OMNI
GROWTH WATCH, NOTES ON
GROWTH
July 10, 2016
Compiled by Dick
Bennett for a Culture of Peace, Justice, and ECOLOGY
(#1, June 17, 2016)
What’s at Stake: A tremendous change occurred with
the industrial revolution: whereas it
had taken all of human history until around 1800 for world population to reach
one billion, the second billion was achieved in only 130 years (1930),
the third billion in less than 30 years (1959), the fourth billion in 15 years
(1974), and the fifth billion in only 13 years (1987).
- During the
20th century alone, the population in the world has grown from 1.65
billion to 6 billion.
- In 1970,
there were roughly half as many people in the world as there are now.
Contents of Growth Notes #2
Continuation
of Mainstream Media/NWAD-G Mirror and
Cheer-Leader of Private Property, Economic and Population Growth, Expansion,
Development, Consumption, PROGRESS. This
newsletter can be terribly misleading if readers forget the many inseparable
contexts, such as C02 increase, the industrial food system, resources depletion,
poverty, hunger, wars, refugees. See
OMNI’s newsletters on these and related topics.
Northwest
Arkansas-Democrat: NWAD-G CHEERS AND DRUMS FOR
GROWTH June and July 2016.
GROWTH June and July 2016.
Graphic of Recent Growth
Progress
World Population from Year
200 to Present and into Future
Idea of Progress Through
Tech
Robert Kennedy’s Speech on
GNP and Growth
John Perkins, How the US
Uses Globalization
ARTICLES
IN the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette ON ONE DAY—JUNE 23, 2016--DESCRIBING AND
REAFFIRMING PRIVATE PROPERTY, GROWTH, AND CONSUMPTION USA (Sweet Jesus Oxygen
of Capitalism!).
AD-G June 23, 2016
Fayetteville's tourism commission to interview director applicants
FAYETTEVILLE -- The city's tourism commission narrowed its
search for an executive director to three candidates.
The
Advertising and Promotion Commission on Tuesday plans to interview Matt
Behrend, Molly Rawn and Angie Albright for the job. The position oversees the
commission's $5 million budget and its work to market Fayetteville and its
attractions and bring in more tourism, which includes running the city's
visitor's bureau, Town Center and Clinton House Museum…
Group lauds Fort Chaffee
development effort
Posted: June 23, 2016 at 1:04 a.m.
·
WASHINGTON
-- Nearly two decades after the federal government closed Fort Chaffee, efforts
to develop the former base are attracting national recognition.
Association
of Defense Communities officials gave the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority
its base redevelopment excellence award Tuesday, citing effort to develop 7,000
acres near Fort Smith…
Caddo River Forest Products will invest $50 million to reopen a
Glenwood sawmill, a move expected to create 136 jobs in the Pike County town.
Owners of
the company will receive a mix of state and federal incentives totaling $2.3
million to assist with reopening the former Curt Bean Lumber mill, which was
last operational in 2010. The money will assist Caddo River Forest Products, an
entity formed by Texas investors who own timberland in southwest Arkansas….
Lawmaker raps Yellen for slow growth
WASHINGTON
-- A House Republican on Wednesday complained that the Federal Reserve's
actions on interest rates have not fueled economic growth and have left
financial markets confused about the Fed's next moves.
House
Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, said that the
Fed and the Obama administration have failed to produce the kind of economic
policies needed to fuel the economy in the years after the 2007-2009 recession.
"What
is clear and verifiable is that this weak economy doesn't work for millions of
working Americans," Hensarling told Yellen. "The Fed has been the
facilitator and accommodator of the administration's disastrous national debt
policy and has regrettably lent its shrinking credibility to advancing the
administration's social agenda."…
INDEPENDENCE
DAY GOOD DAY TO PLAN GROWTH
Hicham
Raache. “Bypass Spurs Preparation for
Growth. Springdale Developing
Infrastructure on West Side.” NWA Democrat-Gazette (NWAD-G), July 4, 2016.
