Consumers Are The Ultimate Polluters

Those of you who complain about industrial pollution continue to drive your cars far more than necessary, continue to purchase clothes when you have a closet full of clothes, continue to air condition your homes when you could live without air conditioning (I grew up in a non-air conditioned house), continue to take unnecessary vacations, continue to consume fruits and vegetables shipped from around the world, use the internet (a data center for handling, storing and processing internet data can consume 250 megawatts of power), and enjoy a thousand other luxuries that you could live without.  Then, you complain that the ones who produce those goods and services, solely for your consumption, are the ones guilty of “polluting” the earth.  Consumers are the problem…producers simply respond to the demands of the billions of individuals who consume the goods and services they produce.   Without consumption there would be no production.

Resolution to Rename the Statue of Liberty, July 4, 2013

Resolution:  On this day, July 4, 2013, we resolve to rename the “Statue of Liberty” the “Statue of Equality,” on order to reflect the new enlightened common wisdom, which is not reflected in the current name of the Statue or in our outdated Constitution.   We also resolve that the poem on the base of the Statue of Equality shall be changed from “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” to “All are welcome who believe that each should contribute according to his ability, and each should receive an equal reward.”

The outdated thinking, as envisioned by our forefathers, was for Government to limit itself to creating the peaceful conditions within which the people are free to secure their own well-being, with an emphasis on freedom of the individual.  Any enlightened person will realize that this will lead to unequal outcomes, with some citizens having more than others.  Our collective wisdom now leads us to dictate that our Government should take responsibility for securing the welfare of all the people, and not just provide a structure under which they seek their own selfish, greedy individual well-being.  Thus, we collectively must provide retirement security, medical care, education, food, shelter, cell phones, and income security.  To accomplish this requires that the Federal Government organize massive transfer payments from the “haves” to the “have nots.” Of course, this will entail enormous handling fees and inefficiencies generated by bureaucracies, political politicking, and cronyism, but this is a small price to pay to the ensuing “equality” that we as a society so desire.