Thus for the poorest and totally exposed and vulnerable, the capitalist crisis means: less help in an already desperate situation. Oftentimes it means hunger and demise. A shocking 16,000 children per day die from starvation. That is 11 children per minute. That is right now.....and now......now again.....
Yet food aid has dropped dramatically: the US has pledged 800 million less to food aid in 2009. Rich Saudi Arabia went down from 500 million in 2008, to 10 million so far in 2009, the EU dropped its contribution by 130 million, etc.
Josette Sheeran, head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the result of these drops in funding may well be the "loss of a generation of children to malnutrition, food riots and political destabilization".
What all of this points out is that conventional economic thinking has missed the boat completely on understanding the roots of the recession and thus failed to sound the alarm. Now the economic models and teaching should be overhauled and revolutionized to start actively creating survival models that are in tune with the planet we live on and who (and how many) we are as humans.
For models of economic sustainability in a post capitalist world, we need to be inspired by Gaia and its regenerative power more deeply, and start mimicking its intricate and inclusive 'economy of generosity' -- if we want to survive as a human family.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