1B. “Extensive
sewer development happening in the city’s west end is laying the groundwork
toward the future, city officials said.”
Three Articles in “Business and Farm,” NAD-G (7-2-16).
Claire
Williams. “State Farms’ Broiler-Chick
Tally Up 3%.” Despite the bird flu
epidemic in 2015, hatcheries and meat processing are booming in Arkansas.
Polina
Noskova (Bloomberg News). “Chrysler, GM
Short for June, But Ford, Nissan Top Sales Forecasts.” “Forecasts,” predictions the point. Car sales not down, but sales for Chrysler
and GM were lower than predicted.
Josh
Boak (AP). “U.S. Manufacturing Gauge
Rises in June, Report Says.” “American
manufacturing expanded for the fourth-consecutive month in June…as the outlook
for new orders and production improved.”
Rakteem Katakey. “Big Oil Projects Indicate Rally in Spending.” AD-G (7-10-16). “Two projects worth $45 billion…show the
world’s largest oil companies…make big investments, emboldened by rising crude
prices and low costs that promise to trigger expansion.”
“Leak
Shuts Chevron’s Australian Plant.”
Only
a momentary hitch for a $54 billion liquefied natural gas development, “inconsequential
for a project” estimated to “generate cash flows of nearly $7 billion a year
for the partners [Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell] over many decades.”
See Overpop doc for more growth articles from ADG
Every
thorough examination of an issue should arise from these two basic questions:
What
is the situation? Describe the case.
What
is omitted? Describe everything inconveniently
contradictory suppressed.
Everything
in the AD-G, amplifies the dominant
culture—virtually a religion--of private property, growth, and consumerism. Catastrophic
population growth, resources exhaustion, wars, and all other liabilities of US capitalism
are absent or muted.
GRAPHIC UP FOR
PROGRESS THROUGH GROWTH from 1980 to Present
growth
population,
refugees, consumption (North). . .
Growth
1982
Growth 1990
Growth 1998
Growth
2012
Growth 2016 (June 2016)
Population
June 2016: 7.4 billion
Consumption
(USA): The U.S. Consumer.
The United States, with less than 5 % of the global population, uses about a quarter of the world's fossil fuel resources—burning up nearly 25 % of the coal, 26 % of the oil, and 27 % of the world's natural gas.
The United States, with less than 5 % of the global population, uses about a quarter of the world's fossil fuel resources—burning up nearly 25 % of the coal, 26 % of the oil, and 27 % of the world's natural gas.
www.worldwatch.org/node/810
UNITED
NATIONS WORLD POPULATION DAY JULY11
Populations
alone seem overwhelming. Add to them
populations in crisis:
REFUGEES
UNHCR - Figures
at a Glance United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
www.unhcr.org/.../figur...
United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Among them are nearly 21.3
million refugees, over half of whom are
under the age of 18. ... In a world where nearly 34,000 people are forcibly displaced every
day as a result of conflict or persecution, our work at ... UNHCR 2001-2016.
data.unhcr.org/.../region...
United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
... world's dead/missing in 2016 74% 2,896 arrivals
by sea in 2015 1,015,078 arrivals by sea in 2016 237,044 Increasing
numbers of refugees and migrants take ...
www.unhcr.org/.../unhc...
United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Search; Global (EN); Menu. Select a
language for our global site. English Français ... Stories · Governments and
Partners · Get Involved. © UNHCR 2001-2016.
REFUGEES AND DISPLACED POPULATIONS
Two United Nations agencies, the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), are responsible for safeguarding
the rights and well-being of the world’s refugees. Currently, the UNHCR's major
operations take place in Afghanistan, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Mali, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.
In a statement regarding the UNHCR's mid-year 2015 report, António Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said “Never has there been a greater need for tolerance, compassion and solidarity with people who have lost everything.” It's predicted that forced displacements in 2015 exceeded all previous records, topping 60 million people. This means that one out of every 122 persons in the world were forced to flee their home.
