ABOUT THIS ISSUE
by the Editorial Collective
‘Science for the People’ Vol. 7, No. 2, March 1975, p. 2 – 3
This issue continues previous discussions of two important topics: the economy and food production.
A number of articles on food came from a packet on agribusiness published by URPE1. The largest of these articles, “Concentration of Power in the Food Business”, and “Economics of Hunger”, from the Wisconsin Chapter of SESPA, describe the monopolistic control of food production. These complementary articles show that this system of concentrated control operates worldwide.
“Nutrition and Malnutrition” and the book review of Eater’s Digest illustrate the personal consequences of corporate control. Not only is actual production regulated, but food preparation, distribution, and nutritional value are directly determined by the profit interests.
“Calamities of Nature” describes how natural disasters and shortages can be used by these interests to further increase profits as well as to disguise the political origin of famine. Furthermore, “Selling the Rain” presents evidence that the technology is becoming available for creating “natural disasters” for political and economic gain.
The possibility of gammg control over our lives is exemplified by the struggles of women and minorities. “Dare Call It Genocide” describes efforts to resist coerced sterilization. The busing article protrays the situation in Boston where a decade of struggle for integrated schools is being threatened by a racist and possibly fascist reaction. The busing article from the SESPA Busing Group is an analysis of the complex and dangerous situation in Boston that has grown from the court ruling to force integration.
Unless the working people of the U.S. and the world can overcome and destroy the legacy of “bourgeois ideology” — ideas like racism and sexism that are reproduced in people’s heads by the social and economic institutions of capitalist societies, there is no hope for dealing with food shortages, global depression, war and fascism of any form, or any other potential or developing disasters.
CONTRIBUTORS: The Boston Group on Racism and the Busing Issue (Herb Fox, Larry Lambert, Jean Olivier), Robin Dennis, Ross Feldberg, Al Huebner, Ruthanne Landsness, Mark Looney, Science Teaching Group (Mike Teel), URPE (Union for Radical Political Economics)
EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE: Elizabeth Driehaus, Mark Geiger, Suzanne Motheral, Robert Park, Joseph St. Arnand, Glen Wargo
PICTURES AND GRAPHICS:
cover Chuck Logan/North Country Anvil
p. 5 Post Amerikan
p. 10 United Front Press
p. 11 CPF
p. 18 What She Wants/CPF
p. 19 UE News/CPF
p. 28 Rising Up Angry/CPF
p. 30 Environment
p. 37 Urban Planning Aid
ABOUT THE COVER: The Cargill Corporation is one of the giant grain monopolies. Its world-wide operations recently came into particular prominence when Cargill helped engineer massive wheat sales to the U.S.S.R. with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
EDITORIAL PRACTICE: Each issue of Science for the People is prepared by a collective assembled from volunteers by the magazine coordinating committee. A collective carries out all editorial, production, and distribution functions for one issue. The following is a distillation of the actual practice of past collectives.
Due dates: Articles received by the first week of an odd-numbered month can generally be considered for the magazine to be issued on the 15th of the next month.
Form: One of the ways you can help is to submit double-spaced typewritten manuscripts with ample margins. If you can send six copies, that helps even more. One of the few founding principles of SESPA is that articles must be signed (a pseudonym is acceptable).
Criteria for acceptance: SESPA Newsletter, predecessor to Science for the People, was pledged to print everything submitted. It is no longer feasible to continue this policy, although the practice thus far has been to print all articles descriptive of SESPA/Science for the People activities. Considerably more discrimination is applied to analytical articles. These are expected to reflect the general political outlook of Science for the People. All articles are judged on the basis of length, style, subject and content.
Editorial Procedure: The content of each issue is determined by unanimous consent of the collective. Where extensive rewriting of an article is required, the preference of the collective is to discuss the changes with the author. If this is not practical, reasons for rejection are sent to the author. An attempt is made to convey suggestions for improvement. If an article is late or excluded for lack of space or if it has non-unanimous support, it is generally passed on to the next collective.
Editorial statements: Unsigned articles are statements of the editorial collective.
Opportunities for participation: Volunteers for editorial collectives should be aware that each issue requires a substantial contribution of time and energy for an twelve-week period. Help is always appreciated and provides an opportunity for the helper to learn, and for the collective to get to know a prospective member. There are presently plans to move the magazine production to other cities. This will increase the opportunity for participation. For legal purposes Science for the People has become incorporated. Science for the People is now available in microfilm from Xerox University Microfilms, 300 North Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, Mich. 48106, (313) 761-4700.
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