THE WAY WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING
(Post D of classwarfare.blogspot.com)
by R. Geiger
One may wonder if homo sapiens is the most intelligent species. I wonder if man is the only animal intelligent enough to engineer its own extinction.
1. Responsibility and Accountability
(Post D of classwarfare.blogspot.com)
by R. Geiger
One may wonder if homo sapiens is the most intelligent species. I wonder if man is the only animal intelligent enough to engineer its own extinction.
1. Responsibility and Accountability
Someone told me about a book by Guy McPherson that postulates that human extinction is now inevitable due to the advanced stages of global warming. I have not read the book but I have been trying to figure out who or what is responsible for the present condition of the world. I confess that I have not been the most responsible caretaker of the Earth. I tend to leave lights turned on as I go from room to room at night. I don't drive an electric car nor do I plan ahead so as to decrease the number of automobile shopping trips I need to take.
To change my behavior would be inconvenient and perhaps uncomfortable. But, what if I knew, with 100% certainty, that my failure to change would result in a slightly accelerated rate of extinction of the human race? Would my age make a difference in how I would react to that news? If I knew I was destined to be one of the last human survivors, rather than dying prior to the final end, would I try harder to make human life last a little longer? If I had young children, would making positive changes be any easier? If I worked for a large corporation, would my viewpoint be completely different? If I were impoverished, would I be as indifferent to the future of the human race as I would be if I were a millionaire? If I were convinced that human extinction is simply a matter of time, would I do anything differently?
I cared about the environment, social justice, etc. thirty years ago. Why do I seem to feel more concerned now? Thirty years ago the Monarch butterfly population in North America had not decreased by 90% (http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2014/02/plight-of-monarch-butterfly.html). The bee population was not dramatically decreasing at that time due to neonicotinoid pesticides (mvgazette.com/news/2014/02/20/risky-business-herbicides?k=vg53ac72eb33464). The earth had less carbon in the atmosphere, more glacial and polar ice at that time and less frequent violent storms. There were fewer cases of lung cancer, obesity and diabetes. There were fewer millionaires and billionaires. There were also about 2.5 billion fewer people in the world.
Since then, there seems to have been a shift in general perception. In 1984 we did not seem to look at everything in terms of economics. Today, it seems that anything that creates, contributes to or results in economic growth is seen as intrinsically good. I understand there is a book called The End of Growth that presents the idea that the world has exhausted its growth potential. I am not sure why but that concept seems completely believable rather than surprising.
In 1984 values like natural beauty, basic human rights, the common good, an end to poverty, a less polluted environment and human health seemed to have a higher priority. Today, these seem to be relegated to the proverbial back burner. They still matter, but financial prosperity matters more. In 1984, a world population of four billion seemed like a serious issue. Today, people don't even seem to flinch at seven billion and growing. I suspect that greater numbers of people are now seen as more potential consumers/customers in need of more goods and services which translates to increased profits for the Upper Class. It seems to me that more people aspire to, admire, and/or bow to the Upper Class these days. There are many more rich and powerful people than there were and they are richer and more influential than they were thirty years ago.
The deference to the wealthy has crept from the Corporate World to the Government and to many of my fellow citizens. That deference is directly related to the absence of accountability that I perceive to be permeating our society. What do I mean by accountability and why does it matter?
Let's take the example of an automobile accident involving two moving vehicles. It is determined that one driver was driving carelessly. If the careless driver denies responsibility for the accident and fails to make restitution for the damage done to the other car, the other driver may choose to hold the careless driver accountable. If the other driver does not press the issue the careless driver may never be forced to be accountable for the accident.
Accountability is related to responsibility. Whatever a person causes to happen as a result of an action or decision, is something for which that person is responsible. Whether the person willingly accepts responsibility on a verbal level, an intellectual level, an emotional level, or not at all, is a different question. If a person denies responsibility, someone else may choose to force or call the denier to be accountable. If this does not happen, the denier may never choose to accept responsibility.
To accept responsibility on an emotional level is probably helpful for personal growth. To be held accountable by another or others may be necessary before an irresponsible person willingly accepts personal responsibility.
Is forgiveness related to accepting responsibility for wrong doing? It is possible and desirable to forgive oneself for wrong doing. But one cannot forgive oneself until one accepts personal responsibility for the wrong doing.
It may be possible to forgive another for wrong doing without the wrong doer accepting personal responsibility. To forgive in that instance, without calling the wrong doer to account, may appeal to the passive side of the forgiver's human nature. It is not, however, in the best interest of the wrong doer nor is the passive approach in the best interest of the Common Good. People who refuse to accept responsibility for the negative effects of their actions and decisions tend to continue to have negative impacts on others. The same is true of corporations.
Once upon a time a large corporation was formed for the purpose of mass producing an artificial sweetener, Saccharine, later discovered to cause cancer in rodents. The corporation continued to produce and sell the suspected carcinogen. They subsequently developed and produced PCBs and Agent Orange. They also use market Acceleron, a seed treatment that can contain neonicotinoid pesticides. Not once have they accepted responsibility for the negative effects of any of these synthetic chemicals. Nor has the corporation been held accountable by the U.S. government. Now they are producing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's) for food production and spending millions to deny people the right to know which foods contain the GMOs. This is one example of what can happen when people and corporations are not held accountable for the negative effects of their actions and decisions.
