Question the Culture – Page 12

by Roxanne - March 23, 2011March 24, 2011

Poverty is a Luxury We CanNOT Afford

In this time of the Great Recession, if we are cutting budgets, saving more and using our brains, we should be realizing that poverty is expensive. In fact it’s way too expensive! We just can’t afford it anymore.

I have been reading about the poverty that our economic system creates – within our country and around the globe. Most of the poverty we have in the world is caused by human beings. Even hunger from natural disasters, such as famines, can be remedied with insurance for farmers, as we do in this country. Poverty is caused by our imperfect economic systems, laws, international laws, apathy and lack of political will.

I’ve also been thinking about the side effects poverty including growing up without good nutrition, without access to preventive health care, without stable income and within environments of violence and abuse – frequently from those who fear the poor.

Growing up hungry, or in a home where parents work numerous jobs, or where meals aren’t served regularly, makes it difficult for children to concentrate in school. It makes it difficult or impossible to do homework. It makes children more susceptible to illness and it takes longer to recover. While there are always those who are exceptions to these kinds of circumstances, they are exceptions.

Eating nutritious food costs more. Our country’s farm policies subsidize highly processed and prepared food high in corn sugar and fat (corn oil). By extension we subsidize corporations (Cargill, ADM, Kraft, McDonald’s, Coca Cola, etc.) who use these ingredients. We do not subsidize nutritious fruits and vegetables, but we could.

Owning a car is expensive and many of the poor can’t afford it. But, as a nation, we do not promote public transportation. This makes taking the bus time consuming and arduous for those who use public transport to get to work, buy groceries, do laundry or take children to school or the doctor. Imagine having to do all of your errands using the bus. Many do.

On the other hand imagine a city where buses have the right of way, can change stop lights and move people quickly. Cities in South America have just such a system. A subway above ground – if you will. Read Bill McKibben’s Deep Economy to see how efficiently and inexpensively it works using what we already have.

With regard to housing, more than one expert has observed that the banking industry could make far more money betting that sub-prime mortgage securities would fail than in the actual income from mortgages and servicing them (read here and here). The existence of the working poor and lack of affordable housing made it a strong probability that greedy elites drove the sub-prime mortgage securities market boom, short & crash and the resulting bank bail-out costing taxpayers trillions.

Living on a planet where so many are hungry certainly isn’t good for me as a person with wealth – and we are all rich, by two thirds of the world’s standards, if we live on more than $2 a day. Living in a different part of the city I experience an “unreal” reality. I do not see life as it really is for most human beings. My focus stays in my small world, acquiring things for my small life. My gifts remain useless to the larger community – since I do not connect there. I am separated in many ways from the larger human family. My heart is thus, hardened. My life and relationships are less full and rich than they are meant to be. Therefore, I become less human than I am meant to be. I become more self-centered and self-focused, the opposite of what it means to be a truly human person.

We simply can’t afford the luxury of poverty anymore. The costs are too high; the costs in human talents lost from both the poor and rich, the costs in emergency room health care and disease, and the costs in human physical, mental and spiritual disabilities of both poor and rich alike.

Paying a fair wage is the first step in eliminating poverty. There is something morally and ethically wrong with an economic system that allows some to accumulate great wealth when so many children go hungry – especially in this country. Accumulating wealth is fine – once the basic needs of everyone have been met. Life is risky. People get sick, encounter tragedies, have accidents. We need adequate social safety nets, including health insurance, affordable housing and education, for everyone.

Eliminating poverty brings advantages to everyone. Health care costs are reduced for all. The level of education of our entire population improves benefitting everyone. Consequently the skill level of workers improves along with entrpreneurism and employment. Crime perpetrated by both rich and poor declines. Abuse, drug use and human slavery by both rich and poor decline. Self-determination and autonomy through democracy increase. Political and corporate terrorism and despotism no longer appeal with their promise of providing food.

Watch the movie Made in L.A. to see a true, but powerful story about how three young women changed the apparel industry. We each can make a difference.

Eliminating poverty is not just a religious imperative – although it is that. It is a human imperative. Even avowed atheists like philosopher Peter Singer promote the importance of caring for everyone and the impact it has on the whole of human society. Read his book The Life You Can Save for an eye-opening yet entertaining discussion.

We’ve created our economic system. We change the way it works by adjusting laws, regulating it and measuring what we think is important.

Our economy exists to care for the needs of human beings – not the other way around. This economic system can be an engine for growth with values that promote the good of all. Inhuman values of greed and selfishness can be replaced with values of concern and cooperation. Standards of fair trade, fair wages, health insurance for all and care of the environment can be implemented. These are not mutually exclusive interests. In fact they work together.

