Re: news of the day-more OT

Maybe with this next election...Edwards is beginning to talk about it and
there is at least one book out....there will be enough focus to start a
turn around.  Interesting that the increased borrowing in Sept. parallels
the increased spending reported earlier.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/10/opinion/10HERB.html

Bonnie Zone 6+ ETN




> [Original Message]
> From: Marge Talt <mtalt@hort.net>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Date: 11/09/2003 10:05:21 PM
> Subject: Re: [CHAT] news of the day
>
> Well, Pam, I think greed has been with the human race since we
> started walking upright.  Just seems there are fewer societal
> restraints on it now than there used to be - or maybe just more
> opportunities for people to indulge.  Being greedy used to be frowned
> upon; now it seems to be the norm.
>
> I also think that the relative wealth and size of our "middle class"
> encourages greed - as does our consumer oriented society.  Used to be
> - for the vast majority of people - that ' use it 'til it wears out,
> then do without' was how things worked.  
>
> During the depression, my Mom had 1 dress she wore every day to high
> school - it had removable collar and cuffs - think she told me there
> were 2 sets - she washed them out every night and alternated them. 
> Before her time, few but the upper classes and  wealthy had more than
> one garment for every day wear and one for 'best'...the old "Sunday
> Best" (even when I was a child, we still had our "Sunday Best"
> outfit; worn only on Sunday or for very special occasions).  Today,
> people have closets bursting with clothes and keep on buying them
> although what they have is perfectly good.
>
> Now, we have a throwaway society in this country; all closely tied to
> our entire economic operation - and that operation is now closely
> knit to the rest of the world economy; was just reading an article in
> the paper today about how almost every Christmas decoration or fake
> tree sold here in the US is made in China; so if we don't buy new
> Christmas goodies, it now adversely affects some poor Chinese person
> earning a big $100/month.  Sort of an unending circle.
>
> When society operated on a cash basis, people could only get what
> they could actually afford to pay for up front; most did without. 
> Once we got a credit based society, everybody can get about anything
> if they have plastic and people do...so we're always in debt (at
> least a lot are) while accumulating lots of 'stuff' that we really
> don't actually need, but providing thousands of jobs in hundreds of
> related industries.  If everybody cut back to getting only what they
> needed; millions would be out of work all over the world...
>
> The reverse side of this coin is that all the greedy consumerism
> provides better paying jobs and higher standards of living to more
> people than ever before in the history of mankind.
>
> So, how do you strike a happy medium....keeping up people's standard
> of living but eliminating the greed as SOP factor?  Can it be done? 
> I would hope that we - as a society - can at least put some curbs on
> the current trends.  The scandals about salaries for the big
> corporation CEO's is a small start - if it doesn't just fizzle out.  
>
> Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
> mtalt@hort.net
> Editor:  Gardening in Shade
> -----------------------------------------------
> Current Article: Variegation on the Green Theme - Part One
> http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/shade_gardening
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> ----------
> > From: Pamela J. Evans <gardenqueen@gbronline.com>
> > 
> > Bonnie & Marge, I've been turning that soapbox over for years.
> Don't
> > understand greed, never have, but it is evil and is undermining
> every
> > society it touches. Priorities these days are severely messed up.
> The
> > sooner ALL get hip to that, the better off we'll be. But try to
> preach
> > that sermon and people look at you like you have two heads or
> sprouted
> > horns or something. My cousin and her husband just returned from
> Russia
> > where they were picking up their newly adopted kids and she told me
> most
> > Americans would be appalled at the conditions these people live in.
> Even
> > as simply as I live, my little cottage/shack would look like a
> palace
> > over there. Wish more people could see that for themselves. Might
> wake
> > them up a bit.
> > 
> > 
> > I can dream, can't I?
> > 
> > ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
> > From: "Bonnie Holmes" <holmesbm@usit.net>
> > Reply-To: gardenchat@hort.net
> > Date:  Sat, 8 Nov 2003 07:31:44 -0800
> > 
> > >In my mind I can point to the time "greed" became the mantra for
> corporate
> > >America.  I was working in D.C. in a large law firm in the late
> 1970's. 
> > >Ringer's book, "Looking Out For Number One" was on the best seller
> list and
> > >required reading for managers of many large firms.  It seems to me
> that
> > >from that point forward the emphasis was on self...what one could
> acquire,
> > >how much one could spend on cars, houses, etc., buying the best
> and
> > >bragging on it.  Problems of those less fortunate didn't concern
> those on
> > >this track unless they were directly involved.  The thought of
> giving back
> > >to the community whose structure and principles allowed great
> success was
> > >completely lost. 
> > >
> > >Enough...my soapbox just turned over. 
> > >
> > >Bonnie Zone 6+ ETN
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >> [Original Message]
> > >> From: Marge Talt <mtalt@hort.net>
> > >> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> > >> Date: 11/07/2003 9:07:17 PM
> > >> Subject: Re: [CHAT] news of the day
> > >>
> > >> > From: "Bonnie & Bill Morgan" <wmorgan972@ameritech.net>
> > >> > > May we someday wake up and go for more renewable, cleaner,
> energy
> > >> sources!
> > >>
> > >> I'll second that!  However, I very much fear that money is what
> > >> drives things the world around and as long as those with vested
> > >> interests in keeping the status quo are the ones donating
> mammoth
> > >> sums to election campaigns, I can guarantee that renewable
> energy is
> > >> going to stay firmly in the rumble seat.  When you stop and
> think
> > >> about the vast network of businesses that depend on oil in some
> form
> > >> for their existence, you can see that the vested interests are
> large.
> > >>
> > >> Until some disaster occurs, this nation seems set on reaction
> instead
> > >> of proaction, and then seems to waste time, money and energy in
> > >> trying to point to fix responsibility on some entity - witness
> the
> > >> eastcoast black out this year -  (I guess so people can sue
> them)
> > >> instead of saying "Hello..it's time to do something about
> > >> this"...just too much power in the hands of a few extremely
> > >> short-sighted and profit-motivated persons.
> > >>
> > >> Now, I don't have anything against making a nice profit in
> business
> > >> (only wish we could manage that), but there is profit and there
> is
> > >> greed; today, greed is winning hands down.
> > >>
> > >> Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
> > >> mtalt@hort.net
> > >> Editor:  Gardening in Shade
> > >> -----------------------------------------------
> > >> Current Article: Variegation on the Green Theme - Part One
> > >> http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/shade_gardening
> > >> ------------------------------------------------
> > >> Complete Index of Articles by Category and Date
> > >> http://mtalt.hort.net/article-index.html
> > >> ------------------------------------------------
> > >> All Suite101.com garden topics :
> > >> http://www.suite101.com/topics.cfm/635
> > >>
> > >>
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> > >
> > 
> > --
> > Pam Evans
> > Kemp TX/zone 8A
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --
> > 
> >
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