such DEADLY industries - oil as well (haha!? Oil? Well?). 
On the side of "Sustainability and a Balanced Planet" - in prudent words alone - (ie., not using "seductive" language, by force or sinister manipulation) :- we have, "The People".
The Majority - perhaps 98 percent of us. 
Such industries; plastics, oil, pharmaceuticals, mining, technology in general, (technology having most of it's roots in military weapons development), have carried us far, but bluntly, they haven't grown to such sizes by being Altruistic or Wholistic, or with anymore than an overgrown ability to create - yes - and collect, or personally accrue, material wealth.
All grew from individuals, becoming small teams - inventors - eeking-out a living.
Bill Gates gained his enormous wealth through the same process, though rocketed forth because of particular 'windows-of-opportunity" (sorry!)  although he, I don't put in the same "downer" catagory of the DEADLY industries.

It's not a question of restricting the right to earn wealth, but that of simple, Ethical Limits.
Our technological boom, again from such industrial, financial might to research, discover and improve has also taken us far.
ALL STRENGTH TO THE GEEKS!

However, in such "free markets"(?), especially when ENORMOUS profits are available, "EXCESS", to the point of being planetarily DEADLY, must be expected to stick its ugly head in almost all areas of big business and industry.
Thus, at some stage, moderating Governmentation is necessary.
But, keeping a "forward-looking" focus, an Industrial Cannabis or Hemp-based industry, or series-of, would have far-less restrictions in regard to environmental laws.  ("H.E.M.P." is also the acronym for the HEMP or "Help End Marijuana Prohibition Party", who are hoping to stand a candidate in the 2004 Australian Federal election.)
Were the facts about Cannabis to "break-through" the (neoprene) mental bubbles that surround the CEOs, board, financiers, profit-rapists, politicians, etc., ie., those "in-the-pockets-of" the plastics, oil, uranium, coal, etc., industries, it may thus be accepted as viable AND TENABLE, on a scale similar to today's plastics and pharmaceuticals, no matter how large the Cannabis Corporation may grow.  According, in the first stages of Reform, to the corporate laws of the day.
("Can I work at the plant????")
However, such legal, political-nay-Cultural Reforms, I venture to say, mayhap be expected to succeed only when done in parallel with equally-proportioned Reforms in other areas of life.
Perhaps in all other areas?
But, either way, re-introducing Hemp back into the Global Community in stages, beginning with Drug Law Reform alone, or at-once, in conjunction with the far-greater updating of Global Politico-Economic Laws - the prefered option today - the single act of adopting Hemp over plastics, oil etc., would have a powerful effect on reducing the need for the day's complex corporate and business-in general laws.  I venture-to-say....
Need I mention the probable Attitudinal changes such lifting Reforms would Inspire?
This plastics-oil situation is obviously HUGE, and possessed of many factors.
If you close such industries - BANG! - tomorrow - UNEMPLOYED???!
Loose minds go into over think (overdrive), and spew-forth incessant fear-based rumours, theories as to the woes.
A Balanced mind, sees beyond the mental crap, and visualises Simple Solutions, though difficult to embrace with mere words.
 
