Weekend Watching - The Story of Stuff
Posted August 15th, 2008 by Michael Nystrom
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We are a tremendously diverse group of people here at the Daily Paul. What I love the most is having access to, and being able to read everyone's unique opinions and perspectives. I learn a tremendous amount from all of you, and I have truly been blessed with this site. As Dr. Paul says, freedom brings us together, it doesn't divide us.
Earlier this week a friend of mine showed me a video that I want to share with you. It is called,
It runs about 20 minutes (the perfect length for a slow Friday at work!) and examines the "materials economy" in depth. Yeah, the "materials economy" -- you know, how raw materials get from the earth to the factory, to the store and into your hands, then back to the earth again as garbage.
It is fascinating tale. If you have time, please watch it and share whatever comes to mind, especially regarding how this fits into our freedom movement. Thank you! I'm looking forward to the interesting ideas.
Michael
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The philosophy of this video is everything the Revolution
is supposed to be fighting against. This is the villification of business production, private property in resources, job creation, and consumption, and the glorification of government: "it's the government's job to take care of us," she says. As supporters of Dr. Paul's economic philosophy, and at least some of us are, we should be doing the opposite, praising production and consumption and attacking governent. Business knows more of how to "take care of us," than government.
If anyone here is unfamiliar with the classic socialist exploitation theory capitalism, all you have to do is watch this video. The theory is that resources, which socialists believe should be considered owned in common, are privately owned so that the capitalist can force people to work for a wage or starve and exploit them through that. And they way this capitalist conspiracy keeps this running is by convincing the working class to buy things they don't need. So they're forever trapped in the system of capitalist exploitation. This is video is pure socialist propaganda garbage.
If you like the kind of rhetoric represented by this video, you're probably a socialist and didn't even know it. Now you know.
Where did she push for public ownership?
All this lady is doing is informing individuals about the global corporate economic system we have. Why is that so hard for you to understand?? If RP was president don't you realize the crutch that it would put on that system??
No she's not.
She's speaking against good things: Private ownership of natural resources, wage labor, and consumption - which is what drives production. These things are essential aspects of capitalism that are natural without any government intervention.
When you speak of "corporate economic system," I assume you mean a corporatIST economic system. At no time does she speak against corporatism, which is government and business partnership. She is favor of more government. And no, we do not have corporatist system. We have a mixed world economy, as well as mixed national economy weighted toward capitalism. Mixed economies have aspects of capitalism, and aspects of socialism or corporatism. To say it's purely corporatist or purely capitalist would be a mistake. But she only attacks the capitalist aspects.
She doesn't explicitly advocate public ownership, but socialists typically don't advocate that anymore except for things like water resources and some land. Instead what they do is criticize private ownership but advocate wealth redistribution, a welfare state, a living wage, socialized healthcare, etc, to compensate for private ownership. Look at the foundation behind the video, and you'll see that's exactly what they're in favor of. Look whose behind the video: The Tides Foundation. http://www.tides.org/ They're socialist. Look at their mission statement: It says their mission is to promote "economic justice," which is a socialist concept, and "robust democratic processes," which socialist-speak for the collectivists taking control supressing the economic freedom of the indvidual and his business. Here is more info on the Tides foundation: http://www.discoverthenet...
Okay,
but these philanthropists don't realize that they are doing more harm than good. Before RP's message, I probably would have agreed with the Tides Foundation agenda. I still think that the video is a good video to help inform people about where their stuff comes from and maybe even persuade them not to waste so much.
Furthermore, I do not like institutions such as the IMF, WTO, and World Bank who create contracts that literallt steal the resources from third world countries. I think it is unfair and I believe Dr. Paul agrees since he always argues to do away with these institutions. If we are going to have a global economic system, it needs to be a fair system.
Free Markets Always Work.
Free Markets Always Work. The only alternative to capitalism is fascism, communism or socialism or some mixed up form of them.
Annie presents some valid points about current market trends but starts out with a false premise. She says “it’s the government’s job to take care of us, to look out for us. That’s their job”
Many of the problems she presented are as a result of government regulations and a lack of free markets.
