Posted on 10/16/2009 4:22:16 AM PDT by IbJensen
(CNSNews.com) - Emily Douglas, Web editor for The Nation magazine, said Wednesday that making the “recession worse” and making goods “more expensive” for Americans are means to reduce consumerism and preserve the environment.
Douglas was one of three journalists participating in a panel discussion, “Covering Climate: What’s Population Got to Do With It,” which was held at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. The other two panelists were Dennis Dimick, executive editor of National Geographic, and Andrew Revkin, environmental reporter for The New York Times (who participated via Web camera).
An audience member who identified herself as an employee of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the federal agency that distributes foreign aid, asked the speakers: “Do either one of you have any idea what it’s going to take to reverse our culture of consumerism here in the United States?”
Douglas immediately replied: “Make the recession worse.”
In response to follow-up questions from CNSNews.com after the event, Douglas said that this was a “tongue-in-cheek answer.”
At the panel discussion, however, the moderator asked Douglas for her final thoughts, and she addressed both the question about curbing American consumerism and a statement an audience member had made about advocates of man made climate-change painting doomsday scenarios.
“Well, The Nation never shies away from doomsday scenarios,” said Douglas. “So, a funny story is that when they did--they’ve done, two climate change issues, or they are going to do another one in November and they did one in 2006--and there was an article about flying. And the conclusion of the article was that if we want to have intercontinental travel, we are going to have to travel by blimps. So, I felt that was The Nation being very doctrinaire and extreme, but probably not wrong.”
She continued: “But to the point about consumption: Yeah, I think things should be more expensive and that would do a lot and certainly reflect the, you know, better reflect the price of their, their real, their real price.”
Douglas later told CNSNews.com that this response was meant to follow-up on a statement by Dennis Dimick of National Geographic “who argued that the prices of goods should reflect the true environmental cost of producing them.”
The Nation magazine Web editor defended her position on increasing the cost of goods by arguing that it would give Americans an incentive to “buy less.”
“If goods are more expensive, it stands to reason that Americans will buy less of them,” she told CNSNews.com.
When asked for an example of how her suggestions could be put it practice, Douglas told CNSNews.com: “A gas tax would be a good start.”
Our essential institutions are weak from seventy years of rot. I wonder how long their structures will stand.
I thought this was what cap n trade was for
Isn’t Obama already doing this?
And they wonder why people like Levin and others think they are doing this on purpose.
I never thought I’d live long enough to see this, to see a president deliberately crashing our economy and currency. But it’s exactly where we are.
Evidently, this is how they intend to turn this from free market capitalism to a socialist system.
Create an “emergency” which then allows normal, regular Americans to go along temporarily with “help.” And then ensconse it into the law of the land.
And now I understand the whole “butter, gold, and ammo” thing, too.
Chet “Lumpy” Culver (Iowa’s flaccid entry in the ‘Rat political dynasty game) just claimed this week that the recession is good for Iowans. Either Emily and Chet both got the talking points memo from Soros & Associates LLC, or they simultaneously stepped in this particular cowpie completely by coincidence.
Hmmm... interesting... when it’s convenient, liberals suddenly understand economics: higher price means less quantity demanded.
Its long been my opinion that any federal cash-grab would be justified as “needed to preserve the environment” with a huge PR campaign to keep inquiring minds away from the stinking pile in DC that allowed it to happen.
“The worse things are, the better.”
- Lenin, 1917
This is excellent. Liberalism is now against the interest of the poor people, who are not as stupid as one would think. They will figure this out, and start voting very differently than in the past.
The problem is that the same sad-assed choice will be dished up by the Republicrat Party.
I thought liberals CARED about people!
Will she keep her holier than thou attitude after she gets laid off and can’t find work for a year?
Thanks for you optimism. Wish I could share it.
Thanks for your optimism. Wish I could share it.
Gee, this means Ms. Douglas’ salary is up for grabs - “spread that wealth, honey...”
But who will lead the military coup?
If she actually believed her own words, she would be out advocating the closure of the print edition of her own product and of New York Times, The Village Voice, in fact of all print media. Why? Because the paper (pulp) manufacturing industry is one of the dirtiest polluters of any industry out there. Why not have the courage of her professed "convictions" and just take the step of ridding the world of it's third-largest polluter?
All liberals believe in the “Inversion Principle.”
They gleefully advise exactly the opposite of what they know is the correct or common sense solution.
This makes them “edgy” and “liberal” and “non-conformist.”
And stupid.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.