LEFTOVER

Abstract

Dinner is served. Dinner is eaten. There are inevitably leftovers. What to do with them? The family has a few options as to what they can do with the leftovers; their choice of action will determine the “leftovers’ “designation in the network of the homes efficiency as well as the “leftovers’” nomenclature. WASTE –the family has decidedthrow the leftovers away into the trash receptacle. LUNCH –the family has decided to store the leftovers into the fridge until tomorrow. FOOD –the family has decided to feed the leftovers to the family pet. HUMUS –the family hasdecided to place the leftovers into the compost pile. SLUDGE–the family has decided to process the solidfood through the trash “composter” in their sink. All of the above are solutions to one single question that we are faced with on a daily basis in the context presented above as well as on a much larger scale; such macro scale that we as individuals don’t even consider this question as a question to be asked at all. The capitalist machine can be viewed as the family at the dinner table – eating away at the resources, sustaining and furthermore fattening up the components of the mechanism (industry, economy, and politics) and leaving behind a considerable amount of leftovers. It is the totality of these leftovers and the innate potential within, which need further and more imaginative consideration. The current approach to dealing with these leftovers of a supposedly maximally efficient system of capitalism, is failing in places such as Detroit and other similar frost-belt post-industrial cities and like cities around the world. Is it the over-abundance of the leftovers that the system (that has created it in the first place) has to deal with? Or is it the outdated and rigid political policy which halts creative and imaginative solutions? Or furthermore could it be the economic landscape which on paper actually benefits from all the detritus? Whichever one or combination of these causes is to be held responsible for the status quo is not of much importance past identification in order to propose solutions that can integrate and benefit all, or most of the parties involved. One must acknowledge that often times in such situations there may not be a compromising solution; furthermore one must also understand that in order implement change, the rules which prevent that change to happen must be altered or eradicated. This may dictate informal, ad hoc, impromptu and even illegal action to be taken on part of the catalyst, which, if properly deployed will be hard to negate in its own success and resulting benefit. The pros shall outweigh the cons.