huw Posted August 4, 2008 Author Share Posted August 4, 2008 If people are stupid enough to borrow ludicrous amounts of money to buy properties and other people are stupid enough to pay to live in them then let them. Who cares? People who don't want to see their own honestly-earned money devalued by the inflationary effects of this dishonest borrowing and lending. Similarly, if debt-based consumerism collapses the economy and degrades the environment, then the consequences affect everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 People who don't want to see their own honestly-earned money devalued by the inflationary effects of this dishonest borrowing and lending.Similarly, if debt-based consumerism collapses the economy and degrades the environment, then the consequences affect everyone. Many things we want to buy now have just kept getting cheaper...saving pays today...borrowing only pays when you want to buy now at a price that will be greater tomorrow, notwithstanding interest rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoungFTB Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Agreed, the earth and ecosystems will recover once we've gone anyway, even if we leave the place in an awful state, Mother Nature will begin her slow cleanup. I'd imagine that within a million years of our diappearance, pretty much everything that would ever indicate we were here will have gone, eroded by the harsh winds of a million winters. Check out this program on Channel 4 http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites...fe_after_people According to the program, within 100 years most of our infrastructure would be unrecognizable Within 1000 years almost all records of us being on the plant will be gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goonboy Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 ...Within 1000 years almost all records of us being on the plant will be gone. You sound like you've been on the "plant" somewhat young bean! Old gB hopes you didn't inhale gB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parkwell Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 That was some vague waffle about the environment. Unless the council turns your garden into a landfill while you're out shopping for not iPods it doesn't materially effect you as an individual. You could live a life with microscopic consumerist influences if you so chose.If people are stupid enough to borrow ludicrous amounts of money to buy properties and other people are stupid enough to pay to live in them then let them. Who cares? It's been answered sufficiently so I'll just laugh again. What really surprises me is that opening of primark video. I mean, it's primark. They're cheap, they're always cheap. What could they possibly do to get that many people that excited that they must charge through the doors at opening? Either those people don't have lives, or their lives are being a consumer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyB Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 It's been answered sufficiently so I'll just laugh again. What really surprises me is that opening of primark video. I mean, it's primark. They're cheap, they're always cheap. What could they possibly do to get that many people that excited that they must charge through the doors at opening? Either those people don't have lives, or their lives are being a consumer. But it wasn't just any Primark, it was on Oxford Street, the worst place to go shopping ever. People just seem to flock there for some reason, it's like being in a crowd zombies up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMAC67 Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 The richer the country, the larger the debt. The world's debts are never going to be paid off, either by the governments, the corporations, or the people. The world's debt will continue to increase exponentially until the entire productive worth of the planet is used on interest payments alone. At that point the whole world is bankrupt, consumerism simply accelerates this problem to it's inevitable conclusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve Cook Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 It's downhill from here on in.Although places like Barnsley town centre on a Saturday night don't have as far to fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve Cook Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 The richer the country, the larger the debt. The world's debts are never going to be paid off, either by the governments, the corporations, or the people. The world's debt will continue to increase exponentially until the entire productive worth of the planet is used on interest payments alone. At that point the whole world is bankrupt, consumerism simply accelerates this problem to it's inevitable conclusion. yep... fractional reserve lending has got a lot to answer for...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Executive Sadman Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Consumerism is the religion of our time. The masses are brainwashed and riled up into a fervour over it. You consume the right things and you are 'saved', but don't consume and you are not worthy. It is implied that being a good citizen means being a good consumer, a sign of a good economy is footage of chinese made things flying off of shelves and plastic being swiped at the checkout. Being in debt is no longer shameful. Buying things you don't need with money you don't have is good. Under-consuming and saving is for losers. The shopping malls are simply the cathedrals of our time.http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QFPr5F_p5so http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4252421.stm http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhp1ElO4MiA http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N_XqWhC3Pxc I dont get it. As a man i hate shopping. I thought all men were programmed the same way. But debt seems to afflict both sexes equally, maybe men more so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptherebels Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Does this mean we are in a civilization bubble? