[pf] Consumerism the cause of US imperial domineering and oppression

· I had remembered GW Bush saying: "we're not going to sign the Kyoto
Protocol because that could mean reducing our standard of living".
  An early news item:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/mar2001/2001l-03-29-07.html
  has:
WASHINGTON, DC, March 29, 2001 (ENS) - President George W. Bush has no
intention of supporting any environmental initiatives that could harm the
American economy, he said today. 
 ...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

· I believe Bush's views represent those of most Americans, here.

>This morning, at 06:47 19/9/2001 +1200, I sent to GV-NZ:
>>... a very good article by Robert Fisk, in the Sep 16 Independent (UK):
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=94254
>>
Later, at 09:31 19/9/2001 +1200 I wrote:
>· Kim Hill will be interviewing Robert Fisk in a few minutes, between 9 &
10 AM, I believe. (She is NZ National Radio's Morning Show interviewer.)
>

· I heard Robert Fisk (at Beirut Airport) say to Kim Hill: "There are these
many thousands of children dying in Iraq, as a consequence of the sanctions
imposed by the UN/western-powers. You have to ask: Why?
  If those children were western children, they wouldn't be dying."

1. Agreed?

2. The continued oppression/US-military-force in the whole area (listed by
Robert Fisk) is all part of this injustice - agreed?

3. The reason the US (and its allies incl. Australia & NZ) is imposing its
will in the Middle East is to control resources like oil - agreed? (In
spite of US Administration/Government claims that Saddam Hussein threatens
the whole world.)

4. The dependence on oil results from the great dependence of the economy
of the OECD (rich nations) on oil, and no politicians are willing to
consider reducing this dependence, in fear that their consumerist
constituents, fearing for their lifestyle, will throw out the politicians.
Agreed?
 (One _could_ say this shows one of the faults of democracy, at least when
there's such a lot of power that the politicians want to keep hold of.
  Think also of corrupt leaders of previous empires. Power corrupts.)

5. Most Americans are caught up in this materialist-consumerist culture -
agreed?


· My guess is that most readers of this feel it's none of their business;
that "many thousands of children dying in Iraq, as a consequence of the
sanctions imposed by the UN/western-powers" is quite unrelated to whether
they buy a new car, bigger house, or frequent airline trips.


David.
David MacClement [davd @ ihug.co.nz] (remove spaces)
http://davd.tripod.com/GrRR-010907_titles.html#top
http://www.geocities.com/davd.geo/index.html#top
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