Daily Office:
Wednesday
Morning
¶ Bananas: Any day now, I’m going to hear that some friend or other has given up bananas, and not because they’re green. Because they’re not green. And that’s just the beginning. Consider Dan Koeppel’s report.
Noon
¶ Departure: I’m off for California, Santa Monica to be exact. In the event of zero connectivity, I’ll be back on Saturday morning.
Oremus…
Morning, cont’d
§ Bananas. By now, we all know that the 1954 overthrow of Guatemala’s democratically elected government was a joint operation of the United Fruit Company and the other “Company” — the CIA. Food brings out the Feudal in American policy-making.
Today’s other food story, about the adulteration of the White Lily Flour brand, raises but avoids the question why a firm that produced a beloved regional product, fell into the hands of a corporate conglomerate? You know the drill. First, J M Smucker, owner of White Lily, fiddled with the milling. Then they closed the mill.
I did know about the monoculture of the banana. I’ve actually read a few articles about the short sightedness of the industry. Considering rising fuel costs and its effect on food prices, we may all be eating locally grown food. Out of season fruits and vegetables will in all likelyhood become luxuries as they were when we were young.
Have a safe trip, sir!