It is not the government’s job to take care of us. The governments job it to protect people’s liberty and their ability to trade freely.
As a result of individuals like Annie government organizations like the Federal Organization of Consumer Protection is created. http://www.cpsc.gov/ Organizations like this lead to the federal imposition of most of the “toxins” that are placed on products that she speaks against.
Annie’s main cry is against the toxins placed on goods. Chemicals cost money and corporations do not want to spend more money than necessary to get a product to market. Most all flame retardants applied to natural products are applied as a result of federal government regulations imposed by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and are not a breakdown of Capitalism/ The problems are a result of the Government like the New Federal Mattress Standard. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscp...
By chemically treating what we sleep on ‘the government will prevent “270 deaths and 1,330 injuries every year.” As a result, the government will expose 300 million to carcinogens to save 270 who may fall asleep in bed with a cigarette.
Even if one in the free market wanted to produce a 100% cotton chemical free mattress they couldn’t. The government is the problem not capitalism. Items in their natural state are meant to burn. So in government’s zeal to protect someone from falling asleep with a cigarette in their mouth, they create agencies that require chemicals to be placed in products.
The fight is against the fascist elements in government and not the free markets. As Ron Paul Points out in Has Capitalism Failed? We do not have a free market and we do not have capitalism. If we did these and many problems would not be allowed to exist.http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul42.html .
The fight is against government regulation forcing chemicals into goods. Many of the other problems have to do with how the media manipulates buying habits. The media is powerful enough now that they effectively lobby and through legislation bar and other companies from entering into the national mainstream market. This is fascism not capitalism. We need new media. In order to get more media we need free markets to eliminate the government regulation barriers to entry. We have to eliminate the fascism.
We need more competition. More choices in the marketplace. Less barriers to entry.
Many large corporations have contributed some of the greatest medical and technological advances to improve the lifespan and standard of living of mankind. Mankind had virtually to same standard of living and same technology for 5000 years. Then starting in to 1700’s when free markets and liberty entered the scene , mans creative genius was unleashed. Mankind took a 5000 year leap: from the horse and buggy to commercial jet liners, from bloodletting to heart transplants; from the quill and ink to the mainframe computer. These are a result of mans desire to achieve greatness.
We need as many companies as possible to enter into the market place. It
One common fallacy presented is regarding extractions. The tree cry is false. Most trees consumed in the US are from tree farms (i.e. planted pines) from companies like IP , Rayonier etc. These pines are planted and harvested like crops. Resources are recyclable and renewable.
She states 1/3 of the worlds resource space is gone.
She says the US has 5% of the population but we are using 30% of the worlds resources. Does she mean resources that have been brought to market? Are these resources we produce that are sustainable?
Planned obsolescence. The market solution is for a new company to produce a produce that does not quickly become obsolescent. Maybe we go back to recycling glass bottles?
Also, no one is being forced to purchase any of the products mentioned. They are only being purchased because the individual desired to voluntarily trade their money for it. All the market has to do is to educate and refuse to buy from one manufacturer and purchase from another. By placing market demands corporation will be forces to react to the desire of the market place.
As Ron Paul states from the article cited above: “It is now commonplace and politically correct to blame what is referred to as the excesses of capitalism for the economic problems we face, and especially for the Wall Street fraud that dominates the business news. Politicians are having a field day with demagogue the issue while, of course, failing to address the fraud and deceit found in the budgetary shenanigans of the federal government – for which they are directly responsible. Instead, it gives the Keynesian crowd that run the show a chance to attack free markets and ignore the issue of sound money. “
It is as a result of capitalism that mans greatness is achieved and accomplishment is obtained. The only way these problems will be solved is by technology and invention. Not more government regulation and not an attack on corporations. Corporations must be held accountable to honesty and fair dealings. There is no room in capitalism for fraud, fascism (lobbying for government regulations to create a competitive advantage), or any form of dishonesty. Those items are handled against the individuals committing these acts and not a law to limit free markets.
