Greed Addiction

From 9/9/16

A problem occurred to me today with our idea of progress. Our economic enterprises are unsustainable. It is direct conflict with our desire to live a cleaner more earth-friendly existence.

Watching coverage of the some 200 native American tribes protesting the pipeline construction project going through the Dakotas (Dakota apparently means 'friend'), I was reminded of the cost of progress. Several billions of dollars are going into this project which means that the project is also projected to generate trillions in revenue for some lucky bloke. So, in this economic progress, the sacred ground of thousands is being threatened, as well as the cleanliness of the people's water. Dogs are released on the people protesting, some get bit, others pepper-sprayed, some both. It's ugly. All for money. It is not morally defensible.
This type of thing goes on every day. A Hopi elder in Arizona was talking about our relationship with our Mother Earth in a video I recently watched. In it he talked about how the air, earth, and water were once clear, clean, and healthy. That his people cannot drink from the streams safely anymore. It dawned on me that if we poison our air, our water, and our earth (see Fracking) that we ourselves will not be able to avoid also being poisoned by it. Industrial farming poisons the land and water, burning of fossil fuels poisons the air, all to service those of us that are too busy to farm for ourselves, and deal without the conveniences that are tied to fossil fuels.
The attitude of progress permeates nearly every aspect of our daily lives, going unnoticed for the most part. The myth of economic progress is dependent upon perpetual growth, a society must continue to grow to remain financially secure, this is not a myth, but the idea that it is perpetual or can be perpetual is. Like a pyramid scheme, it has to fail at some point. If there is not corrective action which will cause a decline it will utterly fail and collapse.
The only way to extend this cycle of growth is to subvert other economies, depose any leaders that threaten this growth, and adopt an imperialistic approach to foreign policy.
Darth Vader gives a thumbs up.
I think greed is an addiction, akin to the addiction some have with pornography. The more you get the more you need, a thirst that is never sated by the vice. There is something else we can imbibe though, a different water that we can drink that does satisfy. -|-

In order for us to live a more healthy and sustainable existence, it has to fail and/or decline. It must. Preferably gradually. But when? I think that is the question we are all wondering. Many of us have this sense of an end to this prosperity, but then again that can be that apocalyptic mindset creeping in. Maybe there is a path through our troubles ahead, it may require a paradigm shift. Are we ready for that? I think many are awakening to it, though many still resist it. Those that are too accustomed to comfort or, those that cannot release their grip of perceived wealth and will put up quite a fuss to retain it. Due to this attitude they may one day soon not have a choice and be forced to let it all go. As we all will, then we all lose.

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