Unsustainable Growth

There's something odd about growth.

Certainly there are limits to growth of all kinds. Take trees, for example. Imagine what the world would be like if all trees always continued to grow. Or people. Or frogs. Beanstalks! There's a limit to all growth, not necessarily pre-determined or even consistent in reality but a limit, nonetheless.

What seems to happen naturally is growth to an extent, followed by some form of maturity or refinement, followed by obsolescence or death of some kind. Growth is a small part of the overall existence of a thing. Without some refinement at or near the peak of development, things just fall down or implode. They don't ever reach a healthy, mature stature.

I think the same growth limitations apply to societies or economies. Take the United States for example. Our economy can only grow so far without proper nurturing and refinement. At some point, there's no more room for economic growth and it's time for introspection, refinement and true progress. It's time to wonder, "What now?" Indeed, what now? Our economic growth is based on a very shaky foundation. The corporate idea, backed by our government and bought into by the senseless masses, is to keep building new things for us to buy. Most new technology seems to be geared toward that end What new gadget can be built that the people will spend their money on? In fact, all the new gadgets, machines, hi-tech gizmos, vehicles...everything...is built with a short life expectancy. We buy a thing, use it for a while, and then, when it begins to deteriorate in short order, we buy a newer better thing to replace it. The broken one? It goes to a landfill. (Oh! Landfills happen to be among those things having limited growth potential. Just imagine a world with only landfills!)

Knowing there is such a limit to the growth of our economy and society, one should question how close we are to that limit. One should wonder if we have already reached the limit of economic growth. Even now, the world is hard pressed to sustain the current population, yet that population still increases while countless millions live in unspeakable destitution. (Of course, there is a small, yet divine, minority who live in constant luxury. Those are the same people who benefit the most from continued manufacturing of…things.)

Assuming we are at or near our limit now, some form of progress or refinement must be pursued in order to remain standing. Indeed, to remain at all!

It is now time to rethink our entire system. The uncontrolled, wasteful growth we’ve undergone has run its course. It’s time for that serious introspection. It’s time to build a washing machine that will last longer than a couple of years before it makes its way to the landfill. It’s time for vehicles to be built with longevity in mind rather than presenting a ritzy, new design each year that we JUST MUST HAVE. It’s time to examine the quality of life of everyone…not just those elite few at the top of the food chain. In fact, they’re really not at the top of anything. They just have more money and more toys. Every one of them will pass away the same as the rest of us when their time comes. Nothing lasts forever.

Economic, corporate, manufacturing, political, population, waste disposal, clean water, sufficient food, energy usage, atomic power generation, oil, minerals…these are all areas which have probably reached their limits of growth in our society. It really is time to rethink everything we’re doing and put a lasting, sustainable lifestyle ahead of narrow-minded, short-sighted greed. We’re all here now and together. It would be nice to leave this place better than we found it, eh?

The people have to speak. It takes the masses to stand up to manipulative advertising and political nonsense. Don’t buy the new car, the television or the latest cellular technology. Instead, demand improvements in manufacturing, health care, environmental protection and sustained, refined progress. Our time for growth is passed and if we don’t alter our course soon, the downward plunge may take us all into a very dark place for a very long time.

Republican self-serving, selfish liars

The filth of politics in the United States is more than one can cleanse in a single lifetime. Republicans are taking a stand to maintain tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy at the expense of Social Security benefits, the poor and the needy! It makes no sense that the millions of individual, regular citizens who happen to call themselves Republicans are too blinded, foolish or just plain ignorant don't seem to be able to understand that their own party is working steadfastly against them too. It's all lies! They're all self-serving liars! I can't stand it. The Conservative base seems to be supporting their racist leaders with their votes for the lost illogical reasons. They seem to be more interested in supporting narrow-minded religious ideals, right-to-life platforms, immigration laws and corporate rights at their own expense! Why in the world would anyone keep voting in favor of the wealthy conservatives when they MUST know they're cutting off their own noses? Why indeed!? They can't all be that stupid...can they?

It's a downright pity that neither the Left nor the Right pays any heed to the other side. I get countless emails and other correspondence from the Left. What's the point? I already agree with most of the agenda. There's no dialogue between the two sides. It's the multitudes of Conservatives who need to hear and listen to the message from the Left but they're too blind and deaf to pay any attention...lest they feel manipulated. They'd rather starve to death than give in to a black President's desire to help ALL American citizens...themselves included.

Most people seem to enter politics because most of them are already wealthy and want to preserve and foster their own interests. They just don't give a rip about the American public.

We need change. Single term limits for public servants. No corporate payments or donations to those who are elected to represent the people. Government employees should not have their own brand of insurance or retirement benefits while the rest of us suffer. Outsourcing of jobs to poorer countries is a disaster. There's no longer a need for Americans to do anything but work in service industries. No more wars! Now, with the economy in the tank, fewer people can afford to even pay for those services. Our jobs have gone overseas to countries where the people are treated nearly as slaves and there is no interest in conserving the environment.

Of course, there are far too many humans on Earth. Those of us alive now can't be expected to just off ourselves to solve that problem...but we can curtail our reproduction before it's too late (if it isn't already).

It's all sickening.

Here's what I just emailed to Dave Reichert and John Boehner:

Leave my Social Security alone!

Get the Republicans to the table with a realistic attempt to resolve the budget crisis.

Stop the political games and face facts as they are. The economy is where it is because the Bush administration started two unnecessary and non winable wars, relaxed controls on the financial community, reduced taxes for the wealthy (which have NOT stimulated industry as suggested), and took the initial steps to bail out Wall Street and corporations. This was all the result of the Republicans. Taking a hard, inflexible stand now is ridiculous. Raise the debt limit, increase corporate and wealthy tax burdens, stop handing out American dollars to countless free-loading countries, get us out of the two ill-conceived wars, close corporate tax loopholes and leave our individual benefits intact! Do this for the American people and be honest about what is really the right thing to do! This talk of "smaller government" is all worn out and is just phony rhetoric.

As an aside - our country would be a lot better off without career politicians (such as yourself). We need (single) term limits and flat tax rates across the board. It makes no sense for anyone (not related) to ever cast a single vote for Republicans who are working so diligently to reduce the standard of life for so many of the "regular", tax-paying citizens of this country.