We are all interconnected and interdependent. When the poorest among us do well – we ALL do better. For the health and well being of all of us, poverty is a luxury we can no longer afford.

by Roxanne - March 17, 2011June 22, 2011

Irish Heritage

Top o’ the mornin’ to those of Irish heritage as well as everyone who celebrates with them.

Depending on how the day goes we may celebrate by cooking up a little corned beef and cabbage along with some Irish soda bread. We’ll see . . .

My heritage includes both Irish and German cultures. As the joke goes, “It’s good to be Irish and German, as long as you get your sense of humor from the Irish and your work ethic from the Germans – and not the other way around.”

This joke is funny because it alludes to the dark side of being Irish. Too many Irish families struggle with alcoholism and addiction. These families will often describe themselves as “close knit” which in reality means exclusionary. Caught in this clan from birth, family members can’t see the devastation brought about by binge drinking at family functions over decades. They can’t see the pathology of having a social life that never extends beyond family members.

While many families exhibit some dysfunction, these families exhibit a dysfunction that is toxic and extreme. There are identifying behavioral markers. In toxic families (not only Irish, but others too unfortunately), the family becomes the only social network. Family connections are self-contained, limiting and dysfunctional. I’ve observed family members who even idolize older members who exhibited addictive behavior, participated in tax evasion, fraud, abusive behavior, even pedophilia!

Other related characteristics among family members include symptoms of anxiety, depression, eating disorders of all kinds, migraines and other stress related disorders.

Outsiders need not apply – another marker. I remember hearing statements like “I only allow family to babysit my children” as if other people are incapable of taking proper care of children or are never trustworthy. What fearful values regarding relationships with others are being taught here? Further, this results in the children having even less contact with others beyond the family. Over decades, I remember only a handful of outsiders ever attending most family functions. This is social “incest” at its worst.

Individual autonomy is feared. Those in the family who move into the wider community or develop autonomy may be shunned – however considering the poor relationships that are being ended, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I speak from personal experience. I was lucky. I escaped.

Members of toxic families rarely contribute to the wider community. They don’t have the social connections to do so. Even it they try – generally their personal boundaries are so poor that others will limit contact with them. In toxic families, everyone is way into everyone else’s business. Communication is not transparent – but secretive. Sarcasm and double meanings are rampant. Family secrets abound.

At its core, all of this behavior comes from living out of a stance of fear. Members fear that they could never survive outside the “family” as unfamily-like as it is. The paradox is that their acceptance within in the group is not unconditional or loving – but highly conditional as demonstrated by those who are shunned.

While the inclination to alcoholism (and other addictions) is genetic, it is also an attempt to avoid the underlying pain and suffering from the extreme dysfunction. Sadly, too many families that socialize around binge drinking exhibit many of the above markers and characteristics.

Our families are meant to be places where we learn about inclusion and acceptance. In healthy families we learn how to develop loving relationships so that as adults we can move out into the world and create similar relationships with those who are not part of our families of origin. In my own life, because I was forced to leave home as a minor, I was fortunate to have close contact with many other healthy families throughout my life, who demonstrated for me what a loving, healthy family dynamic was.

This St. Patrick’s Day, may those who are caught in a family web of toxic dysfunction experience a desire to take the first step toward change.

To all of you whose life work is to help create healthy family systems I say “go raibh maith agat” or thank you.

by Roxanne - March 11, 2011March 18, 2011

Simplifying Our Kitchen

Utensils.pizzadirect.com.uk — Photo PizzaDirect.com.uk

If you’ve been reading this blog then you know that six items or less is the goal – for most things in my life. I have already posted about progress simplifying my wardrobe.

Now what about our kitchen? Think about knives, utensils, glassware, pots and pans, baking dishes, etc. Do I really need more than six of anything????

When I was younger, I lived with a family in Paris. While their home was large, the kitchen was a typical, tiny French kitchen. Christine cooked delectable, many-course meals for family and guests from this tiny kitchen with one cabinet, 2 feet of counter space and a small European refrigerator. She had almost no gadgets, using two good knives and a whisk for just about everything. What did I learn? I learned French cooking and I learned that great meals are not about having a big kitchen or lots of gadgets.

Consider the components of the “kitchen-in-a-box” in the picture. Before first moving into this townhouse I had purchased a collection similar to this from Target. If I remember correctly it had about 50 pieces in total. It even had things like a paper towel holder, S&P shakers and plastic storage containers. Basically it had just what I needed – and nothing I didn’t. It worked really well.

So where did all this other stuff come from???

Looking around our kitchen we generally use the same three pans for most of our cooking: a small sauce pan, a 2 qt. soup pan, a 3 qt. pan for cooking pasta, a saute pan and a larger fry pan. I also use my blue & white soup pot. That’s it. Other pots and pans are rarely, if ever, used. So why not pass them along to someone who needs them? So we did.