Re: Free Markets Always Work
Excellently done Republican Libetry! Thanks for your hard work.
A mute point..
The lady in the short said to ask Grandma how little her generation consumed....well, Grandma was a product of the (1st) Great Depression. Since alot of the DP'ers think we're headed that way again, all this consumption should be over with, pretty soon, by the sounds of it. Sadly, problem solved?
You have it backwards
Freedom does not entail responsibility, rather it is responsibility that requires freedom.
It is no accident that the words "right" as in a liberty and "right" as in correct or the opposite of wrong are one and the same word. It is because you have the responsibility to defend yourself that it is only "right" that you should have the "liberty" to keep and bear arms. It is because you have the responsibility to feed, clothe, and shelter yourself and those in your charge (children, dependents, spouse) that it is only "right" that you should have the "liberty" to acquire, own, use, and dispose of the fruits of your labor. (aka property)
It is "right" that you have these "liberties" among others precisely because of your responsibilities, otherwise it would be impossible for you to fulfill them. Your "rights" exist because of your very nature which creates responsibilities for you. If they aren't YOUR responsibilities, then they must fall to someone else, and thus it would only be "right" for that individual to have whatever sovereignty necessary to carry out the responsibility to care for and defend you.
Since your "rights" stem from your nature, they are inalienable. They cannot be taken away. But you can fail to exercise them. However in doing so, you turn over responsibility for your own welfare to others. And you might not like how they go about looking after you.
We get the government we deserve. Self-Government isn't about electing representatives, it's about governing our own behavior. If we fail to do so, and shirk our responsibilities then we will become wards of the state.
The current danger is that so many people do not understand this basic concept of responsibility that we will all soon be treated as wards of the state rather than it being a more selective process - martial law.
I think that with freedom comes responsibility.
To quote The Earth Organization, "None Survive Alone," so we don't survive just as ourselves - our own, our families', our groups' and mankind's survival are all dependent upon each other. The Golden Rule certainly applies here. DP is one group we belong to. How good would it be for our survival if DP didn't survive? How good would it be for DP if we didn't survive? Therefore our responsibility extends beyond ourselves and must embrace other areas of life in order for us to be free. I think that's why we are in the Ron Paul Revolution and this online community. I think the Daily Paul has drawn to it's fold the most intelligent, articulate, and responsible people in our society. I consider it a national treasure, and hope I get to meet you all in Minn.
If you believed The Story of Stuff................
Would you believe this too? Test yourself. Video 3.5 min.
http://video.google.com/v...
Your link points
to a video about bottled water that is over 12 minutes. Not sure where your going with this. I'm sure some bottled water does not come from some pure spring source, although it seems to taste better than typical tap water.
Stuff
This lady gets it wrong on who pays for her $4.00 radio for one, in the end she does,or at least most do, pay many times over through interest on credit to buy this piece of junk in the first place, it's a gift that keeps on taking long after the item is trashed.
If the green folks get thier way, billions of people will die of starvation because of related jobs lost, if the greenies loose then billions die from abuse of resources and chemical contamination, but the global bankers will aquire all of the wealth left behind and thrive either way.
Have our times changed so much since John Ruskin wrote "when we build,let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such a work as our descendants will thank us for; and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, "See! This our father did for us."
We are all doomed if we fail to find some common ground, no pun intended.
she also
Starts the video out with a statement that "it's the government's job to take care of us". It's the government's job to ensure that we can take care of ourselves, we have to be careful how we look at the government. They should only be maintaining a level playing field for the free markets and the free people, not "take care of us". That surely is socialism or worse.
"It is the responsibility of the patriot to protect his country from its government."
