The Idioticity of Unlimited Growth and Overconsumption
In this time of the year when the chinese plastic made with iraqis blood oil toys painted in toxic chemicals hang from the flashy led lit christmas trees (that could have grown to big trees and eat up some CO2 to prolong the time global warming becomes catastrophic or be used as a carbon neutral energy source) and the children lick their corn syrup phtalate soked chemical mixed lollipops made from gene manipulated corn plants that are 50% pesticides 50% useless energy and the family gets together to eat the goose that was force fed the same gene manipulated corn full of pesticides but also sprayed and fed with antibiotics so that the bacteria and viruses can get immune to them - all happily not talking but watching the glowing tube on the other end of the room making them feel guilty that they have not bought more chinese plastic toys - at this time of the year its great to see that there are sane people out there that actually understand that the world as we know it has to come to and end and a new beginning has to look at the faults of our current past. So my christmas present this year is the following paragraph by the author of "Citizen Renaissance":
It is estimated the US economy needs to grow at 3-5% just to stop unemployment from rising. Unfortunately people don’t have insatiable needs (an annoying disagreement with neo-classical economic theory) so we need a huge industry to keep creating desires and wants – called advertising and mass-media. This advertising created consumption fixation merely locks us in to the ultimate lie that extrinsic-values satisfaction will make us happy. As all the stuff we consume does not satisfy our spiritual needs we keep consuming more and more hoping the next fix of our addiction will do the job. So it’s growth for growth’s sake. Not with any philosophical endpoint of seeking ‘good lives’ for all. Just to keep the machine going. What a dull old job politicians have given themselves. Surely a not so sophisticated computer could replace them all if that was all we wanted from politics? Clearly someone needs to pull the power on this crazy merry-go-round and think again with some vision about how we attain ‘good lives’ for all within the carrying capacity of the planet?
The carrying capacity of the planet - that is the phrase of the year. With overpopulation, destruction of natural habitats through expansion of an economic system that just wants growth instead of survival we are somewhere around the threshold of human survival on a large scale. Remember that the current economic and cultural living has only been in place for round about 100 years - a blink in the universal timescale. Look at past empires collapsing out of the blue mostly because the planet could not feed them, water them, shield them.
So when you go shopping for a goose try to get a goose that had a happy live or get a organic tofu goose. When you consider a toy for your toddler instead of giving him 10 plastic toys that will break withing a month give him one solid locally produced handmade wood toy. Don´t give away shit that you wouldn´t see any need for yourself. Don´t give away shit at all. Don´t consume for the sake of consumption. Resist the urge the bling bling and keep your wallet to your chest. Don´t make yourself buy something just to support de economy (read the paragraph above again if you are not getting it). Go to your local farmer market and buy your food there - it might be more expensive but you might also not need as much. Just WAKE THE FUCK UP before its too late for everyone including those who already woke up and see the problem and have not much to stem against it other then little words.