Next we donated the toaster, food processor, mixer and other small electrics that we didn’t use or used rarely. We do have a hand blender, coffee grinder, coffee maker and hand mixer (which may be the next to go).

Knives & utensils are the same story. Too many that are never used. They are simply taking up space — which we don’t have. Others can use them. Three stainless cylinders on the counter by the stove hold utensils we use now. Still too many though. . .

Lastly, it would be nice to display beautiful items that we use everyday. Currently I do keep my white low bowls on my counter in an unused corner. Silverware too.

But what about awkward pots and pans? They suck cabinet space. My wish: store them in a way that is both space saving and attractive. Is it possible to achieve both??? Find out in my next post.

by Roxanne - March 1, 2011March 15, 2011

Home Prices Free-Fall

Welcome to the month of March and the middle of the home buying season. Having spent most of my adult life working in the marketing world I learned a few things. One of the things I learned is that the large population group called the “Baby Boomers” is like a pig in a python. They are so large (up to 76 million) that they dramatically affect products for every stage of life they move through. This includes housing.

You can read the details of why home prices will continue to free-fall here. Or you can consider that as the Boomers retire and downsize, the demographic group behind them is much smaller, earns far less and isn’t as interested in living in a large home in the suburbs.

Marketing forecasters have noted that young homeowners prefer urban living in order to develop richer relationships and social networks. A strong social network is an important asset in a high unemployment economy. Urban locations also have greater access to those jobs that are available as well as public transportation. Cars are a big expense today that not everyone can afford. Long suburban commutes take up time that young couples are not as willing to give up as their parents were.

In the end younger homeowners focus on developing relationships over acquiring “stuff” or square footage. This is a survival strategy as much as a lifestyle choice. But I think it’s a good one.

Not surprisingly, many retired Boomers often prefer urban areas for some of the same reasons, plus the added benefit of easy access to high quality healthcare.

In addition there is the general overall trend toward much smaller, easier living spaces (read more here, here and here).

Added to this is the nightmare title/foreclosure problems that exist with MERS (40% of mortgaged homes). It’s difficult to buy or sell if no one knows who owns the title.

Then we have the Too-Big-To-Fail banks’ total lack of interest in cooperating with consumers through loan modifications, but instead, a preference for foreclosures whenever possible. Why? Because these banks never experienced the consequences of their unethical and risky mortgage loan practices. Not only were bank executives never prosecuted, investors were actually made whole from all losses through the Republican-Democrat taxpayer bail-out. Can you say “good ‘ole boy network?”

Of course this was VERY expensive (trillions of dollars) and we, as taxpayers, will have to reduce our national spending to pay for it. One way this might happen is by the recently proposed elimination of the home mortgage tax deduction. Reduction in social security, medicare and education funding are other targets – not to mention any and all social safety nets for those in crisis – mainly women & children.

Longer term, this means big banks are highly motivated to continue selling risky mortgages, foreclose and resell any and all properties for as long as possible. No need to modify loans or stop shady loan practices. Where are the foreclosure fees or resale profits in that? Meanwhile, we the taxpayers, have already reimbursed them for failed mortgages – even as many of us are evicted from our homes. The rest of us are apparently in the wrong business! (Post Script added 3-2-11: But resigning ourselves to this outcome of events is not inevitable, only one choice, as Yves Smith writes about here.)

NET: This huge over-supply of super cheap homes will last decades.

This timely article provides another glimpse of the current state of the housing market.

All in all, you can readily see why suburban home prices will continue to drop, drop, drop for a LONG time.

So what will happen to all those 3 bdrm/2 bath McMansions? We haven’t seen anything yet.

by Roxanne - February 26, 2011March 17, 2011

A Bar at Home – Really?

It’s always good to question the culture we live in. Here’s a cultural critique.

My husband and I have noticed that for years now home builders have showcased homes with built-in bars, either on the main floor or in a finished basement. Also, furniture makers push “gathering height” tables and chairs in order to have “that bar experience at home.” Really?? Do I want to have a bar experience in my home? Yuck! Nauseating to even think about.

Furniture makers also feature beer can holders and even entire coolers built right into sofas and recliners. Open any Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel catalog and find entire furniture and serve ware sections devoted to storing liquor, serving liquor and drinking in general. What’s going on? Are furniture retailers getting kick-backs from liquor manufacturers?

Are Americans so unaware that they simply plop down in front of the TV, requiring beer (or even soda) at their fingertips? Or worse, entertaining guests as if they were in a bar? Wow. This is a desirable way to live?

I don’t have a problem with an occasional drink or serving a glass of wine with dinner. But I do question home furniture and entire rooms designed specifically around drinking.

Question the culture. Who benefits?

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