Posted on 01/23/2007 5:39:24 AM PST by Chi-townChief
The United States has long thought itself to be the world's moral compass and "peace" keeper. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright proclaimed the United States to be the "indispensable'' country. Yet abroad or at home, the reality is different. The United States, with less than 5 percent of the world's population, produces 25 percent of the greenhouse gases. It leads the world in per capita consumption of five basic commodities: grain, meat, oil, coal and steel.
President Bush, and most Americans, believe the United States to be the "greatest nation on Earth," or No. 1. But with no president has the actual status of Americans deteriorated more. The World Economic Forum recently concluded that in the last few years the United States has dropped from the most competitive country to sixth worldwide. We are 54th in the fairness of health care, 49th in world literacy, 41st in infant mortality, 37th in health care performance and 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy.
Americans do excel in material accumulation or varieties of violence, but trail far behind in indicators of collective well-being. The greater the decline of American well-being and international authority, the more insistent is American leadership that this country is No. 1.
This national disaster has been made possible by the loyal American taxpayer and an impotent Congress. As Iraq demonstrated, Congress rarely questions or is concerned with the human or environmental costs of American empire, abroad or at home. The chauvinist insistence that America is No. 1 masks a profound compassion deficit by most Americans.
Yes, my fellow Americans, ''the state of the union is good. We are good. America is the greatest!'' The louder it is proclaimed, the further from reality we depart.
Barry Weisberg, director, Violence Prevention Peace Promotion Strategy, University of Illinois at Chicago
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
...and the USA produces over 30% of all the world's product. That means the USA is energy efficient! You frikin' moonbat bozo!
Yeah - it would just kill them to admit that they're in the greatest country in the world.
If this is true then I would like for Mr. Weisberg to answer this question:
Then why are foreigners clamoring to get into this country? We can't keep them out. They die in the desert just for the chance to live here.
Okay, Barry, if you really believe this, then quit consuming grain, meat, oil, coal and steel. Try living on barley grass and walking, figure our how to warm yourself without coal, light your house without electricity and just say no to any building or machine that contains steel. This would of course include giving up your computer. Not only does this guy hate America, he hates every significant improvement since the bronze age.
Like Iran, where they would let Mr. Weisberg build a synagog maybe?
"This national disaster has been made possible by the loyal American taxpayer"
Geez I can't win. The scumbags take all my money through taxes and then turn around and blame me for all the ill's of the country !!!
With 300 million people, we consume, and produce a lot of those commodities. With those commodities, we also produce about 75% of the wealth in this world.
This academic twit spouts custom-made statistical categories that emphasize the one word so dear to their tiny bleeding hearts, "collective". As a pampered socialist living off the American free enterprise system, I'm sure he consumes far more resources than the value he provides to the world.
"It leads the world in per capita consumption of five basic commodities: grain, meat, oil, coal and steel."
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And Mr. Weisberg...you don't help much. Why, your whole article just wasted quite a few trees, not to mention the utilities used to power your computer and printer, and heat the building where you wrote this twaddle.
Stuff your opinions where the sun doesn't shine, Mr. Weisberg. I love the United States and I'm proud of my country.
And lacking any skills at all other than his keyboard, would not survive for two days in the woods. Beloved Mother Gaea would send beasts to feast on him and mice to nibble his bones.
We breed these hothouse flowers who write of love from a walled garden.
As others say, why is he here? It would be so much fun to just drop them somewhere with some shards of flint, and let them live the "Low Carbon Footprint", instead of paying to feed his literary masturbation.
"37th in health care performance..."
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I assume what he's talking about is access to "free" health care. In most countries where socialized medicine prevails, there is little if any research or development...no new drugs, equipment or other treatment for disease and injury. This is why when people are seriously ill and they have the means to do so, they come to the U.S. for treatment.
It is not the business of government to be compassionate. It is the business of government to follow the Constitution and enforce property rights and equality under the law.
The ills that the author complains about are the result of the lefts efforts to deviate from that and put government where it doesn't belong.
I bet this guy's indicators put Cuba ahead of the US. Which is why so many people risk their lives to leave the US to get to Cuba. /sarcasm
The best indicator of a country's health are the lengths people are willing to go to either leave it or get into it.
"Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright"
Oh, the one who drank a toast with a representative of the worst regime in the World? She's our moral compass?
"That means the USA is energy efficient! You frikin' moonbat bozo!"
I'm with you on that. But let's take this guy's complaints and see what we might do to cut down on our consumption of vital resources, shall we?
1. Start with the United Nations: quit spending our ill-gotten to support it and their so-called peacekeeping
missions. Send the energy-sapping body to another, more green country.
2. Stop illegal immigration since we are already using too many resources for legal residents.
3. Stop funding the IMF and other international efforts because the disposible income we are using comes from selfish uses of resources.
4. Close the borders to all imports and make the country become self-sustaining.
5. Pull in our all troops from international postings and let those countries fend for themselves.
6. Give all countries nuclear technology so they can produce "clean" energy (or get into MAD again).
7. Stop all exports, since we obviously are producing more than the country needs and using precious resources in the process.
Now, as you call him, "frikin' moonbat bozo" sir, I guess everything will be happy and peaceful around the world, right? Kids will grow up to be healthy and self-sustaining, right? Or will the world devolve into total anarchy and political Darwinism? Do you want to live in a 7th Century Caliphate? Will that let you publish these cute little screeds against the powers-that-be?
I say to all these nut jobs, think carefully how the world would be if you got your wish. Go live for awhile in Saudi Arabia or Yemen and see if you really want that future for the University of Chicago. Because the United States and its allies, with all their "selfish" use of resources, is the only thing standing between you and the chopping block.
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