tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post7265031064104654568..comments2024-03-22T05:20:44.167-07:00Comments on The Disaffected Lib: Dying On the EdgesThe Mound of Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-71533306440435621792018-05-26T21:31:11.146-07:002018-05-26T21:31:11.146-07:00Mound--I like your lifeboat analogy. I would just...Mound--I like your lifeboat analogy. I would just add a bit where a tiny minority of the most influential passengers (those living in the West) are continuing to live as if they were in their first class cabins back on the ship while the large majority of the rest of the passengers are angry that such luxuries were not afforded to them and now obviously never will be.<br /><br />Thanks to the (American dominated) Western media, the ideal as pictured not only for American citizens but for people in much of the rest of the world is a suburban or urban upper middle class lifestyle. Yes, this lie called the American Dream is being forever flogged by the neoliberals, but I'll bet 99% or more of Americans view it as the birthright. Even most Millennial Bernie Sanders supporters are not so much angry about the mindless consumerism of previous generations as they are that the ability to live that kind of life is being denied to THEM.<br /><br />A lot of liberal/leftist commentators who reject this messaging understand what is happening, but what they seem to fail to recognize is just how powerful the beast really is and just how receptive their fellow citizens are to its message. And it sure doesn't help having many of the leading voices raising the alarm about climate change like Al Gore living in gigantic mansions and traveling around the world in private jets.<br /><br />I'm not saying any of this as a criticism. I grew up in the 70s at a time when environmental activism was at its peak in terms of its effectiveness in curtailing the excess of corporate America (Earth Day used to be a really big deal--we even learned about it in grade school). Since then, I've watched in sadness and horror as even the environmental movement has been co-opted by the big corporations. The Green Party even neutered itself for the "sin" of costing Gore the 2000 election when it was the Clinton administration's godawful environmental record that finally breathed some life into it via Nader's campaign and led many of its supporters to believe that Gore had sold them out for power--which <br />he did.<br /><br />Anyway--great post. It's particularly galling to know what the answer is yet recognize how few people have any interest in hearing it. Karl Kolchaknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-1869223124225459342018-05-26T19:26:12.298-07:002018-05-26T19:26:12.298-07:00The thing is Trail Blazer, we're eating our ow...<br />The thing is Trail Blazer, we're eating our own. Some may a convincing argument that we, the developed nations, are taking all that's ours, taking what we can pilfer from lesser nations, stealing from nature and other species - plant and animal - and, worst of all, stealing from our children and theirs. When you look at the numbers I gave for gross population, GDP and GWP, it's difficult to argue with those aforementioned views. We have a choice. Either we find a way to live in relative harmony with the remainder of life on Earth or we die. Yes, poorer and more vulnerable humans in equatorial, tropical and southern hemisphere regions may go first but we'll follow in due course. At this point, those who insist on pursuing growth for the sake of growth are merely adding names to the butcher's bill.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-85287072764588850922018-05-26T18:13:28.752-07:002018-05-26T18:13:28.752-07:00Unfortunately the growing populations come with gr...Unfortunately the growing populations come with growing expectations.<br />The expectations, as I can see it, come more from those that have little but see the west as inspirational.<br />The western world encourages inspiration and growth but when those with less , often because of famine,strife, or politically induced conditions, reach out for more or equal opportunity, they are castigated as freeloaders and their country of origin are cut off from the world wide markets that would enable themselves be more self sufficient.<br /><br />TB <br /> Trailblazerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03436709163754934547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-84376057106788069242018-05-26T14:20:41.188-07:002018-05-26T14:20:41.188-07:00It's when you begin putting together the numbe...<br />It's when you begin putting together the numbers - gross population, GDP, GWP - over the span of the past century or two - and the early onset impacts we're already seeing that the measure of our predicament, the need for wholesale change and the alternative of refusing that essential change become inescapable.<br /><br />We are at the edge now and neoliberalism holds us hostage in this unlivable place. Stepford wife Liberals, Stepford wife Conservatives and Stepford wife New Dems can't get their heads around the reality of where their party's neoliberal politics have brought us. Yet here we are.<br />The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-55337616197421676812018-05-26T13:55:41.448-07:002018-05-26T13:55:41.448-07:00Mound, you bring back memories of Buckminster Full...Mound, you bring back memories of Buckminster Fuller and his <i>Spaceship Earth</i>. Fuller was talking about this stuff 50 years ago. He likened the earth's resources to a car battery, necessary to start the engine but we only get to use it once. If we don't get Spaceship Earth started we're sunk. <br /><br />As someone else asked, with all that we need oil for why are we burning it? <br /><br />I have this vision of Easter Island priests persuading islanders that they need to keep building statues for the good of the country, that there is no other way to save them. Besides, the statues bring jobs, jobs, jobs. Tobynoreply@blogger.com