Sunday, January 21, 2007

December in Minnesota:Nectarines

Grapes too, red flame seedless grapes. Not from California...or Cuba. Not from Florida... or Mexico. Not from the Fantasy Lands of EUtopia, Norkonoriea, Yorktyme, or from any of the Greater(Marxia-non-Harpoia) & Lesser (Marxia-non-Grouchoia) Fantasy Islands of Tinpalace-topia, Mugabbyia, Chavezia, or Isalamasa Mixedmiseria.

They come from Chile. Blessed home of the blessed happy dead Marxist Salvadore Allende, thrwarted in his dream of ramming down the throats of his citizens his very own Lesser Marxtrix Fantasy Island by Mr. Ruthless Pinochet Atkins. (Oh, and the evil USA had to have been in there somewhere.)

I think a person might answer that mythical question," If you left the United States for somewhere else, where would that be?", by looking at what that country sells us. Cuba sells us....anything? The Cubans we get for free; and a good thing too. We do buy a lot of produce from Mexico, and do get a lot of free Mexicans too, less of a good thing, my liking of the Mexican people notwithstanding. The Tinpalace-topians export only explosive belts, and control that export very rigidly. Norkonoreia and Mugabbyia export hunger and famine, Chavezia and Islamasa Mixmiseria export corruption and misery. Don't want to visit or live in any of those places. Europe is sort of a given possibility, Fiats, cheeses, VW's, Popes....although lately, and two minutes after finishing Mark Steyn's book American Alone is 'lately', I've put Europe out of bounds. Mainland Europe mostly, perhaps except Italy because of The Holy Father and Fabrizio Quattrocchi . Ireland is not stricken from the rolls; look at my name. Other countries are mysteries...Iceland, any Scandinavian countries, Romania, Bulgaria, ...Macedon? Maybe Poland...see above and remember one Carol Woytyla.

Never any place in South America. Even though the mahogany I love, and the goncalo Alves and other woods come from there, I wouldn't want to live there. But a country that ships nectarines to Minnesota in the, our winter, their summer, must be participating in the complicated mechanisms of international trade. (Yes, yes, yes, I know we buy lots of things from China. The Chinese also eat some very peculiar things...sea slugs, snakes, 17 year cicadas. They're still Commies, although we're gainin' on that through market penetration.) I know Chile has solved its own social security program problems, and is private with many choices. If seeing the sign in the local Cub food store, "Nectarines, $1.19/lb-Chile doesn't say something imagine signs like these:

Imported highest quality Gaza Brand Goat cheese, $9.89/lb-Palestine.
Genuine Swietenia mahogoni, Cuban Mahogany, plantation grown, $14/board foot.
Two Rivers brand hard drives from Iraq. (Oh yeah, you say? I remember when made in Japan meant cheap. South Korea makes cars, and median income there is $18k. In the north it is $1K)

Grapes, anyone?

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