Growth Equals Poverty
Vendana Shiva (2013)
In this presentation, environmentalist and anti-globalization activist Vendana Shiva challenges the Wall Street mythology that economic growth reduces poverty. Using her own country India as an example, she demonstrates how poverty (and inequality) increase in direct correlation to GDP increases.
The examples she offers clearly apply to the US, UK and New Zealand. All three countries are experiencing alarming increases in poverty and inequality as GDP increases. As in India, the quality and availability of health, education and other public services have declined steeply as “growth” has increased.
She goes on to demonstrate what GDP growth really represents: the privatization (ie theft) of natural and public resources by a small number of elites.
In India at present, 1/4 of the population lives in abject poverty and 1/2 of children are malnourished. Vendana blames the increase in hunger on the forced adoption of industrial agriculture and GMO crops. Monsanto and GMO advocates like Bill gates argue that GMOs will decrease world hunger. In India, where Monsanto has successfully lobbied to make it illegal for farmers to save seed, just the opposite has happened.
This due partly to Monsanto’s seed monopoly, which has caused an 8,000% increase in the cost of seed; partly to the high cost of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides GMO crops require; and partly to the destruction of soil, bees and biodiversity caused by industrial agriculture and GMO crops.
The Most Revolutionary Act 
Wow. Very important article.
Globalists constantly say we need more economic growth. We need mass 3d world immigration to boost or maintain current economic growth.
Divide and conquer 101. Identity politics destroys social cohesion and creates divisiveness, and the sheeple are too busy fighting amongst themselves over the scraps to see the Big Picture.
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Thanks for commenting, loucleve. The globalists promote economic growth because it increases their profits. All it does for the rest of us is increase carbon dioxide emission, toxic pollution and inequality. I think more and more people are seeing the Big Picture – but it’s still very hard for them to get their voices heard in the corporate controlled media.
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When we learn that the key to living well is to go back to community living whereas we stand shoulder to shoulder bent over our sustainable gardens and also barter with one another even as we turn our backs on corporate America which is what is killing U.S. and the rest of the world.
We absolutely refuse to stop running to the store for everything and instead learn to be self-sufficient like those who lived in the days of pioneering or like the Amish.
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Very well put, Shelby. Your words certainly describe my vision. I’m certainly meeting lots of people here in New Plymouth committed to rebuilding community and I know there are lots of people in my daughter’s neighborhood in Portland who share this vision. It’s a great pity, though, that people who try to live this way never see their lives reflected in the mainstream media.
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