Surprise, global warming = governments telling people how to live,stop "overshopping"

uscitizen said:
People need to stop "overshopping" for their own good. Not even considering Global Warming.
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Amen to that. I work in a small school in a small community. As teachers we don't get paid that much but we are among the highest paid people who live here. My wife passes out the checks each month and there was an incident last month involving a school board member where the checks were delayed in going out by 3 days. I'm telling you there were so many families who were in a panic. These folks, most of them two teacher families, make thousands of dollars more than our household and much more than our poor maintenance staff. Yet they were the ones hollering the loudest, some of them even trying to lay the blame on my wife for the delay. I thought that they must not manage their money very well to have to cut it that close each month.
 
I agree. The consumerist society we live in brainwashes us from a very young age. Right now there is this new hot line of computer toys called “webkins” and they come out in all different kinds of animals. So every time a child obtains one of them, they move on to wanting the next one. My niece has over 20 of them, and she was bugging me for the dalmation (I think) and I asked her to tell me how long she felt happy for after she got a new webkin. And wanting the dalmation, she told me “for a long time”. And I said, oh yeah, well how long before you start wanting the next webkin? And she laughed.

She is already being trained to be a consumer…to obtain and immediately after obtaining, to move on to desiring the next object. It’s alarming.
I personally have changed my own consumer habits over the past five years. But you have to realize there is a problem, and think long and hard about what you are doing, before you can change.
 
leaningright said:
Amen to that. I work in a small school in a small community. As teachers we don't get paid that much but we are among the highest paid people who live here. My wife passes out the checks each month and there was an incident last month involving a school board member where the checks were delayed in going out by 3 days. I'm telling you there were so many families who were in a panic. These folks, most of them two teacher families, make thousands of dollars more than our household and much more than our poor maintenance staff. Yet they were the ones hollering the loudest, some of them even trying to lay the blame on my wife for the delay. I thought that they must not manage their money very well to have to cut it that close each month.
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That's a problem with government spending, not individuals. If they do overspend, then that is there problem and they have to deal with their own debt. It's too bad Liberal Democrats keep trying to protect people from themselves with bankruptcy protection bills.

We should not look to limit freedom but to enforce responsibility.
 
Darla said:
I agree. The consumerist society we live in brainwashes us from a very young age. Right now there is this new hot line of computer toys called “webkins” and they come out in all different kinds of animals. So every time a child obtains one of them, they move on to wanting the next one. My niece has over 20 of them, and she was bugging me for the dalmation (I think) and I asked her to tell me how long she felt happy for after she got a new webkin. And wanting the dalmation, she told me “for a long time”. And I said, oh yeah, well how long before you start wanting the next webkin? And she laughed.

She is already being trained to be a consumer…to obtain and immediately after obtaining, to move on to desiring the next object. It’s alarming.
I personally have changed my own consumer habits over the past five years. But you have to realize there is a problem, and think long and hard about what you are doing, before you can change.
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I find people would care more about spending if they were not spending other people's money via government handouts.

There are four ways in which you can spend money. You can spend your own money on yourself. When you do that, why then you really watch out what you’re doing, and you try to get the most for your money. Then you can spend your own money on somebody else. For example, I buy a birthday present for someone. Well, then I’m not so careful about the content of the present, but I’m very careful about the cost. Then, I can spend somebody else’s money on myself. And if I spend somebody else’s money on myself, then I’m sure going to have a good lunch! Finally, I can spend somebody else’s money on somebody else. And if I spend somebody else’s money on somebody else, I’m not concerned about how much it is, and I’m not concerned about what I get. And that’s government. And that’s close to 40% of our national income.
 
I never hear Dano talk in terms of what is sustainable, and what isn't, when he presents these kinds of situations.

Sustainability is one of the key questions for the planet as we move forward over the next few years. It sounds great to say 'we need unlimited freedom,' but does that freedom entail the ability to consume & use carelessly in the face of potential shortages in basics like food & water?
 
TheDanold said:
I find people would care more about spending if they were not spending other people's money via government handouts.

There are four ways in which you can spend money. You can spend your own money on yourself. When you do that, why then you really watch out what you’re doing, and you try to get the most for your money. Then you can spend your own money on somebody else. For example, I buy a birthday present for someone. Well, then I’m not so careful about the content of the present, but I’m very careful about the cost. Then, I can spend somebody else’s money on myself. And if I spend somebody else’s money on myself, then I’m sure going to have a good lunch! Finally, I can spend somebody else’s money on somebody else. And if I spend somebody else’s money on somebody else, I’m not concerned about how much it is, and I’m not concerned about what I get. And that’s government. And that’s close to 40% of our national income.
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I don’t know where you live, but you have no idea what you are talking about. Come to NY…I grew up on LI. Nobody was spending the government’s money, and they were, and are, spending as fast as they can. Incurring huge debt as they go along. No matter their income. If they can afford to do the suburban alphabet without charging, then they’re financing designer pools.
You live in an ideological dream Dano, and facts and reality mean nothing to you.

BTW, here in NY, we get back less than we give to the feds, unlike many red states, so we are taking care of our own here, not to mention taking care of red states, so you can butt out, thanks.
 
Onceler said:
I never hear Dano talk in terms of what is sustainable, and what isn't, when he presents these kinds of situations.

Sustainability is one of the key questions for the planet as we move forward over the next few years. It sounds great to say 'we need unlimited freedom,' but does that freedom entail the ability to consume & use carelessly in the face of potential shortages in basics like food & water?
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If goods truly aren't sustainable then supplies constrict and prices increase, this is a "problem" that solves itself.
But ask any farmer or clothing retailer or toy maker whether they are worried about people overconsuming their products - what a joke.
Privatize water suppliers and let the free market naturally increase the cost of water as supplies get low. People would stop watering lawns and filling pools pretty quick.

