Tragedy of the commons...
P.S. John Stossel rocks...
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Yeah, I hear the starving natives were begging for thousands of years for a capitalist to come and save them.
Really, though, the "tragedy of the commons" that Stossel cites is only a problem in cultures that are focused on the primacy of self indulgence and greed.
If people are taught to grab all they can and that the other guy doesn't matter, that's what society will yield, people who are fixated on the "what's in it for me" principle.
What Stossel has essentially told us is that western, white people are too self absorbed to care what happens outside of their own satisfaction. At least we know where he's coming from...
Really, though, the "tragedy of the commons" that Stossel cites is only a problem in cultures that are focused on the primacy of self indulgence and greed.
If people are taught to grab all they can and that the other guy doesn't matter, that's what society will yield, people who are fixated on the "what's in it for me" principle.
What Stossel has essentially told us is that western, white people are too self absorbed to care what happens outside of their own satisfaction. At least we know where he's coming from...
Why is Stossel appealing to simpletons???
quote:Originally posted by jefft:
Yeah, I hear the starving natives were begging for thousands of years for a capitalist to come and save them.
Really, though, the "tragedy of the commons" that Stossel cites is only a problem in cultures that are focused on the primacy of self indulgence and greed.
If people are taught to grab all they can and that the other guy doesn't matter, that's what society will yield, people who are fixated on the "what's in it for me" principle.
What Stossel has essentially told us is that western, white people are too self absorbed to care what happens outside of their own satisfaction. At least we know where he's coming from...
Yes what you learned in 5th grade history is absolutely true.
Indians left their surroundings in exquisitely pristine condition out of a deeply spiritual devotion to the natural world...and of course "white people are too self absorbed to care what happens outside of their own satisfaction"...Hummmm, racist much?
The real story is much different and as always not that simple. The Indian's real enviroment record is a bit mixed, depending on tribe.
They engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture, destroyed forests and grasslands, and wiped out entire animal populations...all without being white...
"Really, though, the "tragedy of the commons" that Stossel cites is only a problem in cultures that are focused on the primacy of self indulgence and greed."
Hey you're 2 for 2...wrong again.
The 5th grade understanding is the Indians didn't practice private property...but once again depending on tribe and era, their views varied. Usually depending on how plentiful resources were.
Much like "white" people, when land and game were plentiful...it is not surprising that Indians gave little effort in defining and enforcing property rights...Tragedy of the Commons...But as those things became more scarce, they saw the value of assigning property rights in hunting and fishing...learning the lessons the Pilgrims would also learn.
History is filled with rich, colorful, and complicated experiences...not 5th grade cardboard cutouts.
33 Questions About American History You're Not Supposed to Ask
Nice lecture but I didn't even mention the native Americans past the first sentence. Oh, and you said nothing to refute the sarcasm contained therein.
BTW this one is cool reading too.
BTW this one is cool reading too.
Illegal immigration has been a problem in North America for 500 years.
quote:Originally posted by jefft:
Yeah, I hear the starving natives were begging for thousands of years for a capitalist to come and save them.
Really, though, the "tragedy of the commons" that Stossel cites is only a problem in cultures that are focused on the primacy of self indulgence and greed.
If people are taught to grab all they can and that the other guy doesn't matter, that's what society will yield, people who are fixated on the "what's in it for me" principle.
What Stossel has essentially told us is that western, white people are too self absorbed to care what happens outside of their own satisfaction. At least we know where he's coming from...
Yes, the tragedy of industrialization was that people lived longer, infant mortality went down and fewer women died in childbirth. As Renegade Nation stated, the Indians practiced slash and burn to shape the land for their use.
The North American Indians were a pretty decent bunch of barbarians, as barbarians go. They formed tribes and fought rival tribes for hunting land and access to valuable resources such as soapstone, flint and copper. They had a sophisticated trade system bringing goods from all over the continent to trade. Frankly, not much different than the Europeans. The Cherokee were punished by Jackson because they competed with the new comers. They had a popular spa in north Georgia, among other attractions.
So the Europeans were barbarian capitalists.
quote:Originally posted by jefft:
So the Europeans were barbarian capitalists.
jefttie,
Logic and reading comprehension aren't your strong points, are they! Another product of the late 20th century liberal public education, I guess. Obviously, I was referring to basic human motives and interactions. The Europeans were at an early level of civilization. Levels of technology and human motives and interactions are not synonymous.
quote:Originally posted by elinterventor01:
jefttie,
Logic and reading comprehension aren't your strong points, are they!
Nor is discernment of nuance yours.
As some of my best customers are the French and Orientals, I do nuance, when necessary.
quote:Originally posted by jefft:
So the Europeans were barbarian capitalists.
And here I thought they were a mercantilist splinter group.
The irrational aversion to capitalism both perplexes and amuses me.