The leadership of the Anglican Church in the Caribbean has expressed concern about the growing difficulties being experienced by people of the region because of the rising cost of food and other commodities.
Bishops and members of the Standing Committee of the Anglican Church in the Province of the West Indies, recorded their concern at a recent meeting in Barbados.
They said the worsening global situation is creating undue hardships for people everywhere.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the church leaders expressed concern for the poor and those on the margins of society who are finding it impossible to provide the basic needs for their families and to cope with the demands of daily living.
I strongly suspect that the “food crisis” is another media-generated crisis. That there wasn’t a problem until the news media started saying that there was.
Think about it. Prices were rising, but did you ever see any evidence before that there was a shortage of anything on the store shelves?
We need to realize that for whatever reason, probably Bush-hate, the media is manipulating society for their own amusement, because they can!
Jim Elliott
Are you serious Jim? The media is instigating the food shortage riots in asia and other areas? There are muliple reasons for the shortage including the diversion of grains for biofuel, the record-high cost of oil, recent droughts in Europe and Australia, and poverty (the inability of growers to pay for seed and fertilizer in poor countries). None of them are an attempt to discredit our president.
why not? we were not in a recession until the media started insisting we were. yes, they are creating the hysteria that is claiming a food shortage. I had just come back from Sam’s with no signs of shortage when the news announced that due to food supply shortages, Sam’s was limiting customers to four bags of rice. Now, I had seen no such thing.
Not too long ago there was an internet report about tons (let me repeat that: TONS) of grain rotting on the docks in (oh, great, let me see, I think it was) Haiti, because of a) changing import regulations and b)misplaced storage and c)government ineptitude, while children were starving. That is the REAL food shortage cause: governments who refuse to distribute the readily available food supply to their people.
Frankly, the media is lying to us, manipulating us into a panic.
Our exports are just as numerous as they ever have been.
PS, it is an election year, when a Republican is coming up to the end of a term (Bush I for example) the newscasts get increasingly dark with dire forecasts of the economy. Yes, most of the media is firmly in the pocket of the Democrat National Convention.
oops, before I get lambasted:
[b]Democratic[/b] National Convention.
It was just a typo — honest!
Unfortunately, most of the world is unable to pop over to your Sam’s Club to buy their food.
[url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24316114/]Food prices rising, but no shortage in U.S.[/url] (MSNBC)
[url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031303347.html]Soaring prices are causing hunger around the world[/url] (Washington Post)
[url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353776,00.html]Bush Announces International Food Aid[/url] (Fox News)
I am willing to bet that the sugar we import from Cuba is also rising if the American market price is any indication. Somebody is making money!!
Quoting the press to show the press is not biased? Interesting tactic. Sam’s WAS mentioned as a company initiating rationing, however, in the media. So your sarcasm is unwarranted.
Remember in days past, Johnny Carson, during the gas crisis brought on by Jimmy Carter’s policies, joked that toilet paper was also running out? The next day he had to apologize and ask people to STOP running to the store and hoarding TP, because his JOKE was CAUSING a new crisis.
Well, that’s what the media is doing today, except they are not joking, they are manipulating.
By the way, the Wall Street Journal recently ran an op-ed piece encouraging US residents to stock up on non-perishables because of the coming food shortages and rising prices.
Again, fueling the hysteria and creating a situation that does not exist except in their (hopeful) minds.
(David Chancellor was also noted for saying about Bill Clinton during his first run for Presidency, when Dan Rather remarked that Clinton looked like the winner, “Well, Dan, WE haven’t gotten him elected yet”. The media sees themselves as king-makers and society shapers. caveat emptor!)
“Well, Dan, WE haven’t gotten him elected yet”
Jim [#8]: I assume you mean John Chancellor.
In any event, if he did say that, how do you know he meant it seriously?
Jim, what is the press’ motivation for making up this food shortage? Why is the conservative press (Fox News, who I quoted) also on board? Even President Bush (from the Fox story)? Why do you find it so hard to believe? Because the shelves in the US are still full? Can’t you imagine that less prosperous countries can’t afford the rising food prices that we can?
no, because I have seen it in the past. Plus because there are two strong, socialist Democratic candidates running for President. The Media, for some reason, don’t seem to like it when conservatives get in office. Yes they have an obvious agenda.
As for Fox, I think it is a case of it has become a news story, which has to be covered, and the propaganda surrounding the story has made it believable to all concerned. sort of like the non-sense hype around Global warming. It was shouted so loudly and so long that even the conservatives are now starting to believe it themselves (even as evidence is now being presented that disproves human cause).