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve Cook Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 (edited) I dont get it. As a man i hate shopping. I thought all men were programmed the same way. But debt seems to afflict both sexes equally, maybe men more so. At the risk of shameless stereotyping..... Women get into debt to acquire status. The power that comes with it is an arterfact of this Men get into debt to acquire power. The status that comes with it is an artefact of this. Why? Because women have historically been subjugated to the role of "power behind the throne". So, the only way for them to exercise power has been via the cultural proxy of status. Though, in theory, there is no reason for women to continue with this social strategy (at least in the established "democratic" economies of the world), old cultural habits die hard. There may even be an element of hard-wiring in terms of these gender differences. Though, this is always fiendishly difficult to demonstrate unequivocally Edited August 4, 2008 by Steve Cook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve Cook Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Does this mean we are in a civilization bubble? I am afraid so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptherebels Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 At the risk of shameless stereotyping.....Women get into debt to acquire status. The power that comes with it is an arterfact of this Men get into debt to acquire power. The status that comes with it is an artefact of this. Why? Because women have historically been relegated to the role of "power behind the throne". So, the only way for them to exercise power has been via the cultural proxy of status. Though, in theory, there is no reason for women to continue with this social strategy (at least in the established "democratic" economies of the world), old cultural habits die hard. There may even be an element of hard-wiring in terms of these gender differences. Though, this is always fiendishly difficult to demonstrate unequivocally What sort of power can a man aqquire by getting into debt? In the past when I have been in debt, the last thing I felt was power. Not in debt to anyone now, and still don't feel power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve Cook Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 (edited) What sort of power can a man aqquire by getting into debt? In the past when I have been in debt, the last thing I felt was power. Not in debt to anyone now, and still don't feel power quite true.... Men and women are deeply delusional, each in their own special way...... Except, perhaps, to add the caveat... Men's delusions tend to kill more people. Edited August 4, 2008 by Steve Cook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptherebels Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 quite true....Men and women are deeply delusional, each in their own special way...... Except, perhaps, to add the caveat... Men's delusions tend to kill more people. Well I am certainly delusional. I thought by now that I would own a house outright, and now find myself renting. I also thought that little robots would be doing my housework. For a little while in 1969, I thought man had been to the moon too. These days I don't know what to believe in. Try not to think about it too much though, otherwise I would go demented. Some say I already have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMAC67 Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Well, a few men have been to the moon, however, it turned out to be a barren featureless rock of no particular value, so no-one has been back. Although I believe an enterprising gentleman from the US of A will sell you land on the moon by the acre. Maybe it will be the next real estate investment opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve Cook Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 (edited) Well, a few men have been to the moon, however, it turned out to be a barren featureless rock of no particular value, so no-one has been back. Although I believe an enterprising gentleman from the US of A will sell you land on the moon by the acre. Maybe it will be the next real estate investment opportunity. Someone once said that man went to the moon so that he could perform the human equivalent of a dog pissing up a lampost.... "We wuz here"...... Edited August 4, 2008 by Steve Cook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptherebels Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Well, a few men have been to the moon, however, it turned out to be a barren featureless rock of no particular value, so no-one has been back. Although I believe an enterprising gentleman from the US of A will sell you land on the moon by the acre. Maybe it will be the next real estate investment opportunity. Still don't believe the moon bit. I don't think they have the technology to land a man there even now, but forty years ago???? No way. An illusion. JFk said they would get there by the end of the decade and beat the russians to it. Funny how they just managed it right at the end of the decade. I have trouble believing any politician !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Bart' Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Still don't believe the moon bit. I don't think they have the technology to land a man there even now, but forty years ago???? Apollos 11, 14 and 15 erected laser reflectors on the lunar surface. Laser beams are routinely fired at these reflectors through telescopes at McDonald Observatory in Texas and near Grasse in southern France. Timings of these reflected beams are used to measure the Earth-Moon distance to an accuracy of one inch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptherebels Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Apollos 11, 14 and 15 erected laser reflectors on the lunar surface. Laser beams are routinely fired at these reflectors through telescopes at McDonald Observatory in Texas and near Grasse in southern France. Timings of these reflected beams are used to measure the Earth-Moon distance to an accuracy of one inch. No, sorry, I don't believe that either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Bart' Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 No, sorry, I don't believe that either Next time I'll try an cut 'n paste something a bit more plausible. (Or will I?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptherebels Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Next time I'll try an cut 'n paste something a bit more plausible.(Or will I?) Not sure whether or not you will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Bart' Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Not sure whether or not you will Even I'm not sure now. Time for bed I think. Night all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patfig Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Well, a few men have been to the moon, however, it turned out to be a barren featureless rock of no particular value, so no-one has been back. Although I believe an enterprising gentleman from the US of A will sell you land on the moon by the acre. Maybe it will be the next real estate investment opportunity. God bless America they still have the acre, we however are doomed to scrapping ti bacuase we are nation or wimps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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