From Residents to Rangers: Local Communities Take Lead on Mangrove Conservation in Sri Lanka
By Hema Senanayake –June 19, 2015
Hema Senanayake
The proposition in the above caption is not something that I am proposing. Instead, it has been proposed by the 21st Century socialists. The above caption is the 2nd characteristic out of the five characteristics proposed by Bolivarian revolutionaries for 21st century socialism. Sumansiri Liyanagebrought the said list to our notice through one of his recent articles toColombo Telegraph.
In regard to the above point, one of the readers of Colombo Telegraph, namely Ramona Therese Fernando who wrote a comment to one of my articles related to the same issue. Since she raised a question which resonates with many “passionate” people, I promised her a detailed reply. This is it. In regard to human needs, she now observes as follows:
“We need Non-GMO paddy-fields, vegetables and fruits; we need cotton to weave our clothes. We need some stationary and confectionary. We need some furniture; we need some kitchen utensils, and nice housing. We need some movies to watch, and some sports to play, beer and toddy to drink, and some movies to watch. We need some jewelry; we need some cosmetics, some deodorant and a bit of perfume from flowers.”
“But what on earth do we want i-phones, i-pads, online games industry, space age building space-ships to Mars, and experimental GMO-food production so colony on Mars can be started, Robots to take over human jobs, rampant sex industry and uncontrolled online ditto, FB and on CT (although these two are part of the “economic efficiency” capitalistic money making trend, they can fortunately give interactive awareness into the foibles of the money making psychosis). And on top of that is the Casio industry to use the ultimate excess of human greed to be the final frontier of the money-market.”
Her observation is interesting. I think it is her genuine opinion about human needs. I have nothing against her. A few years ago, a religious leader who felt in the same way as Ramona, launched a campaign in the United States to stop shopping, and his church was named as “Stop-shopping Church.” I have nothing against them too. But unfortunately there is a law in economics that prevents in indulging extreme consumerism. We all got to behave according to that law until we change that economic law consciously. Extreme consumerism, even though it appears to be originating from individual human choice, it is not so; rather, it is a systemic need. This is the point I want to explain in this article, so that 21st Century socialist might understand that it requires to replace the existing economic law or rule with a new economic law that supports avoiding extreme consumerism if they are serious about consumerism. This might require a greater wisdom and analysis than putting up slogans like the one mentioned in the caption above. Read More