Comments on: Nine Billion Little Feet on the Highway of the Damned http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:51:44 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kathleene Parker http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14909 Kathleene Parker Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:00:17 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14909 To Karl, who calls this a negative depiction of humanity, get real! We're the only species endowed with the intellect and the means to limit our own numbers so that we and our progeny can continue--if that's our choice--to live in dignity and with plenty on the beautiful blue planet, Earth, as far as we know the ONLY planet in the universe with human life on it! Assumedly, when God told us to be plentiful and multiply, He assumed we weren't nitwits too stupid to realize when the mission had been accomplished. And for any who need perspective on the situation, including perspective on who are the environmental gorillas on the block, I offer this bit of info from the U. N.: To 2050, just 8 nations will contribute one-half of ALL GROWTH ON THE PLANET (emphasis mine). They are India, Pakistan, Nigeria, THE UNITED STATES (emphasis mine), China, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (IN THAT ORDER!) Little wonder we're a nation unable to come to grips with education, health care, infrastructure, social issues, gridlock or environmental challenges in the face of such growth, most from a corporate-sponsored, mostly immigration-driven population tsunami designed to keep the elites supplied with lots of plentiful cheap labor even as that pathetic excuse of a president of ours cuts U. S. funds to international family planning. To Karl, who calls this a negative depiction of humanity, get real! We’re the only species endowed with the intellect and the means to limit our own numbers so that we and our progeny can continue–if that’s our choice–to live in dignity and with plenty on the beautiful blue planet, Earth, as far as we know the ONLY planet in the universe with human life on it! Assumedly, when God told us to be plentiful and multiply, He assumed we weren’t nitwits too stupid to realize when the mission had been accomplished. And for any who need perspective on the situation, including perspective on who are the environmental gorillas on the block, I offer this bit of info from the U. N.: To 2050, just 8 nations will contribute one-half of ALL GROWTH ON THE PLANET (emphasis mine). They are India, Pakistan, Nigeria, THE UNITED STATES (emphasis mine), China, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (IN THAT ORDER!) Little wonder we’re a nation unable to come to grips with education, health care, infrastructure, social issues, gridlock or environmental challenges in the face of such growth, most from a corporate-sponsored, mostly immigration-driven population tsunami designed to keep the elites supplied with lots of plentiful cheap labor even as that pathetic excuse of a president of ours cuts U. S. funds to international family planning.

]]> By: Lloyd Guccione http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14523 Lloyd Guccione Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:42:03 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14523 Well, I looked into the mirror just now and found that some old bloke with narled nails in a far-a-way balmy clime had been in my mind/brain and been contributing to the mess there. Yeah, yep! What's a fella to do? I didn't forget youth, I didn't forget what it felt like to be innocent, ideal, and (yes!) romantic in that mad El Ingenuiso Hidalgo Don ... what's his name. (?) What suffering that good old man Mr. Bageant indures, what with those narled nails piercing his feet. Yes, he does rightly bear/bare (show to all) his cross; and it is a cross multiple, so don't fret, disparage as dribble, flatter as insight, or do anything other than prepare youself. You and, yes, I are in line waiting to either mount the slope, the steps to the people's rasor (nature), and hug tight the rough hewn and splintered wood of the myriad crosses that will mark the paths, fields, and mountains of the earth. Fathom "Xui Xui." Youth and Impotence, loss of hope, vulgar and mind-numbing fucking (vs. the more theraputic type) for release from boredom and loss. Hmm? And to what end? The end upon a beautiful cold morn with two sharp reports... one to the head and the other to the heart. And as the echoes of these reports bounce and fade off the distant hills a quiet and beauty returns to the earth... coming as all to that blackness at the end of a video... not unlike our current sense of life itself. Best regards to all; and to all regards, Lloyd G. Well, I looked into the mirror just now and found that some old bloke with narled nails in a far-a-way balmy clime had been in my mind/brain and been contributing to the mess there. Yeah, yep! What’s a fella to do? I didn’t forget youth, I didn’t forget what it felt like to be innocent, ideal, and (yes!) romantic in that mad El Ingenuiso Hidalgo Don … what’s his name. (?)
What suffering that good old man Mr. Bageant indures, what with those narled nails piercing his feet. Yes, he does rightly bear/bare (show to all) his cross; and it is a cross multiple, so don’t fret, disparage as dribble, flatter as insight, or do anything other than prepare youself. You and, yes, I are in line waiting to either mount the slope, the steps to the people’s rasor (nature), and hug tight the rough hewn and splintered wood of the myriad crosses that will mark the paths, fields, and mountains of the earth.
Fathom “Xui Xui.” Youth and Impotence, loss of hope, vulgar and mind-numbing fucking (vs. the more theraputic type) for release from boredom and loss. Hmm? And to what end? The end upon a beautiful cold morn with two sharp reports… one to the head and the other to the heart. And as the echoes of these reports bounce and fade off the distant hills a quiet and beauty returns to the earth… coming as all to that blackness at the end of a video… not unlike our current sense of life itself.
Best regards to all; and to all regards, Lloyd G.

