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Today, Americans still live in a condition of incredible wealth. By any standards this nation has fared very well, economically, since Europeans invaded the land in the 1600s. From just a few boatloads of people and the relatively few native residents of 300 years ago, we have grown to a population of over 300,000,000 and with less than 1 percent in "homelessness", that means that 99% have homes, clothing and food.
But this wealth has come at a horrific price. It might be compared to a plague of locusts, sweeping across the land devouring everything in sight. From vast herds of Buffalo to ancient forests, and huge populations of fish the voracious appetite of humans stripped their surroundings down to the ground, even creating dustbowls, dead zones in coastal waters,and wasting vast amounts of water on unsustainable cities in deserts.
Once there was little left of our own natural resources we flew to other countries to strip their forests, and devour their natural resources; oil, metals, crops, and manpower to continue feeding our appitites for more. Loading the wood, diamonds, and oil on ships we imported more and more from other nations, gobbling up all we recieved and throwing away what we considered to be waste. The peels and packages that we neither wanted or used, from styrafoam to wood and plastic, went directly from the store in pristene condition into the trash without so much as a second thought.
But the world has been watching, learning about these habits and longing for the wealth to be able to do the same. Now 2 billion people are moving into position to be able to behave as we have. The people of India and China combined are equal to 7 United States. To date the USA consumes 50% of all consumer products produced globally, although we are a mere 5% of the population. Now 35% of the population are becoming Americanized consumers. Where are they going to get the natual resources to provide for those consumers? The logistics should grip us with terror! Our hearts should pound and our palms should be sweaty, our night ought to be sleepless.
But here it is the story of King Midas, our greed cannot be calmed.
US corporations are stampedeing to capture these markets and the untold wealth that can be claimed. As they touch the earth every tree or fish or river is turning into cold, hard, gold. Gold stockpiled in corporate coffers for the benefit of a few. While the plague continues stripping the earth at an alarmingly rapid pace.
We cannot move from this planet. We cannot replace what is lost,not as we continue to provide more and more and more for billions and billions of people throughout the world. But the irony is, just like the past civilizations, we will have left behind storehouses of gold...buried with us, clinging to bones, beneath dead soil, useless reminders of foolish people who could not calculate the true price of gold. Sorry a bit long winded! :-)
Excellent editorial.
Thanks
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