Natural resources and skilled trades and knowledge are far more important, but undervalued.
In the USA, STEM education and credentials are valued above those of the Liberal Arts. Financial Capitalists are the most highly compensated, monetarily, although they invent, design, engineer or produce anything of tangible value— i.e., food, clothing, shelter, medical supplies and services, essential commodities.
Proper education could resolve this conundrum of warped indoctrination. I have served as a volunteer on several academic advisory boards and have caused some distress among my paid associates who feared the loss of their sponsors.
My counterparts in Europe and UK did not fear. My associates in mainland China remained publicly silent.
The indoctrination of the masses is just too easy. Unfortunately, unless the way we live on this planet changes, the nuclear arsenals aimed at our collective heads will continue, and as Murphy’s Law suggest, the weapons will be delivered.
In the final analysis, all animals cannot make nuclear weapons, intelligent humans can… which suggests that intelligence can be more stupid than ignorance.
Ellsberg could have been the Creator for all that matters and couldn’t change the mindset of humanity any more than a mouse could change the mindset of elephants in a stampede.
For example, you will be hard-pressed to find comments on nuclear arsenals or climate issues in this forum. It would be easier to talk with the trees in the forest or with fish in the sea than find anyone in your city who talks about either topics on any given day.
Actually, I am fortunate to have been able to relocate and retire into a remote rural area with numerous highly-educated writers, musicians, philosophers and other retired “progressive” professionals, along with many hardcore MAGA farmers.
Many people are living in willful denial of the ongoing climate catastrophe that is literally destroying their crops and of the preventable looming nuclear disaster. In the USA neither of the two major political parties have been willing to raise those issues as top priorities.
I have personally spoken with scientists, meteorologists, geologists who work as civilian contractors for the US government — primarily NASA an NOAA — whose contracts prohibit them from publicly discussing or publishing their findings and dire predictions. The current administration is feverishly working to reduce or eliminate those organizations and troublesome contractors.
I am optimistic that Nature will prevail even if humanity does not.
I am also retired and live in a relatively remote community… At one time in the nineties I exchanged some comments with Helen Caldecott, a physician who dedicated her life and career to expose the dangers of nuclear war.
Even though her efforts once led to a million or more marchers leading a reuqyest to abolish nuclear arsenals, the marches did nothing to reduce the threat. I suggested that no matter how many marchers were protesting that if the reasons for their existence was not addressed, that the weapons would persist. She agreed but did so reluctantly.
I believe those reasons are simple… in that the existence of homelessness everywhere causes humans to shrink from opposing the status quo.
I have read several of Caldecott’s books and have listened to her recorded lectures.
Also, include books and lectures by Vandana Shiva.
Humans who shirk opposition to the status quo ensure the continuation of poverty and homelessness.
I think that contributing factors include the fact that most people— or at least Americans— cannot truly comprehend how much money billionaires and mega-millionaires control.
Many, consciously or subconsciously believe that, someday, they may become billionaires, too. Most could live very comfortably with total lifetime earnings of $15-million.
Many corporate executives pay themselves that amount, annually, if not more. Some take more than 100 times that amount.
I used to challenge my subordinates to explain how they could spend 100% of annual incomes of more than $15-million indefinitely without purchasing equities or real estate. My constraints included only one mansion, yacht and personal 747 airliner was allowed per lifetime.
In reality, most humans cannot figure out how to actually that amount of money, indefinitely. So, they are “forced” to hoard it in the form of “safe” equities and real estate holdings rather than investing in risky new inventions or new factories or anything that requires their active participation.
At that point, most of the nonsense taught in Economics classes begins to fail, resulting in massive inflation and little practical benefits for society.
Nature is very powerful and long-lived, past several extinction events.
In the past five major extinctions, living beings had no choice.
Today, humans, collectively, can choose to mitigate their impending demise. Some are trying. Others are not. With some exceptions, individuals with the most power and wealth are choosing to ignore the problems they have created.
Many people are indoctrinated into such belief.
Natural resources and skilled trades and knowledge are far more important, but undervalued.
