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From: cdanderson@watarts.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Starvation-More Rambling
Message-ID: <2083@watarts.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 30-Jan-84 02:00:28 EST
Article-I.D.: watarts.2083
Posted: Mon Jan 30 02:00:28 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Feb-84 10:24:03 EST
References: pyuxa.521
Lines: 37

        The solution to the "world's" food problem is not to explore
outer space as this will only aid those in space. While India does have
a space program, most of the 3'rd World does not and the technology to 
do so is largely controlled by patents held by, you guessed it, US.
         If the 1'st World was able to utilize space resources, it would 
only expand our already bulging storehouses, depending on the resources 
extracted of course. Certainly, we would not feel any better about
distributing these than the ones on Earth, would we?! This also brings up
the question of how space exploration/exploitation would help the food
supply. Do we 1) ship off the surplus people to self-sufficient colonies
(sounds like a very expensive proposition considering population growth 
rates); 2) bring back the produced foodstuffs, fertilizer (is there much
N,K,or P in space bodies?), again an extremely expensive source, and, 
WOULD IT BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE 3'rd WORLD or free up any of the land 
now controlled by us.
         The problem in the 3'rd World is a problem that we, by using 
a great part of the world's agricultural land for our needs, have
caused. It's time that we realized it and *not for sensitive eyes*
GOT THE FUCK OUT OF THERE. Of course, we may have to pay more for 
our bananas or coffee if they still decide to grow them (hopefully, 
in cooperatives) or even, perish the thought, do without them.
         Just by having the processing plants for coffee in the control
of M.N.C.'s is costing the 3'rd World billions of dollars in lost 
revenue, according to a report I read not long ago (sorry, I forgot 
the source but it wasn't a Marxist publication, maybe a 1'st world
newspaper).
         Yes, it will also be necessary for the land to be redistributed.
Though this is certainly controversial for many people, such a policy
should reduce the amount of "aid" we now spend on the poor. 
          The above can also be applied on a national scale. Even if 
the Reagan administration can not see it. Believe it or not, there are
starving people in the U.S. The origins of this situation are, in great
part, the same as in other parts of the world, i.e. satellite to centre
distribution of "luxury" goods vs. subsistence agriculture.
           Have fun,
                     C.D. Anderson
                     watarts!cdanderson