]]> By: Hue Longer http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14258 Hue Longer Sun, 10 Feb 2008 08:58:51 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14258 lol Lloyd, You read Davies link but didn't read this paper? try this link out... http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/ lol Lloyd,

You read Davies link but didn’t read this paper? try this link out… http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/

]]> By: HR http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14247 HR Sun, 10 Feb 2008 02:01:16 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14247 My my, my. The rationalizations presented here by those who feel threatened by what Joe Bageant wrote are so damned predictable. It's the same crap responses I have heard for over 40 years from those yuppie types who prefer self-imposed ignorance to facing reality. When I read the naysaying responses to an article which basically restates the obvious, for the millionth, or billionth, time, I cannot help but stereotype the commenters as part of the pseudo middle class crowd that bleats contentedly as surveillance cameras are installed, as REAL ID is imposed, and as the Bill of Rights is trashed, along with the rest of the Constitution. Give the rest of us a break, please, and, while you're at it, actually check the prices on the food you buy, and other staples, compared to a year or two ago, and then think about what caused that. There are plenty of right-wing lie-sites whose readers will happily lap up YOUR drivel. My my, my. The rationalizations presented here by those who feel threatened by what Joe Bageant wrote are so damned predictable. It’s the same crap responses I have heard for over 40 years from those yuppie types who prefer self-imposed ignorance to facing reality. When I read the naysaying responses to an article which basically restates the obvious, for the millionth, or billionth, time, I cannot help but stereotype the commenters as part of the pseudo middle class crowd that bleats contentedly as surveillance cameras are installed, as REAL ID is imposed, and as the Bill of Rights is trashed, along with the rest of the Constitution. Give the rest of us a break, please, and, while you’re at it, actually check the prices on the food you buy, and other staples, compared to a year or two ago, and then think about what caused that. There are plenty of right-wing lie-sites whose readers will happily lap up YOUR drivel.

]]> By: Barbara Stiner http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14221 Barbara Stiner Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:47:28 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14221 Messrs. Davies and Rowsey obviously did not read Monbiot carefully. What he actually wrote: "While human population growth is one of the factors that could contribute to a global food deficit, it is not the most urgent. None of this means that we should forget about it. Even if there were no environmental pressures caused by population growth, we should still support the measures required to tackle it: universal sex education, universal access to contraceptives, better schooling and opportunities for poor women. Stabilising or even reducing the human population would ameliorate almost all environmental impacts. But to suggest, as many of my correspondents do, that population growth is largely responsible for the ecological crisis is to blame the poor for the excesses of the rich." Which is, in a different wording, not far off from what Joe Bageant said, namely that it is up to the rich - us here reading this column - to take action. But cuttting back on one's own consumption might hurt, thus the protest. And if reading Joe's rant was an emotional upset it must have hit home, great! Messrs. Davies and Rowsey obviously did not read Monbiot carefully. What he actually wrote:

“While human population growth is one of the factors that could contribute to a global food deficit, it is not the most urgent.

None of this means that we should forget about it. Even if there were no environmental pressures caused by population growth, we should still support the measures required to tackle it: universal sex education, universal access to contraceptives, better schooling and opportunities for poor women. Stabilising or even reducing the human population would ameliorate almost all environmental impacts. But to suggest, as many of my correspondents do, that population growth is largely responsible for the ecological crisis is to blame the poor for the excesses of the rich.”

Which is, in a different wording, not far off from what Joe Bageant said, namely that it is up to the rich – us here reading this column – to take action.

But cuttting back on one’s own consumption might hurt, thus the protest.
And if reading Joe’s rant was an emotional upset it must have hit home, great!

]]> By: Lloyd Rowsey http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14210 Lloyd Rowsey Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:21:31 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14210 Thanks for the monbiot link, Davies. I had not read the "shocking pile of drivel," and after reading the Monbiot, I'm sure I won't. Pari passu, I don't feel that this visit to Dissident Voice has been, net, an emotional upset and waste of time. Thanks for the monbiot link, Davies. I had not read the “shocking pile of drivel,” and after reading the Monbiot, I’m sure I won’t. Pari passu, I don’t feel that this visit to Dissident Voice has been, net, an emotional upset and waste of time.