In the USA, STEM education and credentials are valued above those of the Liberal Arts. Financial Capitalists are the most highly compensated, monetarily, although they invent, design, engineer or produce anything of tangible value— i.e., food, clothing, shelter, medical supplies and services, essential commodities.
Proper education could resolve this conundrum of warped indoctrination. I have served as a volunteer on several academic advisory boards and have caused some distress among my paid associates who feared the loss of their sponsors.
My counterparts in Europe and UK did not fear. My associates in mainland China remained publicly silent.
The indoctrination of the masses is just too easy. Unfortunately, unless the way we live on this planet changes, the nuclear arsenals aimed at our collective heads will continue, and as Murphy’s Law suggest, the weapons will be delivered.
In the final analysis, all animals cannot make nuclear weapons, intelligent humans can… which suggests that intelligence can be more stupid than ignorance.
Daniel Ellsberg’s book, “The Doomsday Machine” explains in great detail.
Unless all nuclear weapons are rendered inoperable, immediately, global nuclear catastrophe is statistically inevitable.
Ellsberg wasn’t a news reporter. He was a high ranking strategist and planner for the US government.
Ellsberg could have been the Creator for all that matters and couldn’t change the mindset of humanity any more than a mouse could change the mindset of elephants in a stampede.
For example, you will be hard-pressed to find comments on nuclear arsenals or climate issues in this forum. It would be easier to talk with the trees in the forest or with fish in the sea than find anyone in your city who talks about either topics on any given day.
Actually, I am fortunate to have been able to relocate and retire into a remote rural area with numerous highly-educated writers, musicians, philosophers and other retired “progressive” professionals, along with many hardcore MAGA farmers.
Many people are living in willful denial of the ongoing climate catastrophe that is literally destroying their crops and of the preventable looming nuclear disaster. In the USA neither of the two major political parties have been willing to raise those issues as top priorities.
I have personally spoken with scientists, meteorologists, geologists who work as civilian contractors for the US government — primarily NASA an NOAA — whose contracts prohibit them from publicly discussing or publishing their findings and dire predictions. The current administration is feverishly working to reduce or eliminate those organizations and troublesome contractors.
I am optimistic that Nature will prevail even if humanity does not.
I am also retired and live in a relatively remote community… At one time in the nineties I exchanged some comments with Helen Caldecott, a physician who dedicated her life and career to expose the dangers of nuclear war.
Even though her efforts once led to a million or more marchers leading a reuqyest to abolish nuclear arsenals, the marches did nothing to reduce the threat. I suggested that no matter how many marchers were protesting that if the reasons for their existence was not addressed, that the weapons would persist. She agreed but did so reluctantly.
I believe those reasons are simple… in that the existence of homelessness everywhere causes humans to shrink from opposing the status quo.
I have read several of Caldecott’s books and have listened to her recorded lectures.
Also, include books and lectures by Vandana Shiva.
Humans who shirk opposition to the status quo ensure the continuation of poverty and homelessness.
I think that contributing factors include the fact that most people— or at least Americans— cannot truly comprehend how much money billionaires and mega-millionaires control.
Many, consciously or subconsciously believe that, someday, they may become billionaires, too. Most could live very comfortably with total lifetime earnings of $15-million.
Many corporate executives pay themselves that amount, annually, if not more. Some take more than 100 times that amount.
I used to challenge my subordinates to explain how they could spend 100% of annual incomes of more than $15-million indefinitely without purchasing equities or real estate. My constraints included only one mansion, yacht and personal 747 airliner was allowed per lifetime.
In reality, most humans cannot figure out how to actually that amount of money, indefinitely. So, they are “forced” to hoard it in the form of “safe” equities and real estate holdings rather than investing in risky new inventions or new factories or anything that requires their active participation.
At that point, most of the nonsense taught in Economics classes begins to fail, resulting in massive inflation and little practical benefits for society.
CK,
I can’t say I share your optimism…but I hope you are more right than I am..
Nature is very powerful and long-lived, past several extinction events.
In the past five major extinctions, living beings had no choice.
Today, humans, collectively, can choose to mitigate their impending demise. Some are trying. Others are not. With some exceptions, individuals with the most power and wealth are choosing to ignore the problems they have created.