THE US WAY OF LIFE IS NOT NEGOTIABLE!

[Subdivisions]

Even if it means murdering innocent people, destroying ecosystems, starting and maintaining wars in order to steal others' oil, and continuing to pump harmful gases into the atomosphere.

Business as usual at all costs!!!

[quinnox]

1. It does seem that way

There are a lot of US citizens who appear to be spoiled brats in their luxurious lifestyle and as long as they have a wonderful deluxe life that is all they care about, screw what it might cost to the environment!

It is the height of selfishness.

[Winterblues]

2. USA...USA...USA...

:shrug:

[Echo In Light]

3. .

[el_bryanto]

4. Well - yeah. We learned that when Reagen beat Carter

If you promise the American people that under your presidency (or term in congress or whatever), life will get harder, opportunities will close, the standard of living will decline, and so on - you aren't going to get many votes (not that Carter actually did that, but he was percieved as having done that, for his realistic talk on the energy crisis).

Bryant

[Subdivisions]

5. Imagine if we had learned to live as President Carter suggested we should. But,

it's too late now.

[el_bryanto]

6. well - there's always techonological innovation

Hard to predict - but it could make things more sustainable.

Bryant

[eleny]

13. In fact I did follow some of his suggestions....

Put on the sweater and turned down the thermostat, got rid of my credit card, drove sparingly - in general I conserved the way my folks always preached.

And you know what? Life was still very good. A little frugality and thinking before we did stuff to choose wisely we were able to achieve some things like paying our mortgage off early. Save a little here and there and it adds up. Plus it's good for the environment.

:hi:

[ejpoeta]

7. well that's what we're good at. sad thing, some seem to be proud of that.

[robertpaulsen]

8. Hmm...where have I heard that before?

Oh yeah...



"The American way of life is non-negotiable".

But why? Let Dick explain:

For the world as a whole, oil companies are expected to keep finding and developing enough oil to offset our seventy one million plus barrel a day of oil depletion, but also to meet new demand. By some estimates there will be an average of two per cent annual growth in global oil demand over the years ahead along with conservatively a three per cent natural decline in production from existing reserves. That means by 2010 we will need on the order of an additional fifty million barrels a day. So where is the oil going to come from?

snip

Oil is unique in that it is so strategic in nature. We are not talking about soapflakes or leisurewear here. Energy is truly fundamental to the world’s economy. The Gulf War was a reflection of that reality. The degree of government involvement also makes oil a unique commodity. This is true in both the overwhelming control of oil resources by national oil companies and governments as well as in the consuming nations where oil products are heavily taxed and regulated.

Essentially, the petroleum industry deals with extreme risk and with billions of dollars on the line. Oil is produced in distant lands as a result of huge risk and enormous capital outlays, it is transported over vast distances, refined in expensive refineries with very heavy outlays required to protect the environment and to comply with strict and expensive regulations, distributed through a wide network of pipelines, trucks and wholesale outlets and sold at stations in prime locations and taxed heavily.

It is the basic, fundamental building block of the world’s economy. It is unlike any other commodity.

http://www.energybulletin.net/node/559


There you have it. Our way of life, infinite growth, is predicated on a finite resource, oil. Doesn't seem like there's much room for negotiation in that equation, is there?

[tedk_355]

9. The sad reality

[polly7]

10. It doesn't have to be business as usual at all costs.

If enoough people care, organize, figure out ways to do things differently, it doesn't have to be.

[G_j]

11. I'm sure there are people

right here, who agree w/ that.

[virgogal]

12. We are a young nation. Give us time.

[eleny]

14. It's a sad day

[cali]

15. oh for fuck's sake

[Nikki Stone1]

16. It's already being compromised

That's just a war slogan.


When wages remain flat (adjusted for inflation) for over 20 years while prices skyrocket and the number of billionaires increases, you have a definitely compromised way of life. When the "financial crisis" is over, this nation may be unrecognizable.