tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062044641165131850.post866109469857420390..comments2023-10-15T04:10:39.168-06:00Comments on Sans Auto: SymptomsGarretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970191392795369846noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062044641165131850.post-74453887136254756612008-02-25T08:12:00.000-07:002008-02-25T08:12:00.000-07:00Garrett,Thanks for another thoughtful post.I think...Garrett,<BR/>Thanks for another thoughtful post.<BR/><BR/>I think that your frustration is misplaced. When you blame "capitalism" for our ills, I think you should say "industrialization."<BR/><BR/>Capitalism is an economic system where decisions are made based on the aggregate desires of the masses. I believe that it is independent of what the economy is producing.<BR/><BR/>Industrialization leads to mass production and the temptation to over-exploit natural resources.<BR/><BR/>An industrialized country under a different economic system can cause the same damage to the environment. Take for example, the Soviet Union. This was an industrialized, communist country. In the Soviet Union people didn't own as many consumer goods as we do, but many of their natural resources were wasted to produce tanks, submarines, guns, etc. The Soviet leaders felt that these were necessary to protect their position and expand their power. They wasted natural resources just to preserve their political party.<BR/><BR/>In the United States, we also spend a lot of resources on arms, but it is a smaller percentage of our economy.<BR/><BR/>With capitalism, economic decisions are taken away from political leaders and given to the people. If Americans think that a company is wasteful, we stop buying their goods and services, and they go out of business. The system isn't 100% efficient, but I think it works pretty well.<BR/><BR/>So, industrialization causes environmental problems. Capitalism has its many faults, but I don't believe it contributes to global warming.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com