In Land Rush the misalignment of the promise of foreign investment in commercial farming, the country's benefits (in this case Mali) and the benefits for local farmers.
While it seems there are exploitation cases to draw upon where the promises made to the subsistence farmers simply fail to materialise. Some of the interviews with local Mali farmers highlight views which question the sustainability of monetary systems.
"Only white people know the value of money. They're the ones who made it. And if they give us lots of money for our land; then our land is more valuable than their money."
It has been argued that reflexive thought is perhaps a distinguishing ability of human thought. It has been argued that self-refection separates us from other animal cognitive abilities. However, reflexive thought about our selves in society is fraught with bias, false-truths and the mire of ethnocentrism.
Martin Luther King Jr. had a powerful reflective ability and his speeches show a birds-eye view of the society he lived in. His "Proud to be Maladjusted" demonstrates that reflexive view that looks not at the mirror of society but perhaps through it. In doing so he makes an excellent criticism of approaches which premise social problems as the fault of the individual or parents. Perhaps we need to look from a wider lens?
Martin Luther King Jr:
“Modern psychology has a word that is probably used more than any other word in modern psychology. It is the word maladjusted.
"It is the ringing cry to modern child psychology; maladjusted.
"Now of course we all want to live the well-adjusted life, in order to avoid neurotic, schizophrenic personalities. As I move toward my conclusion I would like to say to you today, in a very honest manner, that there are some things in our society and some things in our world for which I’m proud to be maladjusted.
“I call upon all men of good will to be maladjusted to these things until the good societies realize.
“I must honestly say to you that I never intend to adjust myself to racial segregation and discrimination.
"I never intend to adjust myself to religious bigotry.
"I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few. And leave millions of god’s children smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society.”
While reading the GSB article about Patagonias new global campaign about responsible capitalism I noticed this Ad of theirs entitled "Don't buy this jacket" as an anti-consumerism anti-Black Friday statement. It is an interesting leap. I wonder how many stopped and looked at themselves? I wonder if it increased their sales? Certainly makes you think about quality over quality as a sustainable consumer.