— Thomas Paine
alright just
Saw the part about computer processors which is litterally ridiculous. She makes the point that if you could change the processor each year computers would never need to be replaced. Being a network admin this is as crazy as it gets. Alot more changes in a computer from generation to generation than the processor. Much of that is addtional transistors being added as technology avances, power consumption is also reduced as these circuits become smaller, bus speeds change, memory structure changes. In addition many things that software used to run through the main processor are instead assigned to dedicated hardware devices. Many motherboards now come with video, sounds, and networking built into the boards which was not the case years ago. Moore's law suggests that technology increases at an exponetional level and yes this could lead to more waste as things are obsolete at a faster level although virtualization could slow that down a little, however Moore's law is not set in stone either. Virtualization allows many operating systems to run on one hardware platform or many operation systems across multiple hardware platforms united by a spread hardware layer. Less hardware will lead to less waste and power consumption. I just wanted to point out that there is alot more to the case than just computer manufacturers forcing people to buy new computers although there is some of that out there. If anyone wants to check virtualization out head over to vmware.com or Microsoft hyper-v which I think are currently in a war to deliver more free products. You could run a windows desktop with many other types of virtual machines or even better a stripped down Linux desktop (low resource consumption) with windows as a vm. With computers it becomes clear that centralization brings rigidity, and decentralizion brings flexibility. The move was always towards centralizing everything for easy management. At this point I think there has been a shift towards flexibility and efficiency, hopefully this will be reflected in our society as well.
"It is the responsibility of the patriot to protect his country from its government."
— Thomas Paine
Content aside
perhaps it was the interface that we should be looking at. It was fun to watch . The presentation was engaging because it seemed personal, the graphics were simple, but added to overall understanding and the chance for interactive use as an option added interest. Hmmmmm.....what a great educational tool for liberty!
_____________________________
*What you don't know CAN hurt you.*
The problem with these Green
The problem with these Green people is that they are fighting the wrong battle. They blame everything on Capitalism and Free Markets but they have never really learned about either other than what they think they've learned over the years growing up in Suburbia and being born American.
The battle they should be fighting against is Corporatism, Fascism, and Socialism because these are the real evils of the planet and human race--just look at China. China is the perfect example of a country that has cleaned up its act since putting their tippy toe in the Capitalist pool. Anybody that's been to Shanghai 25 years or so ago and has gone there very recently can relate to what I'm saying.
The Green people see Capitalism through the perverted lens of Time magazine and the other pro-Corporatist magazines that Americans read. They only know one side of the story and that's the story that they've been force fed.
Anyway, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The confused leftists are waking up! They are realizing that Free Market theories are much better than their own; that the American dream has been manipulated and perverted and what they thought was evil American Capitalism was really a big lie. People like Naomi Wolf, Cindy Sheenan, and many leftist sites are starting to change their tune. It's almost like they're jealous of our movement because our revolution is truly American and doesn't have any hidden agendas.
Our agenda is quite clear and that agenda is at the foundation of this once great country. The leftist foundations are built on empty promises and a history so unAmerican that it even turns off most people in their own movement. Their foundation is built on a black hole....
there are no
free markets in a fiat currency system.
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Exactly
I'm glad others on this board see how our consumption problem is related to the Federal Reserve banking system....abolish the Fed and so many problems would....just.....go away.
To paraphrase myself from another thread...
Another thing that liberals sometimes need is a very brief lesson about money creation; about how the first time in their adult lives that they get a credit card or a loan from the bank, that they have not just "borrowed" money that already existed in the bank, but rather they just provided the bank or credit company with brand new money, and that that new asset will be used as collateral to go find more people to get in perpetual debt. Explain to them that this same thing is happening all over the country (and the world), and is weakening the value of all previously existing "money" (including that in their wallet).
That should help.
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http://www.dvds4delegates.com
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."
~Ambrose Redmoon
This video is socialist propaganda!
First, I do appreciate the post, because it is something to be debated. I can always count on DailyPaul for a great debate.
There are so many problems with this video that I can't list them all. And I don't have the time to rewatch it and mark them down, piece by piece. Here are some complaints:
1. It's the government's job to look out for us and take care of us? Seriously? This intro statement should be enough to get the ridicule and scorn of DP readers everywhere.
2. A. Markets are NOT to blame for environmental destruction overseas or at home. Example: China does what it does because of the trade off value it sees. They destroy the environment because they value the industrialization. It's a trade off. They sell the health of their land for industrial prosperity. It's a way of showing what they value more. Markets are simply the MECHANISM to accomplish this, they're not the cause. People's desires are the cause... and they ain't going away soon.