Other findings in the report, based on mid-year trends, included:
In a statement regarding the UNHCR's mid-year 2015 report, António Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said “Never has there been a greater need for tolerance, compassion and solidarity with people who have lost everything.” It's predicted that forced displacements in 2015 exceeded all previous records, topping 60 million people. This means that one out of every 122 persons in the world were forced to flee their home.
Other findings in the report, based on mid-year trends, included:
- If you become a
refugee today your chances of returning home are the lowest in more than
30 years
- Syria’s war
remains the single biggest generator of both refugees and internal
displaced persons
- On an absolute
basis Turkey is the world’s biggest host country - 1.84 million
refugees as of 30 June
- Lebanon hosts the
most refugees per capita – 209 refugees per 1,000
- Ethiopia pays most
in relation to its economy - 469 refugees for every dollar of GDP.
- Within the first
six months, Germany was the world's biggest recipient of new asylum
claims, followed by Russia, with 159,000 and 100,000 claims
respectively
- Overall, countries
hosting the lion’s share of refugees are those immediately bordering
conflict zones, usually forming part of the developing world
Growth
2024
Projected
Population: 8 billion
GROWTH
2056
Projected
Population: 10 billion
Yearly Population Growth
Rate (%)
Population in the world is currently (2016) growing at a rate of around 1.13% per year. The current average population change is estimated at around 80 million per year. Annual growth rate reached its peak in the late 1960s, when it was at 2% and above.
Population in the world is currently (2016) growing at a rate of around 1.13% per year. The current average population change is estimated at around 80 million per year. Annual growth rate reached its peak in the late 1960s, when it was at 2% and above.
The world
population (the total number of living humans on Earth) was 7.4 billion as
of June 2016 according to Worldometers and based on the latest estimates
provided by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Population Division [1]. World population is projected to reach 8 billion in 2024 and
10 billion in the year 2056.
(move and expand the bar at the bottom of the chart to
navigate through time)
World Population
|
Datetime
|
World
Population
|
|
Jul 1, 200
|
190,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 600
|
200,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 700
|
210,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 800
|
220,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 900
|
240,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1000
|
275,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1100
|
320,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1200
|
360,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1400
|
350,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1500
|
450,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1650
|
500,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1700
|
610,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1760
|
770,000,000
|
|
Aug 1, 1804
|
1,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1850
|
1,200,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1900
|
1,600,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1927
|
2,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1950
