The Politics of Food: Freedom to Choose ≠ Freedom to Impose Costs on Others

Posted on May 23, 2012 by zoeweil
Image courtesy stevendepolo via Creative Commons.

For my blog post today, I’m sharing a recent post I wrote for One Green Planet, a website dedicated to ethical choices. Here’s an excerpt from “The Politics of Food: Freedom to Choose ≠ Freedom to Impose Costs on Others”:

“Although nothing Glenn Beck says surprises me anymore, it seemed rather unconservative to lambast Michelle Obama’s efforts to combat childhood obesity. Beck is quoted as saying, ‘Get your damned hands off my fries, lady. If I want to be a fat-fat-fattie and shovel french fries all day long, that is my choice.’

On the face of it, the statement sounds reasonable, if not overly bombastic. After all, this is supposed to be a free country. But those who express such sentiments are often the same people who oppose mandated health insurance. Ironically, if an uninsured obese child or adult faces years of health care costs they can’t afford, or winds up in an emergency room, the rest of us foot the bill through our increased insurance and health care costs. And when meat and dairy products, processed foods, and Big Ag are subsidized through our tax dollars, while organic, small farms are not, all of us wind up paying the costs of unhealthy diets, even if we personally choose to eat healthy, plant-based, organic foods.”

Read the complete essay.

For a humane world,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Filed under: food policy, marketing, MOGO (Most Good) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Authentic Patriotism

Posted on October 19, 2011 by zoeweil

I just watched a fantastic TEDx talk by Stephen Kiernan on “Authentic Patriotism” (also the title of his book which I will be reading). He echoes so much of what we at the Institute for Humane Education teach. Enjoy:

For a humane world,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Let’s Save a Trillion Dollars: Reducing the Deficit By Improving Our Diet

Posted on April 22, 2011 by zoeweil

Mark Bittman, food columnist for The New York Times, wrote an opinion piece, “How to Save a Trillion Dollars,” that I believe we should all read and heed. Many humane educators have been urging what Bittman suggests for a couple of decades now, and finally these ideas have become a “most emailed” piece in The New York Times. It’s about time.

As politicians continue to argue in Washington over budget cuts, perhaps a bit of sanity, perspective, and solutionary thinking is in order. Thanks to Bittman, we have a great article to share with our legislators, school administrators and teachers, hospital cafeteria food purveyors, and everyone else who might be in a position to create meaningful change around what we eat.

Bon appetit,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm and Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Filed under: food and diet, food policy, humane education, politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

To All People, But Especially Educators: Please Think Critically

Posted on December 27, 2010 by zoeweil

About 17 years ago, I went to see a chiropractor who came highly recommended to help alleviate back pain I’d been experiencing. I was surprised when the chiropractor chose to use “applied kinesiology” with me rather than traditional spinal manipulation. I had never heard of applied kinesiology and was open to anything that might help me, but when this chiropractor had me raise my arm and resist the pressure he applied to it to “test” various things, and then told me what foods I should and shouldn’t eat and what people I should and shouldn’t avoid based on whether my arm went down or stayed rigid upon his application of pressure, I was stunned that he was serious. I never went back to this chiropractor and marveled that someone had really charged me $80 to do something so ridiculous.

About ten years passed and suddenly this “applied kinesiology” was everywhere and friends of mine swore by it. I’ve learned not to be surprised by such things any more. We people believe all sorts of unsubstantiated things, constantly suspending our critical thinking. Much of the time there is no real harm done, and because our minds and bodies are so intertwined, believing that a practitioner will help us increases the likelihood that we’ll be helped measurably. But I worry about a populace that so readily believes nonsense and passes it off as fact, and I feel strongly that educators must be among the best critical thinkers because, more than anyone, teachers shape the future.

There is a desperate need for good critical thinking among the generation poised to solve – or not solve – the complex challenges before us. So this is my plea to teachers: teach your students to be critical and creative thinkers above all else, and refuse to let yourself be duped. Model the critical thinking your students need to possess themselves.

(For those who want to see a demonstration that debunks applied kinesiology, take a look at this YouTube video.)

For a thinking populace,

Zoe Weil, author of The Power and Promise of Humane Education and Most Good, Least Harm

Image courtesy of critical thinking asylum via Creative Commons.

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Filed under: accurate information, critical thinking, education, humane education, third side thinking | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Hero of the Day – Wendell Potter

Posted on September 11, 2009 by zoeweil

I love stories about people who forego their privileges for a greater good, who are willing to risk their high status and river of lucre to do what is right. In a recent New York Times op-ed, Nicholas Kristof writes about Wendell Potter, a former executive in the health insurance business, who crafted the fear-mongering language that now perpetuates the terror and hostility toward health care reform.

Potter, who traveled frequently in corporate jets and limousines to block health care reform, attended a premiere of Michael Moore’s Sicko in 2007 in order to prepare an industry response to Moore’s scathing critique of health care in the U.S. But Potter found himself agreeing with much of Moore’s exposé . Then, a month later, in Tennessee, Potter attended a health charity in which long lines of people waited in the rain to receive health care in livestock stalls. He could no longer look in the mirror and live with himself.

So Potter resigned from his lucrative job and testified before Congress on behalf of health care reform, sealing his fate as a pariah in the industry he’d served for twenty years.

When I give talks, periodically someone will tell me that it’s just too challenging to make choices that do the most good and the least harm. I think I’ll start telling people about Wendell Potter. Potter gave up a lot to do what is right — more than most people. If Potter can give up his massive salary and perks, the respect and friendship of his many peers and associates, and bear the force of hatred and rage directed towards him by those who perceive him as a turncoat, then surely each of us can figure out how we can live with greater integrity and make new choices that are right and good.