B. Capitalism saves environments! You've got to make sure there are more trees around if you're in the paper or lumber industry... otherwise you're soon to go out of business! China killed it's panda's under communism, now they're saving them in their move towards capitalism... because they're cute and we all want to pay money to see them, feed them, and hold them! The Pandas, that is, not necessarily the Chinese people.
3. We could better spend the money on education, healthcare, or justice? I don't want the government to spend any of my money! It's MINE. They only justice i want from big brother is for them to enforce my right to contract.
4. Toxic chemicals? Yes, we use lots of them. Water, H2O, is toxic... in large enough quantities. She demonizes "synthetic" chemicals as though they're Lucifer's spawn.... I wonder if she's ever taken ANY medicine... which are synthetic chemicals. Give me a break.
5. Consumption is the core of the economy? Such a Keynesian load of bull! Savings and investment define the economy. Production, innovation, and technology are the paramount ends to the economy, not consumption.
6. Extraction = natural resource exploitation? What the hell does that mean? I guess we are exploiting the hell out of the Japanese... and they're exploiting the hell out of us. Yet somehow, we all want more of it!
7. Every time in history, from Mesopotamia, to the Roman Empire, to the Industrial era: People FLOCK to cities! Life on the farm is miserable! They'll do anything to get away from it. This isn't an advent of industrialization, but of differential wealth potentials. There's more money to be made in a city, a higher standard of living. That's why farmers become factory workers, and not the other way around. Industrialization was the first time it became remotely feasible for a peasant to stay on the farm, rather than come to the city, because the technology made his lives easier. They don't leave "environments that have sustained them" to the "slums;" they leave the misery of rural poverty for the chance are more wealth in the city. Not to mention, childhood death rates in rural, poor areas are astronomical compared to cities, just as life spans are much smalerl in the countryside.
8. BFRS? I think this woman is more toxic to the brain than BFRs ever could be. I guess tonight I'll sleep on a pile of straw... even though I'm highly allergic and would die... it's better than the BFRs which prevent my pillow from catching fire.
9. She thinks government is looking out for us? Wow. She's been brainwashed by the Statists.
10. Externalized costs? A reality... but it occurs because of government fiat! Stop forcing business to pay for healthcare, and then there's no problem. The "externalized cost" is just the sum of the opportunity costs of all the components. Get a grip on free market economics, woman!
She treats people as though they're machines with no free will. They make us shop, so they make us work, so they make us tired and miserable, so they make us shop, etc. I am forced to buy new shoes to remain in style. etc.
I don't know about you, but I can make up my own mind. I'm an ardent conservationist, but these sort of environmental wakkos just want to control you. It's another excuse for Statism.
Comments
Comments on a few of your points:
#2A. If you're saying markets are not to blame, but peoples' choices are, then how do you define a market system as anything other than a system of choice? I get what you are trying to say, but try selling it to a liberal, it won't work (perhaps unless discussed within the sphere of a more wide ranging discussion on money creation and the Fed, etc.)
#4. Even the most benign synthetic chemicals are almost always worse for you than any natural equivalent they are trying to replicate. As for toxic pollutants, their is reason we are getting nowhere near to
our calculated life expectancy of 113 years is because of the massive consumption needed to prop up our fractional reserve banking system and the resulting increase in negative health factors associated with it. It's fine to say it's someone's choice to live however they want as long as they are not harming anyone else, but when that choice degrades the air, water and soil that we all count on for life, then that is a very poor choice indeed if you ask me. There must be a system in place that protects private property while also nipping in the bud any local pollution of our common resources. The key is protection of common property rights at the local level before the pollution has a chance to become an issue on a larger scale.
#5. I think she was actually trying to make your same point in a roundabout way, by pointing out that consumption was receiving the golden arrow undeservedly. She just doesn't realize why the system is skewed, thanks to her lack of understanding of fractional reserve banking and the false loads it puts on consumption.
