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July 23, 2005
Political Balance in coffee purchases
As much as we excitedly cheer on the new democratic movements around the world, we ought not to forget those who fought for democracy in previous decades. If you remember the Reagan era then you no doubt remember the Contras, the "freedom fighters" (as Reagan dubbed them) who opposed the Marxist Sandanistas in Nicaragua in the '80's. Some of the old fighters have turned to coffee growing and a couple of Dartmouth MBA students have started a company to distribute their crop in the US.
Contra Cafe will ship you a pound of coffee every month grown by former revolutionaries for democracy. In addition to paying the farmer over fair-trade prices, they donate 50% of their profits back to the Contras. Read about it at the Contra Cafe website (tip to Instapundit who wonders if the Contra Cafe t-shirt will become as popular on campus as the Che t-shirt. Certainly the t-shirt, and the coffee, should become standards at any Republican gathering).
This sort of social conscience purchasing is generally a project for the left, but there's no reason the right cannot similarly choose to let their political worldview influence their shopping. Perhaps conservatives will be even more eager to take part in private-sector aid rather than call for government grants.
Update: Here's more of the story behind the coffee and the company
Posted by Jay on July 23, 2005 at 04:03 PM | Permalink
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» Wake Up With Freedom Fighters! from Austin Pauls
I see Contra as a statement by us, as US citizens, that we will not simply use our allies as temporary support in pursuit of some goal (defeat of communism, war on terror, etc.) and then kick them to the curb. [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 27, 2005 8:51:35 PM
Comments
This latest turn of events, with regard to the Contras, is quite interesting. It's kind of like the issues of the 1980s have resurfaced, in a modernized fashion.
Posted by: Aakash | Jul 24, 2005 3:42:38 PM
Um, by any objective standard, weren't the contras terrorists?
Posted by: Hank Scorpio | Jul 24, 2005 3:58:33 PM
Terrorists? The Contras? Where were the suicide bombers at birthday parties, the truck bombs at hospitals, the beheadings for international TV? You call these people terrorists? Feh. I call them wimps and goody-two-shoes.
Che, now, he wasn't so bad. If he had lived, I think he would have invented the suicide belt first.
Posted by: Mohammed Atta | Jul 24, 2005 4:05:53 PM
Hehe, me likee. Got 3 lbs on order to see if it's any good.
And yeah, the 80s are back. Vilified Republican President? Check. Wimpy accomodationist left? Check. Fight over Roe V. Wade? Check.
Time for the Human League/Thompson Twins/Information Society reunions tour!
Posted by: Otis Wildflower | Jul 25, 2005 7:41:31 AM
"In the words of human rights group Americas Watch, 'the Contras systematically engage in violent abuses ... so prevalent that these may be said to be their principal means of waging war.' Another NGO compiled a year's worth of Contra atrocities, which included murder, rape, torture, maiming children, cutting off arms, cutting out tongues, gouging out eyes, castration, bayoneting pregnant women in the stomach, and amputating genitals.
"An eyewitness to a Contra raid in Jinotega province said: 'Rosa had her breasts cut off. Then they cut into her chest and took out her heart. The men had their arms broken, their testicles cut off and their eyes poked out. They were killed by slitting their throats and pulling the tongue out through the slit.'"
Nope. No terrorism there. Nice company you folks keep.
Posted by: Hank Scorpio | Jul 25, 2005 10:30:10 AM
Americas Watch? As in "School of Americas Watch" who are supporters of the Sandinistas?
That's a very non-partial source...sheesh.
Posted by: MnZ | Sep 7, 2005 10:00:28 PM
Yeah, no bias on their part!
Let's see:
-neighborhood spy networks, complete with at-ready death squads (turbas divinas)
-15,000 massacred Indians
-3,000 political executions
-complete structure of repression
-theft of land
Yeah, what a swell bunch of guys those Sandinistas were. But then, the majority of Contras were ex-Sandies. Perhaps someone knows why!
Posted by: Punisher | Sep 20, 2005 10:36:34 AM
As a refugee who was put in a camp, had my land taken, livestock slaughtered, and relatives thrown in jail by the Sandinistas I am well aware it would still be like that if it weren't for the Contras. Yes, a tiny fraction may have used questionable tactics but sometimes you can't just sit there and twiddle you thumbs. I've already purchased my coffee.
Posted by: JAlex | Oct 10, 2005 12:30:47 PM
