A wise girl knows her limits.
A great girl knows she has none.

We watched a documentary two classes ago about Enron, a powerful corporation that went corrupt and eventually fell. Then we read a chapter titled Big Organic from The Omnivore's Dilemma, a book written by the American writer, professor, and activist Michael Pollan.

I never thought much about labels, and it was interesting to see it as a literary experience. It takes a special kind of skill to market a product through writing. But it's true, when I see something labeled organic, I draw up a very nice mental image of healthy flowers and happy cows. The descriptions are wordy and descriptive, tricking the consumer into assuming imaginary facts. You may read, for example, that the chickens grown at a certain farm are "free range," and it sounds good to the average buyer, but if they don't specify "free range," it might mean only having the chickens spend a few days or weeks out in the open. In a way, they're abusing the word "organic" to better sell their products.

Enron is similar in that it never tells the public the details of its profits, or even details of what they do. It shows you the final result (numbers) which isn't even true, which is similar to the vague labels. In both cases, whatever is shown to the public is what the people want to see and believe, what sells, but in the end all the things behind these vague figures are lies.

In my opinion, "organic"and "industrial" are words that can't go together. In my mind, they don't make sense as a single idea. If organic means going back to the roots and having a more direct connection with the natural, I can't imagine it being done at a large scale... at least not at the moment. Once you cross a certain number limit and industrialize, measures are taken to make things more efficient in space, time, and money. Everything has to be made precise, like the "mosaic of giant colored blocks" that are carefully and precisely cut. How does this pattern follow nature?

I think it's very possible for an organic farm to be successful, but many fall victim to bigger, industrialized companies, who only want produce at a large scale. Organic farms, however, can produce a large quantity but with different varieties. Since this is not "convenient" for big stores like Costo, Wal-Mart, etc., small farms like these usually have it harder. It's easier to submit to do things the fast way with quick and visible results. Since this is what people demand, it will slowly change to fit their needs.

Organic farms are understandable. They're in a tight spot. But Enron? They had a choice to do things morally, but they chose to lie instead. They should have known that, like chemicals that quickly produce beautiful plants but destroy the soil quickly as well, the effects are short lived.