final exploration

The Idea of a Local Economy

I enjoyed reading the essay “The Idea of a Local Economy, by Wendell Berry. In the beginning he states “we have to be aware that as issues rise into popularity they rise also into the danger of oversimplification“.  This idea comes with the face that we now allow big business to market anything that they want to us. It should be that those businesses are working for us, but in fact they are just working for their own.

What I also thought to be an outrageous is the way that he lumps together communism and capitalism. These are both two very different forms of government, but he claims that they are the same. They are both working for “the greatest good of the greatest number.” Which means that they re working to benefit as many people as possible, for the future. He points out that what keeps these systems going is the thought of a brighter more prosperous future, but only if that future stays as far into the future as possible.  I believe what made this a good read was how different his views were from many today and the fact that he is not afraid to speak his mind on important issues.

The Noble Peace Prize 1989 awarded to the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

In the speech of the Dalai Lama, he tries to teach the way of peace and protect human rights. He states, "Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free." I thought that this was very interesting because he is basically telling us that even if we are not at war, we are still not at peace until every single human is respected with certain human rights that should never be taken away.  What surprised me the most is that he is praying and preaching for peace for his home land of Tibet, while he is not even allowed to step foot there.