The BIG Picture

In this country, with the emphasis and focus on the rights of the individual, it is hard for many to see the big picture; that is the consequences and effect of their actions on others. In their pursuit of happiness, many inadvertently are destroying the social fabric, as well as the environment, that allows them that pursuit. To rationalize, advocate, and practice behavior that is contrary to the laws of science and academic discipline is just plain crazy.

I recently read a report observing that the world population is starting to level off. Within 25 years the average family worldwide will consist of 2.5 children. For whatever reason this is happening, those familiar with Malthus will cheer this as a small part of the Revolution of Sanity.

A major problem in our culture is that too many Americans have an appetitional structure that far exceeds their worth to the planet. Another problem is that much economic activity is based on business school models that assume exponential growth. Alan Greenspan understood this when he told Congress that the 1.3 million illegal immigrants had a profound positive impact on our economy during the Bush Administration. In layman's terms, they work cheap and are undiscerning consumers.

The point is that if population is leveling off,  we will have a decline in demand. Robots and I pods don't buy anything. We had better start working on some new models as well as realistic expectations; and advocate more productive, proactive lifestyles void of shallow vain endeavors. It is lunacy to claim that high taxes are to blame and we can keep going.

The oil spew continues today. And it is crazy that some politicians, including Joe Lieberman, are amending their position on off shore drilling to give coastal states the final say, but at the same time relaxing regulations on drilling. Don't they see the big picture? The slick from the gulf is already impacting North Carolina and could possibly effect the entire Northern Hemisphere. We have no idea of the long, or short term effects of the dispersants used to deal with this catastrophe.

Finally, and you couldn't make this stuff up, in Florida Rick Scott is running for governor as a maverick, an outsider. His company, Columbia, HCK, pleaded guilty to Medicare and Medicaid fraud and paid a 1.7 billion dollar settlement, the largest fraud settlement in US history at the time. To steal from Medicare and Medicaid is to steal from Americans and constitutes an outright attack on the future of America. Scott, a modern day carpetbagger hopes to ride Jeb Bush's coattails with support from the UnTea Party.