|
2,525,149,312
|
|
Jul 1, 1951
|
2,571,867,515
|
|
Jul 1, 1952
|
2,617,940,399
|
|
Jul 1, 1953
|
2,664,029,010
|
|
Jul 1, 1954
|
2,710,677,773
|
|
Jul 1, 1955
|
2,758,314,525
|
|
Jul 1, 1956
|
2,807,246,148
|
|
Jul 1, 1957
|
2,857,662,910
|
|
Jul 1, 1958
|
2,909,651,396
|
|
Jul 1, 1959
|
2,963,216,053
|
|
Jul 1, 1960
|
3,018,343,828
|
|
Jul 1, 1961
|
3,075,073,173
|
|
Jul 1, 1962
|
3,133,554,362
|
|
Jul 1, 1963
|
3,194,075,347
|
|
Jul 1, 1964
|
3,256,988,501
|
|
Jul 1, 1965
|
3,322,495,121
|
|
Jul 1, 1966
|
3,390,685,523
|
|
Jul 1, 1967
|
3,461,343,172
|
|
Jul 1, 1968
|
3,533,966,901
|
|
Jul 1, 1969
|
3,607,865,513
|
|
Jul 1, 1970
|
3,682,487,691
|
|
Jul 1, 1971
|
3,757,734,668
|
|
Jul 1, 1972
|
3,833,594,894
|
|
Jul 1, 1973
|
3,909,722,120
|
|
Jul 20, 1974
|
4,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1975
|
4,061,399,228
|
|
Jul 1, 1976
|
4,136,542,070
|
|
Jul 1, 1977
|
4,211,322,427
|
|
Jul 1, 1978
|
4,286,282,447
|
|
Jul 1, 1979
|
4,362,189,531
|
|
Jul 1, 1980
|
4,439,632,465
|
|
Jul 1, 1981
|
4,518,602,042
|
|
Jul 1, 1982
|
4,599,003,374
|
|
Jul 1, 1983
|
4,681,210,508
|
|
Jul 1, 1984
|
4,765,657,562
|
|
Jul 1, 1985
|
4,852,540,569
|
|
Jul 1, 1986
|
4,942,056,118
|
|
Jul 11, 1987
|
5,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1988
|
5,126,632,694
|
|
Jul 1, 1989
|
5,218,978,019
|
|
Jul 1, 1990
|
5,309,667,699
|
|
Jul 1, 1991
|
5,398,328,753
|
|
Jul 1, 1992
|
5,485,115,276
|
|
Jul 1, 1993
|
5,570,045,380
|
|
Jul 1, 1994
|
5,653,315,893
|
|
Jul 1, 1995
|
5,735,123,084
|
|
Jul 1, 1996
|
5,815,392,305
|
|
Jul 1, 1997
|
5,894,155,105
|
|
Jul 1, 1998
|
5,971,882,825
|
|
Oct 12, 1999
|
6,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 2000
|
6,126,622,121
|
|
Jul 1, 2001
|
6,204,310,739
|
|
Jul 1, 2002
|
6,282,301,767
|
|
Jul 1, 2003
|
6,360,764,684
|
|
Jul 1, 2004
|
6,439,842,408
|
|
Jul 1, 2005
|
6,519,635,850
|
|
Jul 1, 2006
|
6,600,220,247
|
|
Jul 1, 2007
|
6,681,607,320
|
|
Jul 1, 2008
|
6,763,732,879
|
|
Jul 1, 2009
|
6,846,479,521
|
|
Jul 1, 2010
|
6,929,725,043
|
|
Oct 31, 2011
|
7,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 2012
|
7,097,500,453
|
|
Jul 1, 2013
|
7,181,715,139
|
|
Jul 1, 2013
|
7,181,715,139
|
|
Jul 1, 2014
|
7,265,785,946
|
|
Jul 1, 2014
|
7,265,785,946
|
|
Jul 1, 2015
|
7,349,472,099
|
|
Jul 1, 2015
|
7,349,472,099
|
|
Jul 1, 2016
|
7,432,663,275
|
|
Jul 1, 2016
|
7,432,663,275
|
|
Jul 1, 2017
|
7,515,284,153
|
|
Jul 1, 2018
|
7,597,175,534
|
|
Jul 1, 2019
|
7,678,174,656
|
|
Jul 1, 2020
|
7,758,156,792
|
|
Jul 1, 2025
|
8,141,661,007
|
|
Jul 1, 2030
|
8,500,766,052
|
|
Jul 1, 2035
|
8,838,907,877
|
|
Jul 1, 2040
|
9,157,233,976
|
|
Jul 1, 2045
|
9,453,891,780
|
|
Jul 1, 2050
|
9,725,147,994
|
|
Jul 1, 2060
|
10,184,289,992
|
|
Jul 1, 2070
|
10,547,989,001
|
|
Jul 1, 2080
|
10,836,635,071
|
|
Jul 1, 2090
|
11,055,270,118
|
|
Jul 1, 2100
|
11,213,317,482
|
400400600600800800100010001200120014001400160016001800180020002000
|
Datetime
|
World
Population
|
|
Jul 1, 200
|
190,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 600
|
200,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 700
|
210,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 800
|
220,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 900
|
240,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1000
|
275,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1100
|
320,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1200
|
