Whether or not the global economy is good, it must become good to accomplish
all that must be done.
You have that backward. If we begin to do all that must be done, this will improve the economy and create jobs. Good, purposeful, rewarding jobs. Also we will save tons of money after the projects are complete.
Plus we will bankrupt our worst enemies, who are -- at this moment -- frantically trying to use oil wealth to buy nuclear weapons on the black market, to kill millions of us. And they will do it if they can -- don't kid yourself about that.
Of course cold fusion will accomplish all of this at virtually no cost, but if we must use conventional technology, the sooner we get on with it, the better.
We are running out of runway. Who's for cutting the throttle and hitting
the brakes?
I am! Emphatically. I understand little about economics, but I do not favor breakneck expansion of industrial output despite the consequences; or Americans eating ever-increasing amounts of food; or SUVs the size of Mack Trucks. (I have been in all-you-can-eat restaurants along I-85 lately, and I have noticed how obese Americans eat. These people shovel down 2 to 3 times more than I eat in a whole day! I would throw up if I ate that much!)
As I said in chapter 21 of my book, I have nothing against materialism and I would never say that poor people who want automobiles and nice houses should not have them, but on the other hand mindless consumption satisfies no one -- and hurts many people and other species. We are "running out of runway" because we have paved over an obscene amount of land, instead of using telecommuting. We are stressed out because we work too hard. People in the first world should chill out, and spend more time sitting on the lawn, drinking wine and listening to Mozart.
And it would help if the top 0.5% of the U.S. population would stop hogging half the wealth. There are no material shortages or serious limits. Our only problems are waste, greed and stupidity.
- Jed