]]> By: Gloria http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14199 Gloria Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:55:50 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14199 Great stuff. I remember the leftist stance in the 60s on Malthus, even while birth control, abortion and such were being touted for middle class white women, and the thought of "forcing" third world people to control their populations was anathema to the left. The earth simply cannot sustain uncontrolled growth of any kind. We are shitting in our own nests with no conscious ability to control it, while reproduction and consumerism are being pushed for the satisfaction of the masses. In the US, the theme has become, "If I can afford it, I should have it." The selfishness of nations is what causes war. We see this in Iraq (for the oil) and we have seen it in the form of colonialism and imperialism, as well as corrupt governments. Would some latte drinking boomer who benefits from these excesses tell me why I should buy products from other countries that require tons of energy to get to me, and which rob the people of that country in the form of inequitable trade? That those products could be feeding the citizens of that country? We should be thinking locally, all over the world which probably would probably be the end of a lot of thieving capitalists but which would benefit a lot of those whose labors and resources produced the capitalists' wealth. Great stuff. I remember the leftist stance in the 60s on Malthus, even while birth control, abortion and such were being touted for middle class white women, and the thought of “forcing” third world people to control their populations was anathema to the left.

The earth simply cannot sustain uncontrolled growth of any kind. We are shitting in our own nests with no conscious ability to control it, while reproduction and consumerism are being pushed for the satisfaction of the masses. In the US, the theme has become, “If I can afford it, I should have it.” The selfishness of nations is what causes war. We see this in Iraq (for the oil) and we have seen it in the form of colonialism and imperialism, as well as corrupt governments.

Would some latte drinking boomer who benefits from these excesses tell me why I should buy products from other countries that require tons of energy to get to me, and which rob the people of that country in the form of inequitable trade? That those products could be feeding the citizens of that country? We should be thinking locally, all over the world which probably would probably be the end of a lot of thieving capitalists but which would benefit a lot of those whose labors and resources produced the capitalists’ wealth.

]]> By: Daryl Davies http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14192 Daryl Davies Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:33:34 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14192 What a shocking pile of drivel. I would write out a rebuttal but I think George Monbiot has done it better. http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2008/01/29/population-bombs/ What a shocking pile of drivel.

I would write out a rebuttal but I think George Monbiot has done it better.

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2008/01/29/population-bombs/

]]> By: Edward Campbell. http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14168 Edward Campbell. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:25:23 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14168 Mr Bageant: Great stuff!, and straight from the heart and (head.) Where your 'democracy of the heart' is mentioned; this mirrors a line from the poet Robt Burns. "...The heart is aye the part that makes us right or wrong...". Readers who do not have multiple twinges of heart and conscious will remain amongst the damned. Once again; Great stuff! Edward Campbell. Mr Bageant: Great stuff!, and straight from the heart and (head.)

Where your ‘democracy of the heart’ is mentioned; this mirrors a line from
the poet Robt Burns. “…The heart is aye the part that makes us right or wrong…”.

Readers who do not have multiple twinges of heart and conscious will remain amongst the damned.

Once again; Great stuff! Edward Campbell.

]]> By: Thomas Victor http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14163 Thomas Victor Thu, 07 Feb 2008 20:38:33 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14163 Another thing to ponder is that India and China are on the rise, it is claimed, because they have more young people than the aging West and Japan! Another thing to ponder is that India and China are on the rise, it is claimed, because they have more young people than the aging West and Japan!

]]> By: Karl Schipul http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14152 Karl Schipul Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:45:46 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14152 This article is perhaps the most negative article of humanity ever written since Thomas Hobbes and Hegel. People have been on this earth for at least 100,000 years, with less education, less technology, shorter lifespans, more violence, more religious fanaticism, yet, the world never came to an end, and things managed to improve on an almost constant basis. If Fred Flintstone can survive the earth, its a sure bet that George Jetson can too. But unlike the socialists, fascists and Thomas Hobbes, at least it recognizes that a big, powerful government and centralized power will not make the problems go away. This article is perhaps the most negative article of humanity ever written since Thomas Hobbes and Hegel. People have been on this earth for at least 100,000 years, with less education, less technology, shorter lifespans, more violence, more religious fanaticism, yet, the world never came to an end, and things managed to improve on an almost constant basis.

If Fred Flintstone can survive the earth, its a sure bet that George Jetson can too.

But unlike the socialists, fascists and Thomas Hobbes, at least it recognizes that a big, powerful government and centralized power will not make the problems go away.

]]> By: John Halle http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14146 John Halle Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:35:41 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/nine-billion-little-feet-on-the-highway-of-the-damned/#comment-14146 Articles like this make me glad that I bothered to learn how to read. Thanks, again, for putting in the thought and time and energy, "Bro". John Articles like this make me glad that I bothered to learn how to read.

Thanks, again, for putting in the thought and time and energy, “Bro”.

John

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