California NOW

Author Asks: Where Are You Wearing?

Yesterday was Buy Nothing Day, but for those of you who did do some shopping (and there were a lot less than usual) do you know where the stuff you bought was made? Kelsey Timmerman’s guest post asks: “Could that ugly Christmas sweater made in Bangladesh that your grandma is going to give you be advancing women’s rights?" 

Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute and advisor to the UN Secretary General on the Millennium Development Goals, think so. In his book, The End of Poverty, he refers to the garment industry in Bangladesh and other developing nations as the first rung of the global economic ladder. He writes: "Not only is the garment sector fueling Bangladesh’s economic growth of more than five percent per year in recent years, but it is also raising the consciousness and power of women in a society . . . this change and others give Bangladesh the opportunity in the next few years to put itself on a secure path of long-term economic growth.” 

Women who have jobs are likely to have fewer children. Missing work while pregnant, having a baby, or caring for a newborn is, in a sense, expensive. Therefore, working women have fewer children to feed, clothe, and keep healthy, and more money to do so. Sachs writes that in 1975, the total fertility rate – the average number of children a woman has over her lifetime – in Bangladesh was 6.6. Today, it’s 3.1. Educating and employing women is one of the best ways to lift a society from poverty. 

While I was in Bangladesh researching my book, “Where am I Wearing: A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People That Make Our Clothes,” I decided to explore Sachs theory. I spent the day with a garment worker named Arifa who earned $25 per month. 

Happy Buy Nothing Day!

Instead of running around at 3 am to buy something, check out these Buy Nothing Day resources:

Buy Nothing Christmas

Holiday Gift Exemption Voucher

Conscious Consumer pamphlet

The Myth of Thanksgiving and Native American Rights

As we sit down to our delicious dinner, surrounded by family and friends, let us take a few moments to think not only of those who do not have friends, or family, or food, but let us also think about the reason we have those things.

Thanksgiving: A National Day of Mourning for Indians
by Moonanum James and Mahtowin Munro

Every year since 1970, United American Indians of New England have organized the National Day of Mourning observance in Plymouth at noon on Thanksgiving Day. Every year, hundreds of Native people and our supporters from all four directions join us. Every year, including this year, Native people from throughout the Americas will speak the truth about our history and about current issues and struggles we are involved in.

Why do hundreds of people stand out in the cold rather than sit home eating turkey and watching football? Do we have something against a harvest festival?

Of course not. But Thanksgiving in this country -- and in particular in Plymouth --is much more than a harvest home festival. It is a celebration of the pilgrim mythology.

According to this mythology, the pilgrims arrived, the Native people fed them and welcomed them, the Indians promptly faded into the background, and everyone lived happily ever after.

The truth is a sharp contrast to that mythology.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Be thankful for what you have, and remember those who don't.  Pack a box for Winona LaDuke.  Make a donation to your favorite charity.

Remember the real legacy of this day, when whites availed themselves of the knowledge of American Indians, and then systematically slaughtered them.  It's not pretty, but it's important that we tell the truth about this.  Kids can handle the truth.  Tell them that the stories they heard at school last week, aren't exactly true.

I am thankful to be a part of a movement that is fighting to make the world more equal and just, and part of an organization making a difference.

Good luck today folks!  Holidays can be difficult, especially when your politics are different than people in your family.  Smile and know that things are changing, and try to let the political debates wait for another day.  Unless you're in Georgia and then make sure you get everyone there to vote for Jim Martin on Tuesday!  

Sarah Palin: Scapegoat

I keep putting off writing about Sarah Palin again, thinking, "Those 15 minutes have to be up by now," but every time I take a read through the blogosphere, there she is again. And sadly, the sexism has not fallen by the wayside, now that the election is over.  She can't even pardon a turkey or have someone tell her thank you without people turning it into a joke.

While polling did clearly show that many Americans were influenced to vote against the Republican ticket because they did not feel that Palin had the experience and ability to be Vice President, the entire blame for the loss cannot be placed at her feet. Nonetheless, that's where a lot of people are dumping it, even when that reflects badly on the Presidential nominee and the campaign that chose her in the first place.

Then there's the story about Palin not knowing Africa was a continent, rather than a country. The story has not been retracted, despite the Eisenstadt hoax (broken first by Shakesville, thank you very much), because Eisenstadt was apparently not the original source. If true, the story confirms that Palin was unqualified for the VP position, but what is the purpose of bringing it to light now, after the election? I would argue that the point is to continue the scapegoating of Sarah Palin, so that John McCain can return to work in Washington with his reputation untarnished by his loss.   Palin is the designated scapegoat.

And never fear, the sexualization of Palin isn't over yet either. Now there's an entire website based around Palin erotica.

She is facing another ethics investigation and a possible perjury inquiry, but with Palin receiving calls from agents and a possible $7 million book deal in the works, she's unlikely to drop out of the political spotlight for a while. In fact, she's already campaigning in Georgia to help Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who is in a runoff election against Democrat Jim Martin.

There are some positives to come out of Palin's candidacy, like the normalization of the idea of a female President or VP. Unfortunately, those attitudes are slower to change than they should be. No wonder American women are still pissed off at the sexism exhibited during the Presidential campaign.  Once again it appears that our choices are limited to being the "bitch" or the "airhead" and with misogyny having come out of the closet during the campaign from both parties, it's very clear how far we still have to go to be seen as equals.