>
> Once again, you have cut through the BS of my thinking. On the one hand, I
> can find rational answers such as the Basic Income which I am sure will
> provide a corrective for the capitalistic system. I can also agree with
> others answers, such as WesBurt's proposals or some of the thoughts of Tom
> Walker.
>
> Then I enlarge the problem by thinking/reading of population, energy,
> resource depletion, or the book I picked up at the library today called Dark
> Grey which deals with the demographics of an aging population and how
> economics has no answer in providing a system in which we can save enough or
> tax enough for a pension system for the elderly. This morning, I read how a
> research team in California are onto what they call the immortality cell in
> which they have been able to extend the life of a fruit fly up to three
> times it's normal lifespan. A couple of days ago, I read an online book
> called Can America Survive in which the author makes a very convincing case
> that the Earth could support a sustainable population of only 5 million
> hunter/gathers and 5 million living in an industrial/technological society.
> Though we might quibble with the numbers, it seems rational to believe that
> we can't keep 6 billion mouths and assholes functioning on this small planet
> indefintely.
>
> And yes, every state is debt and almost every person on the planet is in
> debt to someone, somewhere. So what happens when a chain of non-payment
> begins? It boggles my mind. Unlike you, though, I do have some small
> comfort - death happens to us all and I chose to believe in an afterlife -
> in fact many afterlives. I guess we'll have to each die before we find out
> who is right on that belief.
>
I have the comfort of knowing that I belong to this
peculiar species called homo sapiens, and we have the
ability to become aware of our problems -
besides having a bloody good time, in the
process, in lucky circumstances - and
ingenius enough to plan for the future - in which I
have vested - normal biological as well as emotional
interest - through my children.
This is plenty enough for me to go on with -
I need no comfort, I feel lucky and special without
god - the number of coincidences to continuously
produce this individual - special to me and a few
others,- and the ability to reflect on this
amazing morsel of the universe of ours for a short while -
or even manipulate it collectively - is good enough for me,
thank you very much!
Eva
> Respectfully,
>
> Thomas Lunde
>
>
>
> ----------
> >From: "Durant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >Subject: Re: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
> >Date: Wed, Jul 7, 1999, 10:14 PM
> >
>
> > This is a utopia if based on capitalist
> > economics. (Or have I already mentioned this?)
> > Welfare capitalism was tried, and when the upswing
> > collapsed, it failed. Even the richest states are in debt,
> > even when they only spend pitifully small percentages
> > on welfare.
> >
> > Eva
> >
> >> Thomas:
> >>
> >> One of things I have always like about Galbraith is that he accepts that the
> >> poor are entitled and deserve some joy and comfort and security in their
> >> lives. Something which the majority of the moderate and overly affluent want
> >> to deny. It is as if poorness is not enough, a little suffering is good for
> >> the soul, especially if it someone elses suffering.
> >>
> >> You know, being poor is not so bad, and most of us who experience it find
> >> ways to still enjoy our lives. However, it is the constant pressure from
> >> those more fortunate that somehow if we have sex, go to a movie, have a
> >> picnic in the park we are violating our status in life. Give us a basic
> >> income and get off our back, I think would be endorsed by the majority of
> >> the poor. Allow us to have dreams for our children and we will live
> >> modestly.
> >>
> >> Respectfully,
> >>
> >> Thomas Lunde
> >>
> >> ----------
> >> >From: "S. Lerner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED],
> [EMAIL PROTECTED],
> >> [EMAIL PROTECTED]@dijkstra.uwaterloo.ca
> >> >Subject: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
> >> >Date: Tue, Jul 6, 1999, 9:52 AM
> >> >
> >>
> >> > Much to my delight, the following appeared in today's Toronto Globe and
> >> > Mail: A13 ("J.K.Galbraith, who is 90, delivered this lecture last week on
> >> > receiving an honorary doctorate from the London School of Economics. It is
> >> > reprinted from The Guardian." )
> >> >
> >> > Excerpt: "I come to two pieces of the unfinished business of the century
> >> > and millenium that have high visibility and urgency. The first is the very
> >> > large number of the very poor even in the richest of countries and notably
> >> > in the U.S.....
> >> > The answer or part of the answer is rather clear: Everybody should
> >> > be guaranteed a decent income. A rich country such as the U.S. can well
> >> > afford to keep everybody out of poverty. Some, it will be said, will seize
> >> > upon the income and won't work. So it is now with more limited welfare, as
> >> > it is called. Let us accept some resort to leisure by the poor as well as
> >> > by the rich."
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
>
