There is a movie being shown to kids in school telling them basically to stop shopping and hate capitalism. There is so much propaganda in it, its silly. This version I am linking contains a critique of the movie so its a little bit longer but it shows you where all the propaganda is. Its 4 parts, but its worth watching. <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c5uJgG05xUY&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c5uJgG05xUY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zZzHU3ZfTtY&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zZzHU3ZfTtY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AgLrZc7cws8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AgLrZc7cws8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8XeW5ilk-9Y&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8XeW5ilk-9Y&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>
Why can't glenn beck viewers die? Do you have enough gray matter to understand that when something is presented with only one point of view, you get slanted conclusions? Our justice system requires both prosecution and defense teams to present their cases, cross examine each other's withnesses and have access to evidence to prevent any "surprises" Glenn Beck gets millions to trash Obama. It is not in his interest to be fair, he engages in all kinds of straw man arguments, red herrings arguments, taking things out of context and flat out lying. Today's program was an attempt to make Valerie Jarrett into a monster. There is no bigger douchebag on TV than glenn beck. It is tragic that this idiot's book is a best seller. He is our Rasputin
So what you're saying is that we can never impact the environment, even when every Chinese and Indian citizen lives like the average American. Peil, there's a difference between economic freedoms and economic and environmental realities. Up to now, we have barely felt the affects of our freedom to consume. Eventually, either we 1) create a new economic system that doesn't rely on unsustainable permagrowth, or 2) fight like hell with the world and accept that there will be significant dieoff and the remaining survivors live as they wish. My view is that significant dieoff this century is unavoidable. I'm talking billions.
If that woman is so worried about the environment, why doesnt she become a farmer, build a house out of mud bricks and wear only clothing made from natural fibers(and be sure that the clothing was never put on a truck or gas using vehicle because that would hurt the environment.)
Do you understand what exponential growth is? Well, to find out when something that consistently grows doubles, you divide the growth rate by 70 (the logarithmic number). Thus, if pension plans need their investments to continually grow by 8% per year, they need to double every 8.75. EVERY 8.75 YEARS - forever! That's called parabolic growth. According to Bernanke, our economy needs to grow 2.5% just to keep up with people entering the labor force. That means our economy needs to double every 28 YEARS - FOREVER. Let's hit the fast forward button, and lets look at a petri dish full of a bacteria. The dish is a closed system, right? Well, that bacteria will grow exponentially until it dies off - massively, all at once. We are the only species on this finite planet that has an economic system of excessive consumption and population that relies on exponential growth. The more successful we are with feeding people and growing crops, guess what? THE MORE PEOPLE WE HAVE TO FEED IN THE FUTURE. The more successful we are with "building things" so people can have jobs, and people can buy stuff - the more we use up resources and pollute the environment. It's unavoidable. We are on a crash course. Much of the developing world wants to live like us. That's even worse than population growth in third world villages because they barely use up resources. Dieoff, in this century is unavoidable. I laud this video you posted, but the reality is... it's too late anyway. No economic system takes into consideration the fact that resources get depleted and environments get permanently affected thru "economic growth." All economic systems can accomplish is to decide who invests, who owns, and how resources get allocated. So, yeah, you make a lot of money? Buy that hummer or that yacht - you are free to do so. But you know what else? There is a long term cost. And the liberal expression "we don't own the land, we borrow it from our children" is not as hokey as it seems when you look at the realities of what's going on. Peil - your arguments are centered on freedom to consume. I can understand that. But the reality is, no species on earth has that freedom to consume and procreate without consequences. So be honest with yourself and ask yourself, what ultimately happens to something that grows parabolic?
The more successful we are with feeding people and growing crops, guess what? THE MORE PEOPLE WE HAVE TO FEED IN THE FUTURE. That was the premise of your argument and its not true.
How so? Are you saying the earth can support an unlimited amount of people? Does the truth scare you so that your mind shuts down with cognitive dissonance? Don't worry, your not alone. The truth is so obvious, the consequences so tragic, that 99% of people reach their intellectual limits when they look at the math. Only so many resources can support a certain population. And a certain amount of pollution restricts a population. Overshoot is always followed by dieoff. That includes ALL species, from bacteria to primates.
The conspiracy theorists would love to get you. If you really want to learn something then read about economic geography.
Majority people live in cities for the first time ever. You are assuming that people in the world will continue to breed like rabbits (I am talking about the developing world) that is far from guaranteed. As you transition from rural to urban settings you need fewer children and when you stop working on a farm, children seize to be an economic asset and become an economic liability (that is not a suggestion to think of children in purely financial terms just stating the facts). Besides, there is a difference between having a varied diet and "starving" you don't need to have an american variety of food to sustain your life.