#101, October 2, 2002
Have you ever wondered why doctors warn about
overuse of antibiotics? Why not eat ‘em like vitamins, and keep the bugs at
bay?
The answer is science-fiction scary. The
antibiotics kill the bad microbes, sure, but they also kill beneficial ones,
like the bacteria in your gut that help you digest your food (yes, you are an
ecosystem!) And they don’t always kill all the bad ones. Occasionally,
mutation produces a resistant strain of microbe, and eventually there’s a
survivor that is worse than the original. With the body’s natural immune
systems weakened by the antibiotics, the new super-bug wreaks havoc, and
spreads in epidemic fashion. In our misguided effort to protect ourselves, we
increase our danger.
Something similar happens in agriculture. The
chemical-dependent farmer sprays to kill the target pest. The spray kills the
target and the beneficials, but fails to kill a resistant mutant strain.
Free from competition, the mutant population explodes. The farmer must use a
stronger poison each time in a continuing cycle. Eventually, the farm ecosystem
collapses.
For decades, our government has pursued a
national security policy much like that of the chemical-dependent patient or
farmer, with similar results. The chemical, of course, is war and
terrorism-by-proxy. Be it in Central America, the Balkans, or the Middle East,
we are quick to send in advisors, arms, bombers, and troops. Many of the
targets die; the rest may surrender. But the killing foments a mutant
extremism. The moderates-- who with our support could have disarmed the
extremists and created a stable, democratic society—are either killed,
disappeared, or converted to extremism by the death of loved ones. Without the
moderates to hold them in check, the extremists take over.
Just as the pesticides and antibiotics hasten
the breeding of super-bugs, the ever escalating cycle of ecosystem degradation,
poverty, injustice, and war speeds the creation of terrorists and rogue states.
Carried out at an accelerating rate on a global scale, civilization eventually
collapses.
In a now-famous experiment, scientists
dropped frogs into hot water. They quickly hopped out. But when placed in cool
water that was gradually heated, the frogs didn’t register the danger, and were
cooked. The leaders of this country, whether blinded by lust for money and
power, or (God forbid) desiring to bring about some warped prophecy of
Armageddon, or simply lacking the imagination to see beyond the end of their
lives, keep stoking the flames of war. In the face of spiraling population,
environmental impacts, and weapons technology, how long can we sustain this war
habit before we end up cooked?
We can look to the latest developments in
agricultural pest control for an alternative. Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests
through a variety of techniques. The key is creation of an environment in which
the pests can’t flourish. Pesticide applications are relatively non-toxic,
narrowly targeted, and used rarely, only as a last resort. The net effect is
pest control that is both cheaper and ecologically sustainable.
Making societies resistant to violence
sickness requires healthy soil—freedom from fear and want. Creating tools for
measured, low-cost responses to outbreaks of violence requires research and
development, a redirection our spending and institutions. We can’t afford to
let our military industrial complex thrive, much less mutate into a
global “pre-crime” unit.
This “Integrated Terror-Pest Management” is
not passive, a surrendering to the pests. It’s a practical alternative to war-without-end.
And it’s not without precedent. Our investment in the healthy soil of post-WWII
Europe, through the Marshall Plan, has created over half a century of peace and
prosperity. (Unfortunately, President Bush passed up such an opportunity when he
snubbed the Sustainable Development Summit last month.)
Our Congressperson Lynn Woolsey understands
this challenge, and with a growing number of representatives is trying to get
us out of the hot water. Please support her efforts, and encourage others to
follow. For background, visit http://www.moveon.org/moveonbulletin/bulletin4.html.