Surviving Capitalism (Not) : A growing problem: Notes from the ‘superweed’ summit

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, May 26, 2012

A growing problem: Notes from the ‘superweed’ summit

Click here to access article by Genna Reed from Grist.

Last week, the National Academy of Sciences hosted a summit to discuss “superweeds,” or the widespread problem of herbicide-resistant weeds currently afflicting millions of farm acres across the United States.

Notice the difficulty of the scientists, who have been taught to look at all available evidence, have in looking at the evidence of bio-engineering technology being pushed by agro-corporations to enhance private rather than the public interest. Could this be because they have been under the influence of capitalist indoctrination in schools of higher education, or could it be that they fear repercussions from powerful corporations affecting their careers and program funding?