~ Zoe

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John Mackey, Whole Foods & Boycotts, Part 2

Posted on September 9, 2009 by zoeweil

I’ve received a bunch of comments on my blog post about the Whole Foods boycott. Most are positive. But one commenter wrote this:

“How can a blog called ‘Humane Connection’ defend a CEO who has bragged about cutting his healthcare benefits and is trying to deny healthcare to millions of Americans? There’s nothing humane about this particular posting.”

I wouldn’t say that I defended John Mackey. Rather, I opposed an organized boycott of Whole Foods based solely on John Mackey’s personal opinion about health care reform. I imagine that if we were to base our shopping choices on the opinions of the CEOs of the companies who run the stores we frequent, we would find ourselves with few places to shop. It’s hard to believe that there wouldn ’t be big areas of disagreement on issues important to us. Which is why I reiterate that the purpose of organized boycotts is to oppose policies and practices of corporations, not opinions of its leaders. If the person who commented is boycotting Whole Foods to influence its policies, more power to him; but that, in my opinion, should be the only reason for organized boycotts. By all means, support those companies you like and withhold your support from those you don’t, but be wise about promoting organized boycotts.

Many years ago, a friend of mine contacted John Mackey repeatedly because Whole Foods was selling foods that were the products of extreme animal cruelty. She was persistent. And John Mackey eventually took her up on her call to learn about the effects of his food choices, both personally and as a grocery CEO. Mackey then became vegan and changed some of his store policies (against external pressures) so that the animal products sold in Whole Foods would be more humanely raised.

All those people who want to influence Mackey to reconsider his views on health care reform, please do so. Be polite and persistent and offer your best arguments. And listen to his perspective, too. Not just what others say he believes, but rather what he himself has written or been accurately quoted as saying.

~ Zoe

Image courtesy of ilovemypit via Creative Commons.

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Filed under: citizen activism, compassionate communication, MOGO (Most Good), systemic change | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

John Mackey, Whole Foods and Boycotts

Posted on September 2, 2009 by zoeweil

On August 11, the Wall Street Journal published an op ed by John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, about health care reform.

Since then, there’s been quite the brouhaha, and many have called for a boycott of Whole Foods because John Mackey expressed his opinion on, and put forth his own ideas for health care reform. There have been blog posts in the New York Times and Huffington Post. Some are calling him foolish, at best, to have expressed an opinion so different from the majority of those who shop at his store. Personally, I consider it courageous and a demonstration of integrity to express views that differ from most of your customers.

One commenter said he was going to boycott Whole Foods because John Mackey is a Republican, and he doesn’t want his money going to a Republican. Funny. How is it that this commenter determined that John Mackey is a Republican? Mackey is a self-proclaimed Libertarian, actually, and a hugely generous supporter of many social change causes.

I agreed with much of what John Mackey wrote in his op-ed. I also disagreed with much of it. But why would the CEO’s opinion about pending health care reform legislation be relevant to whether or not I shop at Whole Foods?

The purpose of boycotts is to cause economic harm, or the threat of economic harm, to a company so that the company changes policies and practices that one considers wrong, immoral, unjust, etc. Unless one considers Whole Foods to be doing something wrong, there is no reason to boycott it simply because the CEO expressed an opinion. What would such a boycott serve? What do the boycotters want to change? John Mackey’s opinion? If John Mackey changed his opinion because of a threat of a boycott, would these boycotters be happy? Would they then want to shop at a grocery whose CEO lacked such strength of character that he changed his opinion to stop a boycott?

We should also ask what such a boycott could harm. If enough people joined the boycott, many people who happily and gratefully work at Whole Foods could lose their jobs. The people who supply the organic, fair trade, and local produce could lose one of their biggest vendors and suffer financial hardship. Is that a goal of the boycotters? Boycotts (like everything else) should, in my opinion, follow the MOGO principle. They should be skillfully deployed so that they do the most good and the least harm to all involved.

~ Zoe

Image courtesy of ilovemypit via Creative Commons.

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Filed under: citizen activism, MOGO (Most Good), systemic change | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

“Obama the Socialist”? It’s Time to Stop Name-Calling

Posted on June 19, 2009 by zoeweil

I have a friend who identifies himself as a libertarian-leaning Republican. We engaged in many heated debates during the election season, and he’s not happy with Obama’s presidency thus far. He keeps calling Obama a socialist. And I keep asking him to quit it with the name-calling. Name-calling is knee jerk. It stops conversations and limits our capacity to work together and create solutions. And it’s childish, too. President Obama is called a socialist because he wants to prevent our economy from collapsing into a depression and thus is investing taxpayer money into what has previously been privately funded. It’s legitimate to challenge this, and we should do so. But name-calling isn’t a challenge, and it doesn’t further answers. It’s small-minded, and carries no vision. President Obama is called a socialist because he wants to provide health insurance to all Americans. It’s legitimate to challenge health care in the U.S., too. Our health care system is replete with so many problems, and whether health care is a right is a topic that should be debated, but we get nowhere when we hurl a charged expletive and take sides based on a word. Obama is called a socialist often simply because he’s progressive-minded. Or he’s called a socialist because it’s a bad name to many, and some people have gotten on the bad-name-bandwagon because they don’t like Obama.

Next time you hear any name-calling, challenge it. Ask the name-callers questions. Challenge them to think more deeply and to come up with better answers to the actions they’re criticizing. Do it without judgment or hostility. Do it as a humane educator eliciting critical and creative thinking.

~ Zoe

Image courtesy of purpleslog via Creative Commons.

Filed under: compassionate communication, critical thinking, politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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