360,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1400
|
350,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1500
|
450,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1650
|
500,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1700
|
610,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1760
|
770,000,000
|
|
Aug 1, 1804
|
1,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1850
|
1,200,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1900
|
1,600,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1927
|
2,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1950
|
2,525,149,312
|
|
Jul 1, 1951
|
2,571,867,515
|
|
Jul 1, 1952
|
2,617,940,399
|
|
Jul 1, 1953
|
2,664,029,010
|
|
Jul 1, 1954
|
2,710,677,773
|
|
Jul 1, 1955
|
2,758,314,525
|
|
Jul 1, 1956
|
2,807,246,148
|
|
Jul 1, 1957
|
2,857,662,910
|
|
Jul 1, 1958
|
2,909,651,396
|
|
Jul 1, 1959
|
2,963,216,053
|
|
Jul 1, 1960
|
3,018,343,828
|
|
Jul 1, 1961
|
3,075,073,173
|
|
Jul 1, 1962
|
3,133,554,362
|
|
Jul 1, 1963
|
3,194,075,347
|
|
Jul 1, 1964
|
3,256,988,501
|
|
Jul 1, 1965
|
3,322,495,121
|
|
Jul 1, 1966
|
3,390,685,523
|
|
Jul 1, 1967
|
3,461,343,172
|
|
Jul 1, 1968
|
3,533,966,901
|
|
Jul 1, 1969
|
3,607,865,513
|
|
Jul 1, 1970
|
3,682,487,691
|
|
Jul 1, 1971
|
3,757,734,668
|
|
Jul 1, 1972
|
3,833,594,894
|
|
Jul 1, 1973
|
3,909,722,120
|
|
Jul 20, 1974
|
4,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1975
|
4,061,399,228
|
|
Jul 1, 1976
|
4,136,542,070
|
|
Jul 1, 1977
|
4,211,322,427
|
|
Jul 1, 1978
|
4,286,282,447
|
|
Jul 1, 1979
|
4,362,189,531
|
|
Jul 1, 1980
|
4,439,632,465
|
|
Jul 1, 1981
|
4,518,602,042
|
|
Jul 1, 1982
|
4,599,003,374
|
|
Jul 1, 1983
|
4,681,210,508
|
|
Jul 1, 1984
|
4,765,657,562
|
|
Jul 1, 1985
|
4,852,540,569
|
|
Jul 1, 1986
|
4,942,056,118
|
|
Jul 11, 1987
|
5,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 1988
|
5,126,632,694
|
|
Jul 1, 1989
|
5,218,978,019
|
|
Jul 1, 1990
|
5,309,667,699
|
|
Jul 1, 1991
|
5,398,328,753
|
|
Jul 1, 1992
|
5,485,115,276
|
|
Jul 1, 1993
|
5,570,045,380
|
|
Jul 1, 1994
|
5,653,315,893
|
|
Jul 1, 1995
|
5,735,123,084
|
|
Jul 1, 1996
|
5,815,392,305
|
|
Jul 1, 1997
|
5,894,155,105
|
|
Jul 1, 1998
|
5,971,882,825
|
|
Oct 12, 1999
|
6,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 2000
|
6,126,622,121
|
|
Jul 1, 2001
|
6,204,310,739
|
|
Jul 1, 2002
|
6,282,301,767
|
|
Jul 1, 2003
|
6,360,764,684
|
|
Jul 1, 2004
|
6,439,842,408
|
|
Jul 1, 2005
|
6,519,635,850
|
|
Jul 1, 2006
|
6,600,220,247
|
|
Jul 1, 2007
|
6,681,607,320
|
|
Jul 1, 2008
|
6,763,732,879
|
|
Jul 1, 2009
|
6,846,479,521
|
|
Jul 1, 2010
|
6,929,725,043
|
|
Oct 31, 2011
|
7,000,000,000
|
|
Jul 1, 2012
|
7,097,500,453
|
|
Jul 1, 2013
|
7,181,715,139
|
|
Jul 1, 2013
|
7,181,715,139
|
|
Jul 1, 2014
|
7,265,785,946
|
|
Jul 1, 2014
|
7,265,785,946
|
|
Jul 1, 2015
|
7,349,472,099
|
|
Jul 1, 2015
|
7,349,472,099
|
|
Jul 1, 2016
|
7,432,663,275
|
|
Jul 1, 2016
|
7,432,663,275
|
|
Jul 1, 2017
|
7,515,284,153
|
|
Jul 1, 2018
|
7,597,175,534
|
|
Jul 1, 2019
|
7,678,174,656
|
|
Jul 1, 2020
|
7,758,156,792
|
|
Jul 1, 2025
|
8,141,661,007
|
|
Jul 1, 2030
|
8,500,766,052
|
|
Jul 1, 2035
|
8,838,907,877
|
|
Jul 1, 2040
|
9,157,233,976
|
|
Jul 1, 2045
|
9,453,891,780
|
|
Jul 1, 2050
|
9,725,147,994
|
|
Jul 1, 2060
|
10,184,289,992
|
|
Jul 1, 2070
|
10,547,989,001
|
|
Jul 1, 2080
|
10,836,635,071
|
|
Jul 1, 2090
|
11,055,270,118
|
|
Jul 1, 2100
|
11,213,317,482
|
The chart
