Fascinating! Thanks for pointing that out. Perhaps I am oversimplifying the situation.

It may be helpful to examine the UN population projections for the next 50 years. Their low-variant projection is widely considered to be a dispassionate forecast. The numbers from years 2000 to 2050 are (for age group 0-4, world population, in millions)

621 624 578 547 516 503 …332

This trend is more indicative of a collapsing population than an exploding one.

Right now, there are still enough resources to keep most of us alive. But species are going extinct at an accelerating rate, arable land is being paved over, resources are being depleted far faster than they are being replenished, and the temperature of the planet is rising. There are almost 7 billion humans, and demographers don’t expect it to level off until 10 billion. It’s quite obvious to me that this situation is not sustainable.

But then, maybe the goal isn’t for the human species to survive perpetually in a sustainable balance with our environment. Maybe the goal is to grab as much as we can get, party while we can, use it all up, then go extinct like the dinosaurs. If that’s the goal, then we are on the right path.

#118 There is no such thing as fair trade in the real world. Says: ” … but that we are bad crooks is no excuse to become better crooks.”

I gave examples of how other countries give themselves advantages. What does the USA do that makes us unfair traders?

I think some of this is a cultural difference. My Asian friends tell me that negotiating over there isn’t about a win-win solution or fairness to all parties. It’s about politely but relentlessly pushing to get the absolute best deal for yourself. And if someone else lets you take advantage of them, then they are weak. Until we learn how to negotiate effectively in that environment, we will continue to decline.

Because candidate Obama said that he would negotiate *fair* trade deals, I voted for a democrat for the first time. I hope he doesn’t disappoint me.

“I love the word re-imagined. I believe with a blank check, anything can be done. ”

Well sure. If its all just a holygram. Rehab programs like to tell you that “With God – anything is possible.” What they mean is “With the right computer programming” anything “seems” possible.

When will we acknowledge the artifice of the entire enterprise? Or does that mean growing up?

“the USA is not trading fairly, then we are sure doing a poor job of cheating”

That’s true, but that we are bad crooks is no excuse to become better crooks.

That’s like saying the government doesn’t work perfectly, getting elected to it so that you’re part of the problem, and then functioning incompetently to prove your point while you destroy from within. What positive outcome does that possibly accomplish? Don’t the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Perhaps instead, we could lead by positive example, and build (jobs, growing economy) a clean, competitive, livable 21st century efficient economy (it’s 9 years into it, time to get off our butts and actually do something). Wouldn’t that be novel, instead of our recent can’t do attitude and dragging our feet, kicking and screaming, towards a cleaner, healthier world for our grandchildren?

The last time we had a massive burst of creative innovation and commercial technology application in this country was 1913. Every hunderd years?

That seemed spiteful instead of insightful.

Mr G, please think again. My mother was the 7th of 8 in a family that had much love but hardly any material goods, and a similar story was true for my father. My own family made it ok but without much financial margin. Neither considered children luxuries but rather as gifts from God.

I’m sorry that you have the harsh views that you do. Your views are fortunately not representative of the views of humankind. In any event, it will be the case that as you grow old, it will be somebody’s children who will take care of you.

From a more global perspective, you write that “… the planet already has three times the humans it can sustainably support.” Actually the planet is supporting them quite well. The major cause of early mortality is AIDS and other diseases in parts of the world, which are not the fault of “the planet.” As to overall population, it now is reasonably stable. If there is an overall problem with population, it is population decline (not increase) in the developed countries.

Royal Bank of Scotland posts huge loss for 2008, unveils restructuring program.

LONDON (AP) — The Royal Bank of Scotland posted an annual loss of 24.14 billion pounds ($34.4 billion) — the biggest in British corporate history — and unveiled a massive restructuring plan on Thursday that will offload many of its international businesses.

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Interesting, last week I heard “TV pro traders” giving RBS-PCL a buy. Saying, “looks attractive”. They said the same thing about Citi last October. “I think there’s room on the upside”. Has since lost 70% of it’s value.

Be very careful, these are treacherous times in the trading pit.

=D~

If the USA is not trading fairly, then we are sure doing a poor job of cheating, because we still have massive trade deficits and our industries are disappearing. Maybe the Chinese can show us how to relax our environmental, labor, and intellectual property laws while restricting imports, subsidizing our industries, and manipulating our currency.

108. RB Says: “Children are not luxuries. Think again, please.”

I suppose I *need* to have children to preserve my precious legacy, even though I cannot afford them, even though millions of orphans need parents, and even though the planet already has three times the humans it can sustainably support.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=6951948

President Obama’s popularity seems contingent on people’s willingness to accept everything he says at face value. He’s a great speaker and a brilliant mincer of words.