Overall I agree with your assessments, and I do want to thank Michael for posting this and sparking another great debate!
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http://www.dvds4delegates.com
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."
~Ambrose Redmoon
VERY well said!
VERY well said!
Concur
I concur sir. i would like to add that the part in the movie in reference to computers is pure and utter bullshit. When new computers are sold there is MORE than just the microprocessor that is upgraded. The film made it seem like you could run to the store and just swap the microprocessor. This is far from true often times. It is true that not all or even a majority of the components of a newer computer are that technologically different. It is true that you can upgrade older computers by just installing more memory or a faster microprocessor. However, most of the time faster buses, controllers, interfaces, memory, microprocessor, cache, level 2 cache, etc are included on the newer motherboard. Alot of times newer hardware technologies both on the motherboard, peripherals, and devices are included. The negative nanny acted like every time you buy a new computer you are just buying a new microprocessor. Try waiting 3 years and see if that's possible...lol
The theme of the movie was ok i mean we could consume less but like always it spent very little time on solutions. it even said that recycling isn't going to work. Well there are many products that can be recycled where by you could literally reuse 100 percent of something for damn near forever. You can melt things down quite easily and reuse it. Granted you might need to add additional ingredients but it sure is damn better then just throwing the crap into a land fill.
Web Developer
www.writetoredress.com
Take Back Your Country!
Normandie, you said it best,
I agree totally with your response... but we as liberty loving, Ron Paul die hards, free market believers and entrepreneurs still have to face this pacific garbage patch monster and do something about it.
We consumers created it, directly or indirectly. If we don't take responsibility for this thing, at least within our household, will our grandchildren be able to go surfing and snorkling?
Please google "great pacific garbage patch", learn about what is causing it, and tell everyone about it, the damned thing is growing out of control as we speak.
This socialist lady has an agenda, you point out very clearly where she is off, but she is alerting people about a huge, escalating mega-problem. Just like Naomi Wolf, a liberal Obama supporter (AAARGH!! puke! barf) is alerting those willing to listen about the police state monster growing around us. I wish one of us would have done this 'stuff story' and written about the 'end of America', but we didn't, these big government socialists did. Go figure... my head is spinning. I think I'll go pick up trash in the woods :o(
See you all in Minneapolis in 2 weeks!!
If it is to be, it is up to WE!!
Yanomano
In an anthropology class, I learned that most indigenous people spend maybe 3 hours a day, on average, working at their hunting and gathering. Talk about leisure time!
No wonder that when Bush 41 spoke about the NWO, he contrasted the rule of law to the law of the jungle. The lifestyle of living in the jungle does not support corporate american bullshit.
Penn and Teller and Environmental BS
http://video.google.com/v...
life is about ...life!
I agree with Scott. and I am also a technogeek, I don't think That I will move my talents elsewhere however.......enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/wa...
Ken
" the important thing is to never stop questioning, curiousity, has it's own reason for existing..
Albert Einstien
Holy hegemony batman!
If we stop being the worlds largest consumer of goods, what will become of the federal reserve notes. Well robin, I'm afraid it will lose it's role as the world's reserve currency. What does that mean batman? If the federal reserve does not preserve it's monopoly on paper currency it will lose it's power to control the people of the world. Control the people of the world? .........The Joker! That right robin. The joker the penguin the riddler and the devil himself. This is big batman! It's the biggest scam of all time Robin. Do the people know whats going on Batman. Not many do, but things are changing.
google: pacific garbage patch and CRY...
This 'stuff story' maybe anti-capitalist propaganda and I don't know what to think of this lady, but she is passionate and trying to do something about much that concerns me as well.
Being a sailor and a 'wannabe' surfer with a love for the ocean, every time I think of the "great pacific garbage patch" (google it!) I feel like crying like a helpless baby. Check out this monster:
http://www.independent.co...
This monstrous problem transcends any political philosophy, from marxist to anarchist, this is a huge problem that we are all contributing to and each individual should do something about it... without the government's "help".