above illustrates how world population has changed throughout history. View the full tabulated data.
At the dawn
of agriculture, about 8000 B.C., the population of the world was approximately
5 million. Over the 8,000-year period up to 1 A.D. it grew to 200 million (some
estimate 300 million or even 600, suggesting how imprecise population estimates
of early historical periods can be), with a growth rate of under 0.05% per
year.
A tremendous change occurred with
the industrial revolution: whereas it
had taken all of human history until around 1800 for world population to reach
one billion, the second billion was achieved in only 130 years (1930),
the third billion in less than 30 years (1959), the fourth billion in 15 years
(1974), and the fifth billion in only 13 years (1987).
- During the
20th century alone, the population in the world has grown from 1.65
billion to 6 billion.
- In 1970,
there were roughly half as many people in the world as there are now.
- Because of
declining growth rates, it will now take over 200
years to double again.
Wonder how big
was the world's population when you were born?
Check out this simple wizard or this more elaborated one to find out.
Check out this simple wizard or this more elaborated one to find out.
Sources:
- Historical Estimates of World Population -
US Census Bureau
- The World at Six Billion, World Population, Year 0
to near stabilization [Pdf file] - United Nations
Population Division
My interest in
the history of the idea of progress and of the belief in the
benevolence of economic and technological development was recently whetted by one of Dr. Robert McAfee’s 1972 graduate school
textbooks.
Careless Technology, edited by M. Taghi Farvar and
John P. Milton (1972)
From Book Jacket: “The Careless Technology explores the
relationships between technological developments in the Third World nations and
the ecological strains that “progress” creates.
It challenges the idea that developing countries can or should be
overhauled by the wealthier nations….As Barry Commoner states in his summary of
the volume: “While nearly all of the projects described were conceived as
specific technological advances--the construction of hydro-electric plant, the
development of an irrigation system, enhancement of crop yields by chemical
control of pests--they were in operational fact powerful intrusions on large
scale geophysical and ecological systems…ecological mistakes.”
Under the banner of growth, development continues headlong
today still without the restraints urgently essential to a sustainable
civilization. The jacket of The Careless Technology presents three
pictures: the first at the top is of a cow grazing at left and the moon rising
at right; the second picture has the cow half-visible and moon emerging as a
skull; in the third picture the cow has disappeared and the moon is full-skull. --Dick
Comments by
Robert Kennedy, Jr. and John Perkins
regarding US development/growth behavior.
Excerpt from
Robert Kennedy’s Speech on GNP and Growth
Remarks at the University of Kansas, March 18, 1968
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Research-Aids/Ready-Reference/RFK-Speeches/Remarks-of-Robert-F-Kennedy-at-the-University-of-Kansas-March-18-1968.aspx
“And this is one of the great tasks of
leadership for us, as individuals and citizens this year. Even if we act to erase
material poverty, there is another greater task, it is to confront the poverty
of satisfaction - purpose and dignity - that afflicts us all.
