Food Inequality

Our literature class focused on the study of food is bringing together powerful texts rarely, if ever, studied together.  When thinking about food inequality what better match than Petronius' The Dinner of Trimalchio (from the Satyricon) and Jonathan Swift's Modest Proposal?

Perhaps we could say that Petronius' satire is more tame than Swift's...  Could we imagine the actual eating of children at his outrageous dinner?  Swift's essay works because it is both conceiveable and utterly unthinkable.  It is possible to imaginatively connect wealthy landlords and their indifference to impoverished people from whom they benefit to the actual eating of children.  The force of Swift's satire is also tied to his mockery of the indifference of the philosophers, economic thinkers, news reporters, the middle class, and those who don't rise up in protest.  Do they fail to see the violence of the system in which they live?

And I guess that seeing that violence is at the heart of what we are trying to do in our class, to not be oblivious to it.

Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes, a charity organiztion in our community, feeds over 130,000 people yearly.  This raises questions.  Why is basic food security left to charity?
The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one of the first documents created by the United Nations in the aftermath of WWII.  Article 25 states:

• Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
• Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance...

Aren't governments "instituted among Men" to secure their basic rights?

The decadance -- and slavery -- of the Roman Empire, the wealth of English landlords -- and the starving of the Irish -- were topics for satire, and deep concern. What of the interrelated inequalities of today?  The extraordinary wealth of billionaires, the malnutrition of the poor, such as those in Guatemala who work the fields that feed Americans?  (40% of Guatemala's exports go to the United States.)

Swift's essay is so powerful because cannibalism is one of the most basic and powerful of human taboos.  At the center of ancient ritual and Christian eucharist sacrament and a subject of literature.

Given American economic and political relations with Guatelama, perhaps their children should be served at the table of Walton Family, owners of Walmart.  (The best-selling item at Walmart is bananas.)  Are the Waltons currently eating the parents?