A mirrow reflection.

[jaguar]

Oh I just *have* to weigh into this one.

I'm not going to get into Darwinism here; rather, I'm just going to say that blaming the western world for all problems is silly and counter-productive.

The point is that first world lifestyles currant - are unsustainable, allot of things about it are unsustainable. Our economic model requires constant expansion, a bit like a bloated pyramid scheme (joking), and when that stops, we get into very hot water till lit all falls over enough to get back on its feet. The environmental impact is unbelievably destructive, and without major changes is going to truly fuck us up .There are about 10 listed "damocean swords", disasters waiting to happen that could knock out serious percentages of the words food production capacity, not to mention existing toxic waste sites, destruction of farmland by overfertilisation, salination of land (hug problem here, greenhouse effect (and please don't argue it doesn't exist, nearly every credible scientific body in the world agrees on this) , destruction of the worlds "carbon sinks" (Amazon etc), the list goes on and on.

As for the consumerist attitudes, that’s much more complicated. It is social conditioning to want this shit, whatever it is 9im' not saying I’m immune by a long shot), it’s a bit of a vicious cycle though. We are working longer and longer hours - for what? Overtime pay? Promotion? So we can buy a bigger house? Get the kinds the playstation 2 for Christmas? Or in my girlfriend’s father’s case, buy a $20,000 home theater to beat the neighbor’s $10,000 one (I’m not making that up - its bloody nice too, I’m not complaining , we make of the growing spiritual void in our lives with material object. Your marriage falling apart? Buy more shit, I’m privileged enough to watch this in about 5-6 friends families.

"And YES, that is harsh." Not really. You're giving yourself too much credit here. Stop trying to sound all insightful - you're not Yoda, for fuck's sake, and when you talk like that, it does nothing to help get your message across - instead, it makes you sounds like an idiot.

I would agree with that though.

I'm defending their choice to come to America and live it up.

Now you sound just as stupid....Sure, we'll just let all the third world come to the first world...that’s realistic, that’s anywhere near the truth, plehease.... In australia for example we take refugees that wash up on our shores and lock them up in camps in the middle of the desert until they go stark raving mad which we then use as an excuse to deport them. Inbetween we sing the national anthum "for those who come across the seas we've boundless plains to spare"

Don't lose the passion, Free Spirit. Just take your time to learn what's going on in the world (sweatshops included).

Next time I go to Vietnam (not going this year ) ill bring back some piccies of the Nike sweatshops..

quote:
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Originally posted by FreeYourself
A man driven by numbers and dollar signs needs just that to convince him elsewise.
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Tee hee! You're so cute when you make shit up!

I love you.

Not everything can be proved with facts, numbers, statistics you know. What statistic can there be for these things? The average love index for New York in Q3 2001? Humanity doesn't produce many statistics I’m afraid.

edit - aded a little and spellchecked so its legible, sorry juju, i usually do for the long posts