This is some of what I do: don't buy cheap crap I don't need, ride my bicycle as much as possible, under-eat (you live longer;o), pick up trash in the woods and along the roads, recycle always, brainwash my kids about all of the above.
And slave labor pisses me off... watch "Bordertown"!!.
Damn it Michael! now you started something big!!! ;o)
If it is to be, it is up to WE!!
google: pacific garbage patch and CRY...
oops, sorry, double posted
I could only stand a few
I could only stand a few minutes of that crap.
"Stuff", as in material and energy flow, is exactly what the universe is about the business of doing.
Those statistics are neurotic as the premises of the enviro-nuts that buy it. I could rant for pages, but here's just one for-instance...
America uses ~30% of resources but is only ~5% of the population, IIRC.
Fine. Give your excess share of fuels, materials, intellectual property and other "stuff" to those ignorant 3rd world peoples that wouldn't have a clue what to do with crude oil or a computer.
Worse still, not only do the enviro-nuts want to throttle our prosperity (production and consumption), they want to nip the production and consumption of the 3rd world before they can even begin.
Its the industrial revolution that allowed the human population to explode. Its culture and medical technology that enables people to control their birth rates. Enviro-nuts, by default, advocate human death.
I got news for them - India and China aren't buying in to it. That's why a few months back the Europeans and Americans blew-off the climate-change BS. Green energy is relatively expensive energy, and will render America economically non-competitive, sick and poor.
And by-the-way, there is only so much money - economics is the "science of scarcity". If you make America poor, you hurt worse the poor and unborn, since there won't be money for their healthcare. Not to mention the 3rd world foriegn aid. But again, the environmentalists really hate poor 3rd world people. They want to see them dying of disease and 1/2 of them in infant mortality.
But those fools get control of America through Obama or whomever, I am one technologist who will flee to a country that appreciates production, prosperity and "stuff", and leave the neurotic enviro-nuts to sickness and death in the cold and hot, dry and humid, vicious natural habitat intelligent tool-making man has fought for tens of thousands of years to make into a comparative paradise.
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POLITICS, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage. - Bierce
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Totally Agree
Great response.
Good call on the "science of scarcity."
Your post reminds me of an Ayn Rand quotation, which I cannot find at the moment, but went something like this: The Arabs steal OUR oil (referring to the 1970's nationalization of American oil). They sat with it under their soil for thousands of years and could do anything with it until American ingenuity came along..."Today you’re supposed to apologize to every naked savage anywhere on the globe because you’re more prosperous, because you’ve earned your money you have to feel guilty and apologize for it while he hasn’t and doesn’t intend to learn from you; he just wants your money."
This quote of yours is
This quote of yours is EXACTLY what they are teaching our children in schools, as we speak.
So much good camoflages the evil.............
Most well intended environmentalists have no idea that their movement has already killed off millions of people in third world nations.
They (the environmentalists) were prewarned that the elimination of freon would result in the deaths of millions of people because they could not afford the transfer from freon to RC134 for refridgeration. This did not matter, because they said the bogus issue of global warming was more important. They did it anyway.
They were prewarned that the elimination of DDT would kill off millions through, mainly, malaria. They did not care, they said it was a carcinogen and had to be delt with. Still today, it has never been proven to be a carcinogen.
Don't worry. Their gonna now save us all with agenda 21.
Free Market Environmentalism: A reconciliation.
5 parts.
http://uk.youtube.com/wat...
WAHOR!!
http://www.dailypaul.com/...
Thank you.
rhino - genius. I've been looking for this.
Thankyou.
Michael
Pay attention to part 3
Don't blame consumerism.
Can we blame Zionist?
Or are we left only with the luxury to blame neo-cons like you?
behaviorism
we are all skinnarian rats.
- until we turn off the t.v.
I Repeat............
Don't be blinded into only seeing one side of the Story of Stuff.
