Of course, September 11 has passed and Jones is ancient history in news-years already. And I did let off some steam in my first blog entry when I referred to Mr. Jones as a "hate-filled, bigoted moron." So it makes sense that my emotional response towards him and the media would have abated somewhat. But this isn't what has happened. Not only has my anger completely dissipated; it has been replaced by gratitude. Were it not for Terry Jones, I would never have conceived of this blog, and you, dear reader, would not have my recipe for delicious, potato-stuffed chapati. So thanks, Terry Jones, for being an idiot!
The media will continue to give us endless, inconsequential fodder in the hopes that we will be so distracted by hate, envy, lust, and other strong emotions that we forget to design a life of our choosing. Perhaps instead we will settle for a life of their sponsor's choosing.
It has long been ingrained in the Western psyche that in order to create change, one must fight for it: we fight against diseases rather than encouraging prevention through nutrition and exercise, we fight against terrorism rather than encouraging diplomatic relations, we protest corporate and government policies with which we disagree rather than simply acting in ways which neutralize their power. But it seems that the greatest modern shift in our culture is happening because we’ve begun to ask what happens when the smoke clears. When we put down our picket sign at the end of a day of protest, is the world any better for our efforts? We might splash fake blood on the fur coat of a passer-by, and win brownie points with all of our PETA friends, but guess who's going out to buy a new fur coat tomorrow. Do we achieve a sense of fulfillment by denouncing our enemies, or are we just encouraging the very polemicism which we set out to destroy? In the famous words of Martin Luther King Jr., "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
Tantamount to the notion of fighting that we have long subscribed to, is the notion of sacrifice. It has long been thought that in order to have something you desire, you must be willing to give something up. And this too is proving untrue, despite the media’s persistent efforts to the contrary: A New York Times article [1] about author Colin Beavin’s experiment to live with no net carbon impact for one year referred to the latter as “A Year Without Toilet Paper.” Beavin’s reply to the article? “What if we called it ‘The Year I Lost
Clearly, any action we take is a reaction to something, but for the sake of clarity, I refer to acts which denounce their impetus as reactivism, while those which are creatively inspired by their impetus, I refer to as real activism. And in the spirit of the latter, I will ignore the former, and bring your attention to some examples of real activism which have inspired me.
The Slow Food Movement originated in response to the opening of a McDonald's in
Think what might have happened had Slow Food's founder, Carlo Petrini, instead launched an 'Anti-Fast Food' movement. A few people would have joined in to picket or boycott McDonald's, and nothing of significance would have changed. Instead, he chose to encourage a lifestyle he is passionate about, and Slow Food is now host to over 100,000 members in 132 countries.
Max Hamburgers The first burger restaurant ever to outcompete McDonald's, this Swedish chain uses only local beef and chicken and no GMOs. Their menu is carbon-labeled and their restaurants run on 100% wind power.
Max has infused the fast-food model with ethics. But the chain's continued success, I speculate, has more to do with better-tasting food.
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| A Max Burger |
Alice Waters, founder of the famoud California restaurant Chez Panisse, began using organic, locally grown food simply because, to her, it tasted better. But pleasure led to principle, and to the Chez Panisse foundation, which addresses issues such as school lunch reform and sustainability, and creates edible schoolyards for children.
Importantly, Waters' pursuit of pleasure led her to ethics, not the other way around.
The Permaculture Movement is based on a system of design which encourages low-energy input, sustainability, and biodiversity. By principle, Permaculture does not waste energy fighting against industrial agriculture and similarly unsustainable practices, but rather designs these elements (and the need to support them) out of the system.
Obviously, if your passion is veganism, Max Hamburgers is not going to inspire you in form, but I hope it will inspire you in spirit. Instead of representing veganism in terms of 'the other:' as 'no-meat-no-eggs-no-dairy,' present it as a way of life which provides pleasure and has its own merits. It has been shown time and time again that deprivation leads to desire, even across substances (that is, food-deprivation can lead to a relapse in, say, heroin use). And isn't it always the children who want so fervently not to be like their parents that end up carbon copies of them? If, for example, you do not want to be an asshole, don't plaster your walls with pictures of assholes as a reminder of what not to be, and don't point the finger at every asshole you meet in order to better define yourself as 'not that.' Just be kind.
No movement will ever be radical that depends on 'the other' to define itself.
Here's a recipe, I hope you enjoy it.
Aloo Paratha with Cilantro chutney
(Potato-Stuffed Indian Flatbread)
For the dough:
1 1/2 c. wheat flour
1/4 tbsp. salt
1/2 c warm water
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Knead together all ingredients, adding more flour if dough is very sticky. Form into a ball, cover and set aside.
For the filling:
4 medium potatoes
2 carrots (about 1 c.), quartered lengthwise and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 c. chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander seed
Rinse potatoes and boil in a large pot of water until tender. While waiting on the potatoes, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add onions, carrots, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, and peas, and cook another 1 minute, just until peas have thawed. Rinse cooked potatoes under cold water. When cool to the touch, grate or mash the potato and mix with the cooked vegetables. Add salt (I use about 1 tsp.) and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle flour on countertop. Divide the dough into eight balls, dust in four and roll flat, adding about 1/2 cup of the potato filling in the center of each. Gather dough edges and pinch closed at top, forming a ball. Now roll the ball gently flat. You may make them thinner or thicker depending on preference. To fry, simply heat a skillet to medium high and cook on each side until browned. You may fry in a small amount of oil if desired.
Serve with chutney (recipe below). Makes 8 Pieces.
For the chutney:
1 c. chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp. chili or bell pepper
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. brown sugar
2. tsp. fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. cumin
Combine all ingredients and pulse in a food processor or blender until desired consistency.
