<BR>>I hope *everyone* doesn't imply the whole world's population.<P>Not everyone, because some people aren't consumers (those who provide for themselves and do not participate in the buying and selling of goods). However, such people are the exception to the rule. Everyone who buys and sells anything is keeping the capitalist wheel turning. That's just being real. Krewcial's decision to consume consciously is HONORABLE. I am not criticizing that position and in fact I SUPPORT his gestures in this area. However, we must realize the extent of the situation...worker exploitation cannot exist without a system whereby goods are bought and sold, where some work in factories and others own factories, etc...<P>>Beside that, haven't you ever heard about fair >trade organisations and shops? Sure, you'll >always find some injustice somewhere in the >chain, but I take offence to the notion that >consuming consciously is as bad as consuming >without any regards to the way of production.<P>Don't take offense, do something to change the capitalist system...I didn't say it was "as bad". Where did I say it was "as bad"? Read my post again. My point was that although one may wish to consume consciously, their position as a consumer is one who is essential to the capitalist system continuing, making all consumers accessories to crimes committed by the market system...to put it simply, if you wear shoes with leather in them, you helped a cow get killed, because in a capitalist system, no one makes something they can't sell...think of it in terms of drugs...there can be no dealers without addicts... <P>> I don't think grey is as dark as black, even if >it's not white.<P>Agreed.<P>>>>always a pro and a con. <BR>>>>But this is something else than <BR>>>>buying those jeans. You being there <BR>>>>is some sort of a statement, <BR>>>>it's a (semi-?)public performance. <BR>>>So? You paying taxes is directly financing <BR>>>the U.S. military...<BR>>Indirectly maybe, directly i doubt it.<P>The distinction between indirect and direct here is irrelevant. If I pay someone to pay someone to kill your mother, am I an accessory to your mother being killed? Yes. If you pay taxes to the government, and the government later uses those taxes to finance the military, you have the same result. Your tax money has made it possible for your government to run a military...<P>> But i think taxes should be (are not enough >now!) a way to redistribute wealth. And i don't >mind paying those taxes so they can provide other >people a mean of income (welfare), social >security, etc. There's a pro and a con, i guess. >However, i am in favor of, and support actions >for a peace tax and diminishing military >expenditure.<P>Diminishing? Try eliminating...there is no such thing as halfway killing people..militaries are designed to kill, period...<P>>I don't get the point. Basically what you are >saying is: no matter what anyone does to do >positive things, it doesn't matter 'cos they're >in a way an accessary to the system.<P>No, I never said that. Stop trying to read what's not on the page. I am very straight forward: mean what i say, say what I mean. My point was exactly what I said, you can act positively, but you remain an accessory. THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU STOP ACTING POSITIVELY. It just means you realize how your actions/position affects others. If a drug dealer is using part of his money to send kids to college, I'm not going to tell him to stop senind kids to college, but I would ask him to stop selling drugs...he can send kids to college with money made another way...faulty analogy, but it will have to do for now...you can e-mail me if you want a better analogy....<P>final note: I support what Krewcial does 100%. In that way, he is a better person than I am (we're all striving for higher ground though). I just want people to realize the seriousness of this situation and how it won't stop through "reform"...it won't stop until there is a complete overhaul of how the world is run...<BR> <BR>Peace,<P>Spirit<BR><a href="http://amphibians.iuma.com">http://amphibians.iuma.com<;/a><BR><a href="http://infiniteloop.iuma.com">http://infiniteloop.iuma.com<;/a><BR>DC hip-hop is on the rise...<P>"High grade when I create beats/if I don't get signed/I'ma be the most dope bum that ever walked the streets" - <BR>Aychell (HL, of Khemystery)<P>"If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it's probably a tool of the conspiracy" - unknown