It only tells one side of the story. To more fully understand environmentalism you need to know about both sides. Environmentalism is being used as a mechanism to further the agenda of the NWO
This link explains:
http://www.dailypaul.com/...
what a perfectly honest look at america
thanks michael. i will be sharing this with the school system
~peace
So you're going to help indoctrinate kids
to be anti-capitalists. Thanks a lot.
i have a child
she has this stuff. her grandma buys it for her. when her stuff is over a year old, her grandma buys her a new one. this video is a chance to look at the reality of what it is she thinks she needs.
~peace
Realize
that the guy who started this website created this post. So if HE thinks this info is worth taking a look at, then you shouldn't be too quick to dismiss it.
I think he has
some basic things to learn about individualism, liberty and capitalism. He appears to have come to Dr. Paul from the left end of the spectrum. I'm glad he posted the video, so we can debate about it. This is how people learn. This video is a prime example of classic socialist propaganda. We need to be on the guard against this type of thing.
And where do you stand.NEO CON RIGHT?
By the way the person who you speak of has handed your proverbial ass to you on many occasions and has allowed you to remain here as an example of how to deal with such scum as yourself.
Thanks for the help in being the practice target for Constitutional Freedom living patriots to hone their skills on.
Perspectives
Hm, I don't think I agree with your take on the video, but I can see how you might come to view it in that way. Like everything we read/watch/hear about, this film goes through one's own personal filters for interpretation.
Depending on one's own filters, this could, I suppose, be viewed as socialist propaganda. I don't see it that way at all, though. I do see it as a warning that as long as we are a part of the Must Consume machine, our eyes are off the true target of where our attentions should be, and consequently, we add to the sheeple mentality, if even unwittingly.
I watched this video some time ago, and what mostly struck me is the proposition that we are ingrained almost from birth to consume, consume, consume. That "Must Consume" attitude leaves us always wanting, never satisfied, ever whining for entitlements in one way or another. Craving "new" simply because something is "new" is as stupid as craving "change" for the sake of "change" -- it doesn't answer a legitimate need, nor does it address true underlying issues.
There's nothing wrong with capitalism (yea, Capitalism!!). What is dangerous, however -- and what is precisely wished upon a softened, Must Consume populace by those who would want to wield power over them -- is when consuming usurps the place of freedom, family and self-education (and religious faith, if that's in your personal equation). When a populace has no time to pursue liberty, educate themselves in freedom, or to spend time building strong relationships with their family (and with their God), but, it DOES have time for Oprah, People magazine, keeping up with the latest fashions, watching ESPN and buying every new widget that hits the market (because, well, you can), it is proof positive that the Must Consume mindset serves as shackles to our very freedoms.
This mindset gets us to focus on things, and things never, ever bring lasting happiness. Which is why there's always that need to get more things. And on and on: it's the market of unfulfillment.
Liberty to all; and with liberty, wise judgment. We should indeed be free to do whatever we want, so long as we don't harm another. But, just because you are free to do something (consume without end, drive without seat belts, shoot up heroin) doesn't mean it's the smart thing to do.
On the matter of "stuff," we would be wise to recognize the dangers inherent, not in the free market or capitalism itself, but in our response to it.
Wonderfully put. Thank you.
Wonderfully put. Thank you.
Seriously...
Who are YOU to tell people that they should consume less? Why can't we simply praise the fact that people have the LIBERTY to consume? So what if someone wants to keep up with the latest fashions? I'm one of them. I shop at Sak's, Neiman Marcus, etc. I buy expensive clothing, not only because it looks good, but because it's well designed and well made. I resent you telling me that I shouldn't consume so much. It's my consumption that helps creates jobs in the 3rd world, jobs that people desperately need to bring themselves out of poverty. There is nothing at all wrong with consumption. We are on this Earth to live it up and consume to our heart's delight. Let's do it. In a market system, a person can't consume unless he produces. Because he produces, he can consume. He's not draining the world of resources. He has produced goods and services that other people value, in order that he may purchase things to consume. You're buying in to the anti-capitalist propaganda. You may say you support capitalism, but propaganda like this is chipping away at your support of capitalism. Don't let it. The premise that there is something WRONG with large amounts of consumption, I flat-out reject.