On Tue, 25 Apr 1995, Mary C. Simmons, Hydrologic Assistant, Albuquerque, NM wrote:
> Seems there really are TWO issues: women and people of color as reprobates;
> and the scarcity principle that powers class. If we get rid of the scarcity
> principle, will we have ended race/gender discrimination? If we manage to end
> race/gender discrimination, will that get rid of the scarcity principle?
Mary, I feel that you've hit on something very important here. As a
matter of fact, I believe that under a different system (non
hierarchical, non-patriarchal) there WOULD be enough to go around.
I don't know how to go further into this possibility, but I feel a core
opportunity is inherent in approaching the problem this way.
Thanks! A direct hit!
Faith
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wed Apr 26 10:32:49 MDT 1995
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: power communication
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 10:36:43 -0600
From: "Mary C. Simmons, Hydrologic Assistant, Albuquerque, NM
"<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I have to admit that when Michael first brought up the idea of discussing
CLASS on this list, my first thoughts was "Why, so we can give white boys a
venue to whine about how much they are discriminated against?" I also thought
that issues of race and gender are paramount, and class is sort of secondary,
and, well, irrelevant.
As I wrote my first post on this subject, the idea evolved that class and
gender/race issues ARE closely connected, by virtue of the "Scarcity Theory of
Economics", which demands that there will be have-nots. Have-nots must, of
course, be the outcasts. When Economics began its history (I believe it was
coincident with the Industrial Revolution), european culture already had
outcasts in place for centuries--women and people of color. Voila! Here is
the justification for devaluing women and minorities on a state level,
pre-sanctioned by the Church, in case anyone has any spiritual problems with
this idea.
BTW, in the 14th century, when the Church had amassed GREAT wealth, and the
people noticed that the richest people around were the priests, bishops etc,
and after a few complaints were registered with management that "Jesus was not
rich" and "Jesus said 'It is easier for a camel to go thru the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to get to heaven'", Pope John XXII decreed it heresy for
anyone to believe in the material poverty of Jesus.
We can blab all we want about this. How can we CHANGE anything this big??
I'm talking about dismantling the whole scenario--how can we change this idea
that scarcity is a natural occurrence? Do we work from the bottom up, as we
seem to be doing now--by demanding equal scarcity for all? I really want to
effect a "sea change", by replacing the official mindset of scarcity, with
abundance. Everyone should have a place at the feast. There IS enough.
_________________________________________________________________________
Mary Simmons
U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505)262-5330
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