And actually, it was David Brinkley. He didn’t crack a smile. He was dead serious. Just before he retired he started speaking out what he thought, and he made some telling comments about the role of the media, as a society shaper. Of course he also tired of Clinton rather quickly as two quotes shows when asked about Clinton getting re-elected:
“Look forward to four years of inspiring speeches, plus more God d** nonsense….” “Not a creative bone. He is a bore and always will be a bore.” David Brinkley on WJC
We may have to just give up the discussion. If I can’t give you cites from any media, even conservative media, what evidence could I possibly come up with? If even President Bush responding to the crisis does not convince you it is not a liberal hoax, who would you believe? (and why would a global food shortage reflect badly on Bush anyway?)
Unfortunately I don’t have the power to transport you to Asia or Africa or the Caribbean to see the hungry people yourself, and even if I did I suppose you would have some way to explain it as a liberal conspiracy.
There was just a report on Rush from an alternate media source that said the food relief headed to Mynmar (formerly Burma) was not reaching the people. The ruling Junta was commandeering all the food and selling it on the black market. The UN has reported that they are suspending all emergency relief shipments to the country until they can investigate.
Another report smuggled out from the oppressed in China (and not reported on the ‘mainstream media’) stated that the Chinese government routinely withholds food from the people and from prision labor camps to ‘reduce the population’ and to cut down on anti-Government protests (I’ve heard that Stalin used to do the same thing). If you are starving, you are not going to rush Beijing and call for the overthrow of the government.
THAT’s the real source of any food crisis.
Now, I will grant this: the (US and world) Government is responsible for rising food costs with their idiotic ethanol program (which is making Al Gore very rich as his stocks in ethanol producing companies rise higher), which caused the price of corn for food and livestock feed skyrocket.
Another example of selective reporting to slant public opinion is the war in Iraq. When the news is bad, it is given 24/7 coverage. But when the news is GOOD, as with the surge working, all of a sudden the news casts focus on other things, and you don’t hear a peep from Iraq until the next suicide bomber. 98% of Iraq is at peace, with improved infrastructures such as schools, clean water, electricity, etc. But you never hear of those except in the alternate media and internet news sources.
One thing I think is interesting is that Bush is routinely dismissed as an idiot by the liberals EXCEPT when he states something that bolsters their position. As in this case. “Bush is a liar and can’t be trusted. But you have to listen to him on this because he proves my point!” uh-huh.
Oh, but let me stick one more comment in here, re: what Christians can do in these areas. There was a missionary on the radio the other day (Rev. William Galloway) who spends a lot of time in Haiti. He said that while there are a lot of problems, one thing that is needed beyond money is for Christians to send down experts in farming and agriculture to teach the population how to raise their own food crops. He’s made an arrangement with the University of Florida Ag. dept to do just that and will be taking a group of IFAS specialists with him on his next visit to assess the situation and see what needs to be done to effectively teach the residents these techniques. T
The ministry is “Hope for Haiti” and is run by [url=http://www.mosthighministries.com/]Most High Ministries[/url].
Remember the old PBS show [url=http://www.squarefootgardening.com/]”The Square Foot Garden”[/url]? That would be a perfect concept to extend to these areas. In a very little space, with very little cost, you raise enough food for your family.
Please pray for the Diocese of the Windward Islands, which is part of the Province of the West Indies; please pray for Guadeloupe and Martinique in particular. I thought the prayer below (from the Protestant Reformed Church) was a good one. It’s from a month ago, but I think the problems are continuing. I haven’t found any apt prayers on Anglican or Episcopal websites.
Pray for Guadeloupe and Martinique on Sunday, November 22, 2009
Prayers for Guadeloupe and Martinique: John 18:33-37
Dear Lord we pray for the people of the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. This is a time of cultural, political and economic turmoil as the people of both islands engage in the debate about their historical and political links to France. We ask you to help calm and channel the anger felt by many into positive actions. As the discussions and social movements continue may the people of both islands and the political powers in France be attentive to the teachings of Jesus. May all realize that the true kingdom is not of this world and that love, respect and fairness must be the basis of all societies.
In particular we pray for:
-The 25 percent of the population that is unemployed and struggling to make ends meet.
-The growing prison population, especially among young adults.
-The large number of refugee and asylum seekers, mainly from Haiti, who are living precariously.
-The political and union representatives who are in negotiation over the future status of the island.
(Prayer by Tim Rose)
Global Ministries International Partners in Guadeloupe and Martinique:
The Protestant Reformed Church of Guadeloupe
The Protestant Reformed Church of Martinique