Sadly, Attaining to the so-called "Simple Solutions" means divining "Best Practice" in all classes, as they exist.
This, in capitalism, necessitates identifying "corporate psychopathy", by breaking-down to the individual level, the psychopathic influences effecting them, and thus where that person(s) influence and exhert power over the group, company, industry and consequently, social levels.
"Where lies the heart" of the unWise investor in industries of Planetary death?
Undoubtedly a corrupted state of heart brought upon them in no small part by their "carefree" unearned inheritance/opulance and the "peers" who come with it - shareholder, corporate board-member, CEO, sycophantic politician, lawyer, doctor, professor. 
So, "Where lies the heart" of the upholders of such filthy cultures, but for an exceedingly untenable, excessively "comfortable and relaxed" life?
At no matter what cost to WHAT???
Oh, Mother Earth and all Human Life on it!
To dispell these DEADLY lifestyles - cult-ures - materialism - demands placing the transgressor's lifes and thinking under the spotlight - picked apart, in public.
"Privacy"? Fuck it!  They use privacy to deceive.
Who of them (those who 'steer' the national, planetary ship), profits most, in maintaining and "growing" such untenable industries?
CEOs, yes. Financiers, yes.  Shareholders, yes.
Banks, etc., viable enterprizes most, as an industry, but the next question is "Who chooses what to finance over what not to?"
The board, their peers, their "Lifestyle".
Tenable or not?
The question becomes a dangerous one; "Have they the right to such opulant, unsustainable lifestyles?", while today, such overconsumption of unacceptable products of oil and plastic (keeping the focus on them, while aware that these questions can be applied to several other, unrelated industries) is known and seen by the majority of Human Beings - I venture to say - as fucked!
UNTENABLE!
PSYCHOPATHIC!
UNSUSTAINABLE!!!
(Hmmm? It's a windy day in the desert?!?!)
So!? - Tenable or not....?
Not......
No-one is above the Law.
This however, asks us to widen our view to the "horizonless future", by honing-in on some simple "True-facts" as they say.
Economic Facts, and, Personal Spiritual Facts.
Industrial Hemp, and medicinal and recreational Cannabis production and availability on any scale, "of a Certainty", would bring with it no blockage to the Effulgance of larger, much called-for Economic Facts, and, Personal Spiritual Facts.
This Law, which NO-ONE is above, is the Lore, and the Law of the Land.
The same Law which aligns with Aboriginal Approaches to LAND TENURE. 
Sustainability! 
In the most Cosmic Irony, the one socio-economic "structure" upon which to build the new Communities of Earth in the new Millennium, comes from the nation most have regarded as the very enemy of World Peace - the United States of America!
It is indeed fairly said to be an American Philosophy upon which the Sound and Ancient Aboriginal Laws of the Land can be applied and most Harmoniously rest. (Shackles are rising all over Australia, I can feel it.)
But I leave open asserting the Proper Place for both - one over-or-under the other - for Aboriginal Law/Lore it seems to me, may more Correctly be what all Human Customs and social habits should have as their Socio-Economic, Cultural Foundation.
This American Economic Science-of-a-Philosophy I speak-of, rose NOT, however, from the plastic east-coast:- New York, and the surrounding 'powerhouses' of Washington DC and Chicago, Detriot, etc., but from the west coast USA, 'Frisco, in-the-main.
"woddyareckonspournedthehippies!?"
19th century San Franciscan newspaper publisher - Henry George, and his LAND RENT Economic Philosophy.
"Well done, 'Frisco!"
How awake is the rest of the United States of America, in this major test of a year, 2004, 21C, 3rd Millennium, to finally look west, and, as Ken Kesey says,  "Just turn your back (on the rapacious east coast USA attitude) and say "Fuck it!"
And for more than these reasons might Humanity respect that City.
For we must NOT forget the organisation known as the "Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club", also based in 'Frisco, and which now, in 2004, have rested the disparate and diffuse policing forces of the western world (yes world) into their control, with a refreshingly-minded desire to bring such long-awaited Justice to the whole Globe -
LAND RENT for GOVERNMENT REVENUE!
The Angels have also been based in 'Frisco since 1963 - were in the very area when the hippie era began and blossomed out of their own neighbourhoods - downtown San Fransisco in the later '60s!
"Henry George territory!"
What a Blessed Brew...
Today, we have what appears to be a right-wing neofascist in the Governorship of California - "Arnie-The Terminator-Schwartzeneggar".
Can the Terminator (Arnie) play the Pheonix and rise again to be an Advocate for Henry George's Land Rent Economic Philosophy?
"Terminating" for a thousand years at least, the exposed tyranny of what are now, totally untenable - BAD land laws!
In Honour Arnie, of a Great American, Henry George, and a, The, Superlative Economic Philosophy.
Arnold, maybe you can truly show the world how much you Love America?! Fine!
But Brilliantly, in-One, introducing HEMP and Land Law Reforms into California, you'd Compleat that which began way-back-east at the "Boston Tea Party" - a Just severance from the "Old Europe" (I say with Respect Jacque! Gerhardt!) in it's ancient, dynastic landocracies.
So, as Amercia began on the east coast and spread west, whence-thence the east coast became the oldest economic centre, in New York and Washington, Boston and Chicago etc., which it seems obvious, is/are at the core of America's and the planet's untenable attitude to Life-in-general, that nation's growth west, in subtle psychological ways, transmogrified those whose ancestors first settled on the western edge, Los Angeles and 'Frisco, mainly.
The vitality and poverty of 19th Century America and the progress San Fransisco-style, gave birth to Observations and thoughts on the social problems in the midst of the usual 'new settlement' phenomenon, of enormous wealth for those lucky enough to be the first to 'own' large tracts of Land (stolen, warlike, from the Indigenies, it-must-be-said.  As well.... "besides, no-one owns the Land!   The Land - "Mother Earth" - owns us all!).
These "Observations and thoughts", which led to "an exploration of the causes" (my quotes), "fermented" if-I-may (though he was probably a tea-totaller) in the Consciousness of the San Fransiscan settler from the east coast, Henry George.
So Henry George as-it-were, is perhaps the Finest of what came out the other end of the U.S., settlement, westward expansion and "experiment".
Arnold Schwartzeneggar!  Can you be the REAL LIFE Hero!
Honour your magnificent home-State of California and country of the United States of America, and introduce LAND RENT for GOVERNMENT REVENUE into California!
 
Hey!  Wod're we Outlaws gonna do when it's all sorted???!
Become Tribal Inlaws!  But of course! Choice! 


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