Posted on 09/01/2002 12:17:04 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
A Green leader here called the allure of free market capitalism "sinister" and referred to economic growth as "the engine of [environmental] degradation."
Fred Edwards, a board member of Friends of the Earth Scotland, told CNSNews.com that the U.S. and Europe must "start talking less about immediate gratification and...not worship economic growth as we do."
Edwards made his comments Thursday at the "People's Earth Summit," a parallel event to the U.N.'s Summit on Sustainable Development (Earth summit).
When asked if the developing world should emulate the U.S. and western Europe's economic structure, Edwards was emphatic: "They certainly shouldn't," he said.
"The difficulty is superficially it looks so attractive, and in the short term of course it is, that is what is so sinister about neo-liberal economics," Edwards explained.
Edwards believes that growth and development was earth-friendly until about 1900.
"We are living off our natural capital," he said. "It was okay when growth was on such a slow scale, but look at what has happened in the last 100 years," he said.
Edwards would like to see the western world reduce its growth, or at the very least stabilize its standard of living. "Start at least attacking it from the edges...I would like to take a full-frontal approach," he said.
He favors "greater taxation for those who can afford it" and says he is willing to pay his part. "I can afford it, I am quite willing to pay more income tax."
Edwards praised the U.S. for it's "diversity," and he said he hoped that "soon some of that will prevail against the Bush administration."
Bjorn Lomborg, the Danish author of The Skeptical Environmentalist, dismissed Edward's comments.
"Experience tells us otherwise - most environments get better when you develop," Lomborg told CNSNews.com .
Lomborg believes that much of the Greens' concern about the Earth's natural environment has no scientific basis, and he said the developing world's poor don't have the same luxury as westerners do to worry about every possible environmental concern.
"Let's let the Third World get rich, so they can then worry about their environment," Lomborg said.
Promotion of abortion rights
The New York based Catholic Family & Human Rights Institure (CFAM) decried the "promotion of abortion rights" at the earth summit.
The controversy centers around a paragraph referring to "basic health services" in a U.N. financial aid document.
According to CFAM, the United Kingdom delegates are trying to rework the paragraph "with the particular intention of introducing abortion rights into the text."
The sticking point is that "basic health services" are presently defined in the document as services "consistent with national laws and cultural and religious values."
CFAM says the language as it currently reads is upsetting abortion rights advocates because, "They worry that any reference to national laws and customs renders it impossible to set new international norms for reproductive rights."
No one's stopping you.....asshole.
FReegards...MUD
In essence they were aiming at the same thing as capitalism, except their way didn't work.
Greenie-ism's gripe against capitalism is that the means of production exist at all. They like a centrally controlled economy, but human needs aren't on the agenda even as a rhetorical flourish.
You can't claim their way doesn't work. For what they want to accomplish it does work.
As an aside, the Euro way is somewhere in between. They claim to serve human needs and while socialism doesn't work, semi-socialism semi-works. Good enough for them.
Another example of the media giving these whackos a platform. I wish our Constitution got as much coverage.
I note these anti-capitalists like to take on the Goliath of capitalism rather than pick on someone of their own size. If only from the consideration of bureaucratic inertia Ireland or Namibia or France are easier to turn around.
Or are they only looking for their fifteen minutes?
The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.
Yep...Bread and Circuses, but don't you think most Americans feel similar to us?! We ain't nearly as STOOOOPID as the Vast, LeftWing Medyuh Whore'd reckons we are!!
FReegards...MUD
ABSOLUTELY! From another thread:
To: Gore_ War_ Vet
That pic is the first one I've seen that puts your balloon's size in perspective. Magnificent!
Yes, it is one of my favorite photos to date. If it is a photo of just the balloon and a vehicle or two, usually the vehicle gets lost.
The balloon is an incredible draw. Then, we announce that we will be giving out pocket Constitutions. It's all part of my evil plan to arm the masses with knowledge!
When we go talk to the crowds of people, we ask what balloon they are there to see. The answer is almost always, the FLAG! When the balloon takes off, there are incredible cheers and teary eyed people throughout the crowd. It has been a very powerful experience for me to see just how much people love this country. It can be tough when I'm supposed to be taking pictures and I start to lose it.
Here is a video of us getting ready to take off, and when we take off. It was a Friday night when the crowd wasn't that big. It can take a bit of time to load but is worth it. The video still doesn't do it justice though.
To all FReepers: The media doesn't get it. They think the flag has been "overdone". On the other hand, the people in this country do 'get it'. They have NOT tired of the flag because of what it stands for.
In all of the places that we went with the balloon this summer(so far), I only heard one derogatory comment about this country by a passer by that didn't wish to stop and talk to us about it.
BTW- the media hasn't figured out that they are pretty much irrelevant.
If you haven't been to the US Flag Balloon site, check it out.
Exactly...I care more about the local weatherman's report than anything Rather/Brokaw/Jennings gotta say!!
FReegards...MUD
Capitalism drives consciousness...
This guy is delusional. The late 19th Century set the stage developmentaly for all that followed. Only, now we produce much more while being more "earth-friendly".
Had the trends of the middle Industrial Revolution continued apace to this day the Earth would be a slag heap much like the Soviet Empire of the late 1970's.
I'll take even the tackiest strip mall over a gulag anyday.
Anyone who disparages the "profit-motive" simply wants human beings to suffer (and die). There is nothing noble in Socialism. There is nothing noble in environmentalism. There is only a longing to commit mass murder.
Because he and all those who subscribe to his delusion are "Luddites!"
This includes all liberal deconstructive, devaluating and degrading Demonicrats in these United States... from Clinton, Clinton, Dasshole & Gore, Inc., on down the line!!!
Our poor delirious State is over-run by these delirious Demonicrat derilicks! (CA) It's a pitiful disgrace to put it mildly. To think that a Democrat in the 1960's presided over the building of the earth's greatest 1.Freeway system, 2.Aquaduct system, 3. University system... That's the prime role of government... Roads, Water delivery and schools.
BUT... It made his son so guilty over the magnitude of success that it warped the attitude of his and every Demonicrat administration since, including that Demoncrat desperado, Davis who has destroyed future economic progress for years to come by putting the State in BONDAGE!
CA State Government and all it's political subdivisions are the only stable growth industries we will have left in "the world's 5th largest economy!" The rest of you States are going to be hurt by this in times to come... wait and see!!!
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