The problem right now is left-wing people in power who just want to preach conservation and use the police to enforce it rather than doing the obvious thing and letting prices rise with the shorter supply.
 
Darla said:
I don’t know where you live, but you have no idea what you are talking about. Come to NY…I grew up on LI. Nobody was spending the government’s money, and they were, and are, spending as fast as they can. Incurring huge debt as they go along. No matter their income. If they can afford to do the suburban alphabet without charging, then they’re financing designer pools.
You live in an ideological dream Dano, and facts and reality mean nothing to you.
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People do spend irresponsibly as well, I'm not naive to that, but are they accountable to the consequences for that? Or do they have a safety net and bankruptcy protection paid for by others for their irresponsibility?
You see, you are against their freedom to live as they wish because you have constructed a world that absolves them of the responsibility for the consequences of their irresponsible actions.

Also, that doesn't change the fact that government spends still more irresponsibly and a lot of people are now conditioned to look to government as their example...

Darla said:
BTW, here in NY, we get back less than we give to the feds, unlike many red states, so we are taking care of our own here, not to mention taking care of red states, so you can butt out, thanks.
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You are right you do and guess what, it's your own fault.
YOU people on the left are the ones who pushed for NATIONAL social welfare and infrastructure spending rather than statewide, so with vast differences in living cost per state (the red states are usually cheaper to live in, but get less pay), to the FEDERAL government it looks like they are the ones to help, because they are measuring by income and not purchasing power.
 
TheDanold said:
People do spend irresponsibly as well, I'm not naive to that, but are they accountable to the consequences for that? Or do they have a safety net and bankruptcy protection paid for by others for their irresponsibility?
You see, you are against their freedom to live as they wish because you have constructed a world that absolves them of the responsibility for the consequences of their irresponsible actions.

Also, that doesn't change the fact that government spends still more irresponsibly and a lot of people are now conditioned to look to government as their example...


You are right you do and guess what, it's your own fault.
YOU people on the left are the ones who pushed for NATIONAL social welfare and infrastructure spending rather than statewide, so with vast differences in living cost per state (the red states are usually cheaper to live in, but get less pay), to the FEDERAL government it looks like they are the ones to help, because they are measuring by income and not purchasing power.
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I'm not complaining about it Dano, I have no problem with it. What infuriates me is when red staters like you bitch about "welfare" when in fact, most of you, are welfare states.

I'm not "against' people putting themselves in debt or doing what they want, however, I am fully aware (two different things) of how rampant consumerism is encouraged and used by those in power. I choose to opt out and keep my mind concentrated on more important things than whether or not I have the new gucci bag.
 
Darla said:
I agree. The consumerist society we live in brainwashes us from a very young age. Right now there is this new hot line of computer toys called “webkins” and they come out in all different kinds of animals. So every time a child obtains one of them, they move on to wanting the next one. My niece has over 20 of them, and she was bugging me for the dalmation (I think) and I asked her to tell me how long she felt happy for after she got a new webkin. And wanting the dalmation, she told me “for a long time”. And I said, oh yeah, well how long before you start wanting the next webkin? And she laughed.

She is already being trained to be a consumer…to obtain and immediately after obtaining, to move on to desiring the next object. It’s alarming.
I personally have changed my own consumer habits over the past five years. But you have to realize there is a problem, and think long and hard about what you are doing, before you can change.
Click to expand...

I've been wondering what it would take to get rid of the refrigerator, or at least a get rid of a large refrigerator and go with something very efficient and about the same size as a hotel mini-fridge.
 
uscitizen said:
btw Darla, how is the new "job" ?
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Really slow so far. But starting next week I should have meetings set up with the people I have to get our programs out to, so I am hoping that by then the pace will pick up. Because it would be really funny if I changed jobs to do something more worthwhile, and also to do something (since it seemed to me at my last job I was getting paid for practically nothing), and yet I ended up doing nothing here too, but without the benefit of the company store. I worked at Estee Lauder previously. I can say it now because I’m gone. Man did I love that company store.
 
Darla said:
Really slow so far. But starting next week I should have meetings set up with the people I have to get our programs out to, so I am hoping that by then the pace will pick up. Because it would be really funny if I changed jobs to do something more worthwhile, and also to do something (since it seemed to me at my last job I was getting paid for practically nothing), and yet I ended up doing nothing here too, but without the benefit of the company store. I worked at Estee Lauder previously. I can say it now because I’m gone. Man did I love that company store.
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Estee Lauder ? LOL I can imagine that!
Yeah my job is in spurts, busy as heck for a bit and then nothing for a while. But then that means I am doing my job well :)
I hope yours works out as well as you hope it does.
 
Troglodyte27 said:
I've been wondering what it would take to get rid of the refrigerator, or at least a get rid of a large refrigerator and go with something very efficient and about the same size as a hotel mini-fridge.
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Our fridge is a moderate sized one. A chest deep freeze is a must for us though. We keep half a beef (slaughtered ourselves) per year and I put at least 2, sometimes 3 deer in every season as well. We have conserved a lot by super-insulating our house, cutting out unecessary trips to town (50 mile round trip) and I bought some winter gear so I can ride my motorcycle (60 mpg) to work and back most every day. For the last year and a half I have only put one tank of gas per month in my truck and we have cut our overall fuel consumption for all vehicles by more than $800 per year. We as a country must realize that changes need to be made in this area.
 
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