Too much and for too long, we seemed to have surrendered
personal excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material
things. Our Gross National Product, now, is over $800 billion dollars a
year, but that Gross National Product - if we judge the United States of
America by that - that Gross National Product counts air pollution and
cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage.
It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the
people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwood and the
loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl.
It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars
for the police to fight the riots in our cities. It counts Whitman's
rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in
order to sell toys to our children.
Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of
our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It
does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the
intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public
officials.
It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom
nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it
measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.
And it can tell us everything about America except why we are
proud that we are Americans.”
John Perkins, Confessions of an
Economic Hit Man: How the U.S. Uses Globalization to Cheat Poor Countries Out
of Trillions
Interview excerpt: “..the company I worked for
was a company named Chas. T. Main in Boston, Massachusetts. We were about 2,000
employees, and I became its chief economist. I ended up having fifty people
working for me. But my real job was deal-making. It was giving loans to other
countries, huge loans, much bigger than they could possibly repay. One of the
conditions of the loan — let’s say a $1 billion to a country like Indonesia or
Ecuador — and this country would then have to give ninety percent of that loan
back to a U.S. company, or U.S. companies, to build the infrastructure — a
Halliburton or a Bechtel. These were big ones. Those companies would then go in
and build an electrical system or ports or highways, and these would basically
serve just a few of the very wealthiest families in those countries. The poor
people in those countries would be stuck ultimately with this amazing debt that
they couldn’t possibly repay. A country today like Ecuador owes over fifty
percent of its national budget just to pay down its debt. And it really can’t
do it. So, we literally have them over a barrel. So, when we want more oil, we
go to Ecuador and say, "Look, you’re not able to repay your debts,
therefore give our oil companies your Amazon rain forest, which are filled with
oil." And today we’re going in and destroying Amazonian rain forests,
forcing Ecuador to give them to us because they’ve accumulated all this debt.
So we make this big loan, most of it comes back to the United States, the
country is left with the debt plus lots of interest, and they basically become
our servants, our slaves. It’s an empire. There’s no two ways about it. It’s a
huge empire. It’s been extremely successful.”
And here is my interactive grow game. What growth do you love? What about love? Sorry, that’s already Subaru’s and their
customers’. That’s what a Subaru is. --Dick
Following
matter goes at end
For more on growth, an
aspect of Capitalism, see the many OMNI newsletters on US Capitalism and
related topics (Overpopulation, Occupy, Chamber of Commerce).
Omni Newsletters:
Contents Growth Watch June 17, 2016
OMNI’s Book Forum June 5, 2016, Klein’s This Changes Everything, Film
What is OMNI350 Book
Forum’s Purpose? Is this the best book
for our future?
Boostering Growth Has
No Boundaries
US Chamber of
Commerce
Water District
(population growing)
Census:
Fayetteville and NWA Best in State
To AD-G Easter Sunday Good Day to Drum Up
Sales!
XNA, Whataburger, Cargill, Wall-Mart, U of
Arkansas! JB Hunt, Editorial
XNA, Whataburger, Cargill, Wall-Mart, U of
Arkansas! JB Hunt, Editorial
Progress
Ford’s New
F-Series Trucks
Global
Tourism: Disney
Air Travel:
Delta
Opposition to Growth
Monbiot, Air
Travel
Chamber of
Commerce
WLF v.
Airplanes
Cities
US Forest
Service
National Park
Service
Scholarly Books
Limits to Growth
McKibben, Eaarth
Heinberg, The End of Growth
Rogoff, Rethinking the Growth Imperative
Derber and
Magrass, Bully Nation: How the American
Establishment Creates a Bullying Society
Establishment Creates a Bullying Society
END OMNI NOTES ON GROWTH #2
No comments:
Post a Comment