2. The Road to Extinction
There are two related factors, which, taken together, may result in the extinction of human life as we know it. The first factor is the value system I call Materialism which has insinuated itself into American society and most of the rest of the world. For an explanation of Materialism refer to www.savingrepublic.blogspot.com, Section D. The second factor is a lack of accountability by large corporations.
If bees become extinct or diminished to the point where there are not enough left for all the agricultural crops that need to be pollinated by bees, it will be a very serious problem. The result could be widespread food shortages and higher food prices. Research suggests that bee colony collapses are due to exposure of the bees to neonicotinoid pesticides. These pesticides are sold by Syngenta, Bayer, and Monsanto. For more information on the research and these companies' campaign to discredit the research, check out http://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/93/f0/f/4656/FollowTheHoneyReport.pdf. Besides being used in agriculture, these bee-toxic pesticides are applied to garden plants and garden seeds sold in retail stores.
If the companies that produce and market pesticides containing neonicotinoids were to act responsibly toward the environment and American citizens, they would willingly stop producing and selling products containing these chemicals. Instead, they prefer to continue making billions of dollars from selling their bee-killer chemicals. If, in the event that bees become extinct as an effect of these pesticides, the owners and employers of the companies that produce, market, and distribute these pesticides should have to take the place of the bees by hand pollinating the food crops of this country under the supervision of migrant farm workers. If that would be an actual consequence, neonicotinoids would disappear from the American marketplace in very short order.
As it is, these people will face no consequences. The dead bees can't sue them. By the time the government decides to act, the bees will probably already be gone. The Federal government often sides with large corporations like Monsanto. Perhaps the most effective way to hold these corporations accountable is for consumers to boycott their products.
Perhaps more to the point, is it worth it? Boycotting products can mean inconvenience, delayed gratification, cranky kids, going the extra mile, possibly aggravating your boss (if you work for a large corporation or a politician).
How many people are going to stand with you (other than me, of course)? We can't count on people who work for large corporations. As Upton Sinclair wrote, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on him not understanding it." Politicians are often dependent on large corporations for campaign contributions. So we can't depend on them nor on the government employees who answer to them. Many in the Upper Class work for large corporations or own large corporation stock. But that still leaves a potential of millions of people who own/work for small businesses as well as the unemployed and the non-Upper class retired population to boycott irresponsible large corporations.
If you choose to join the struggle, go to www.lowerclasstruth.blogspot.com, Post G. Boycott these.
Those of us who care must stick together and act together for the sake of the Common Good. The very survival of the human race as we know it depends on us.
If you feel so moved, I encourage you to make copies of this article and share them with others.
If bees become extinct or diminished to the point where there are not enough left for all the agricultural crops that need to be pollinated by bees, it will be a very serious problem. The result could be widespread food shortages and higher food prices. Research suggests that bee colony collapses are due to exposure of the bees to neonicotinoid pesticides. These pesticides are sold by Syngenta, Bayer, and Monsanto. For more information on the research and these companies' campaign to discredit the research, check out http://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/93/f0/f/4656/FollowTheHoneyReport.pdf. Besides being used in agriculture, these bee-toxic pesticides are applied to garden plants and garden seeds sold in retail stores.
If the companies that produce and market pesticides containing neonicotinoids were to act responsibly toward the environment and American citizens, they would willingly stop producing and selling products containing these chemicals. Instead, they prefer to continue making billions of dollars from selling their bee-killer chemicals. If, in the event that bees become extinct as an effect of these pesticides, the owners and employers of the companies that produce, market, and distribute these pesticides should have to take the place of the bees by hand pollinating the food crops of this country under the supervision of migrant farm workers. If that would be an actual consequence, neonicotinoids would disappear from the American marketplace in very short order.
As it is, these people will face no consequences. The dead bees can't sue them. By the time the government decides to act, the bees will probably already be gone. The Federal government often sides with large corporations like Monsanto. Perhaps the most effective way to hold these corporations accountable is for consumers to boycott their products.
3. Boycotting
I haven't heard of any corporations stepping up and admitting responsibility for the damage resulting from anti-biotic resistant super pathogens, Rodeo Roundup resistant super weeds, pesticide-resistant super insect pests nor the disappearing Monarch butterflies. Are we willing to boycott the products of socially/environmentally irresponsible companies?Perhaps more to the point, is it worth it? Boycotting products can mean inconvenience, delayed gratification, cranky kids, going the extra mile, possibly aggravating your boss (if you work for a large corporation or a politician).
How many people are going to stand with you (other than me, of course)? We can't count on people who work for large corporations. As Upton Sinclair wrote, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on him not understanding it." Politicians are often dependent on large corporations for campaign contributions. So we can't depend on them nor on the government employees who answer to them. Many in the Upper Class work for large corporations or own large corporation stock. But that still leaves a potential of millions of people who own/work for small businesses as well as the unemployed and the non-Upper class retired population to boycott irresponsible large corporations.
If you choose to join the struggle, go to www.lowerclasstruth.blogspot.com, Post G. Boycott these.
Those of us who care must stick together and act together for the sake of the Common Good. The very survival of the human race as we know it depends on us.
If you feel so moved, I encourage you to make copies of this article and share them with others.
