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Kaare: OK, you did a nice job in explaining why you do not respect Michio any longer. What can I say. Power (and money) corrupts, they say. I would not know, as I have little of either. I suppose we all have our disappointments in Michio. Yours stems from the incident you mentioned. If the conversation you related is accurate (and I have no reason to believe it is not), it shows his arrogance. Still, I am most disappointed in his agreeing to lend his name, and undoubtedly accept profits from, a company which sells food that is supposed to be "macrobiotic" which is really disguised junk food (he calls it 'perfect food for an imperfect world'). This is what needles me. I went to him many years ago, when I was quite ill (in the early 80's), and he told me to stay away from junk food like that. Now his company is selling it, and worse, misrepresenting that it is good, wholesome macrobiotic food. I happened to think that this is a more powerful statement of what he is (now) about, than an isolated conversation he had with you and a few others (who knows, maybe he had too much sake that night, and his talk was the ramblings of a drunk guru). But lending his name to what he clearly knows is something not truly macrobiotic, for the money, recognition, and/or power.....this is well thought out, not an isolated conversation, and it is frankly very telling. Would I have done it? Maybe, I too would rationalize, as he must have (e.g., It will spread macrobiotics quicker this way, reach more people, and I will use my cut of the profits to do good with the Harold foundation), but I would hope I have more scruples than this. I do not think George Ohsawa would have done this. He would have told the corporation people who approached him on this to go to hell. My opinion is also more unbiased than yours. Regardless of what you say, you and Michio are both teachers in the same area, both writers of books and articles on the same subject, etc. Sort of like two professors in the same department. A little rivalry there, although you will vehemently deny this. I, on the other hand, do not write, do not formally teach, etc., so my remarks are more pure, if you will. In short, I am so very disappointed that Micio is selling parboiled rice and salad dressing as 'perfect macrobiotic food' when he KNOWS it is not. Since I was not privy to the conversation you related, and conversations are subject to interpretation, etc. my basis of disappointment is not the same as yours. But when you combine the two basis's of disappointment, they should form the basis for concern. But apparantly they do not, because his organization is growing larger and stronger, I have heard. With respect to his company, I sometimes feel like the person pointing to the emperor who wears no clothes, and who no one listens to (ref. the parable), because no one seems to give a damn. So, I think maybe I am being to harsh with my opinion, and this is the wave of the future, to sell out to the big corporations, for the fast buck, the recognition, and the power. I hope not. Harold |