The Phoenix is part of the F-14's wepons system. It is a long-range, air-launched (not ground or ship) air intercept missile. So much for that theory or at least that particular missle.
What I find interesting about this thread is how people are reacting towards ElCubano's ideas about overconsumption. Why is everyone so hostile towards the idea of voluntary simplicity? Everyone seems to think that this is un-American to the core? I guess America has become synonymous with SUV's, strip malls, and Starbucks. Have we become one nation under the golden arches? What is un-American to me is the placement of consumption over the general good. Maybe if we didn't consume so much gasoline and oil we wouldn't have to be meddling to preserve our interests in the Middle East. Maybe if we didn't try to export our lifestyle and culture to every country in the world we wouldn't have so many fringe groups hating America at large. Many of our actions are in an effort to turn the entire world into one big customer. Now you can argue the benefits of globalization on the macro level but on the micro level things are very cut and dry. You can't sell Victoria's Secret to a woman in a burka and you can't sell MTV to the Iotola's Iran. You need to change the hearts and minds of these people if you want them to be useful to you. You must make them consumers. Restraint, be it sexual, environmental, or economic is bad for business. It is easier to live for today and let someone else pay for it tomorrow. Furthermore I am surprised that we as traders are so repulsed at this idea of simplicity. Trading is one of the most simple, low impact, lifestyles one could have. I trade from home. I make my money from ideas not by natural resources. I don't even drive more than 20 miles a week. We are in many ways outside of the 9 to 5 world. Let them have their 2 hour commutes, their overtime, their demanding bosses, deadlines, mountains of debt, credit card bills, house payments, Prozac wives and Ridilin children. I'll still be here rifting off the markets carving out my little life. That is true freedom. Think about it.
That technology will allow for more solutions as well as problems was a flaw in Malthus' theory, and that applies today as well. on the other hand, a thinking person must admit that it is debatable whether frenetic pursuit of advancement, for the sole purpose of advancement, is really beneficial from a human point of view.
"That technology will allow for more solutions as well as problems was a flaw in Malthus' theory, and that applies today as well. on the other hand, a thinking person must admit that it is debatable whether frenetic pursuit of advancement, for the sole purpose of advancement, is really beneficial from a human point of view." Do we not enjoy a better quality of life than our predecessors? Is it not a better life if the deseases that used to kill many are now greatly reduced or totally eliminated? Do we seek to cure cancer because its the "frenetic pursuit of advancement, for the sole purpose of advancement" or is the root of our desire to help our fellow man?
U seem to be missing the point....we are refering to OverConsumtion at the expense of our resources.... What is a better quality of life in your opinion?? Being able to afford a new car every year even though the old one is in perfect working condition........
How do you propose that we draw the line between consumption/overconsumption Cubano? Through legislation? When do we say, "okay, we've made enough progress now. no more new houses, cars, boats."? Doesn't the desire to better our economic condition in life whilst living in a free society virtually guarantee that investment will be continually made in ideas designed to give us what we want? now as far as all that jazz about rich getting richer, poor getting poorer, inequality, [insert-standard-leftist-rhetoric] etc etc. it is time for people to seriously start GETTING A DAMN CLUE!
Glad you could join us.....I wish I had the answers. I was only pointing to something that needs to be addressed before it is to late; It will never be fixed unfortunately. U only need ask yourself how many cars and Tv's and fancy clothes is too much. Why should our children suffer from our overconsumption?? Imagine if the World consumed at par with North America?? It would be an enviromental disaster.... Today parents need to work harder to keep up with the joneses; they spend less time with their children and more time working to pay down debt or buy the latest fashion....This is what I am trying to point out.....Are we really a happier society??? Maybe what we want is doing bad to our society and evironment; has that ever crossed your mind......... http://www.woodstock.edu/~craigl/speeches/ptk.html
Today parents need to work harder to keep up with the joneses; they spend less time with their children and more time working to pay down debt or buy the latest fashion....This is what I am trying to point out.....Are we really a happier society??? hehe, i've read almost the SAME thing from articles written in papers over a hundred years ago ( i wish i had a link or something, but just take my word.) as far as happiness goes, there seems to me to be a wholesale misunderstanding of how happiness is achieved. you are right, getting the bigger house, new car, fancy stereo, IN AND OF ITSELF does NOTHING for happiness. happiness can only be achieved by determining what one values in life, and then living in such a way as to continually satisfy those values. for me personally, there is no way i am doing what i'm doing simply to keep up with the joneses. so i hope you're not saying that we are all in the same boat. Maybe what we want is doing bad to our society and evironment; has that ever crossed your mind......... sure that's crossed my mind. bad to our society? i totally disagree. bad to our environment? yeah, i think that this is true in some cases, however it is usually wildly inflated by greenpeace types. i'm not sure exactly what problem you have with "overcomsumption" of the world's "resources". help me out here. resources such as what?
Thank you Daniel- Cubano i'm not missing the point. Perhaps i'm pointing out that the idealist state which you seek is unachievable except through regression. Who would suffer more from a decrease in consumption? The person able to afford the new car every year or the auto worker whose livelyhood is directly tied to the sales of the vehicles he produces? Where would our economy be in the last year if not for CONSUMER SPENDING? Gordian Knot isn't it? How we have digressed from the origional theme of this thread. My .02 - whether the threat from Iraq is real or 100% manufactured, the fact remains that there is a substantial part of the world's population that hate America, her people, and our way of life. I don't buy into the argument that the reason there is so much hatered of America is because we are trying to export our way of life to every corner of the world and turn everyone into a customer. What a defeatist attitude. Rather I believe that it is spurred on by envy of our way of life and the freedoms we enjoy. Yes, I for one would be much happier travelling across the vast wastelands of the middle east on a camel dressed in rags than to go to the mall with my beautiful wife in my new SUV. Not to mention the fear of democracy that the ruling class has in almost every Islamic country in the Middle East. If their countries were to become democratic, the sheiks and princes and Husseins of the world would lose their abilty to plunder their own country's wealth. Thus you have sposorship for terrorism throughout the Middle East if not directly than at least tacitly. So the problem soes not soley rest with Iran / Iraq but the entire region. This may very well be all about oil and $ and power but ya know what - control of oil in the wrong hands is just another wepon of terrorisim. And yes this may be the start of WWIII but would YOU as Americans rather live in fear of what some camel jockey may or may attack or do what is necessary to protect the sovereign interests of this country?