We are naive fools to wait for the free market to save us from impending shortages of critical natural resources

“The free market–the invisible hand–will take care of everything.”

I’ve addressed this topic of the free market as alleged panacea several times before.  I’ve referred to this blind faith in the market as unsubstantiated.  I’ve mockingly referred to the common belief in the wisdom of the invisible hand as a belief in the Fouth Person in the Holy Quartet.  Why mock?  Because stark shortages of critically important natural resources loom in every direction.   And yet we’re in denial. You deny the denial?  Then how is it that we tolerate, this year, big U.S. metropolitan areas like Raleigh-Durham and Atlanta had only a few weeks left of their municipal water supplies?  We tolerate that we are drawing down unreplenishable water sources throughout the desert southwest.  Intelligent civilizations don’t deny such dangers.  They consciously deal with their problems.

I’ve just read a well-phrased description of why the modern version of the free market can’t save us from our problems regarding impending shortages of essential natural resources.  The following quote is from a new book available free on-line from Population Connection: PLAN B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, by environmental analyist, Lester R. Brown (2008).

Now with the economy as large as it is, the indirect costs of burning coal—the costs of air pollution, acid rain, devastated ecosystems, and climate change—can exceed the direct costs, those of mining the coal and transporting it to the power plant. As a result of neglecting to account for these indirect costs, the market is undervaluing

…

Continue ReadingWe are naive fools to wait for the free market to save us from impending shortages of critical natural resources

Animal minds: How animals think.

National Geographic has just published a terrific article summarizing the many ways in which animals think.   Here’s the article.  You can watch a short accompanying video on this topic of animal cognition here. I like the approach to both the article and the video.  They are both centered around large beautiful portraits of many…

Continue ReadingAnimal minds: How animals think.

John McCain bribes the media; the media accepts

In some of my previous posts both here on Dangerous Intersection and on Daylight Atheism, I've done my best to call attention to the corrupt, degraded state of most of today's major news-gathering organizations. But a story I read today is truly the most astonishing example yet - both in…

Continue ReadingJohn McCain bribes the media; the media accepts

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer fails the “I’m sorry” test regarding the prostitute.

Perhaps Elliot Spitzer was really sorry for having sex with a prostitute from the Emperor’s Club, but he failed the I’m sorry Test.  Why?  For two reasons.  Because it wasn’t Spitzer’s turn to apologize and his apology was mis-directed. 

It was George W. Bush’s turn to apologize, I’m fairly certain.   Why do I write this?  Because Bush has done each of the following:

  • Plunged the U.S. into armed combat and an extended occupation of Iraq based on numerous lies.
  • Mismanaged the medical treatment of veterans at Walter Reed.
  • Mishandled Plamegate (Chief of Staff to the Vice President was convicted of perjury).
  • Mishandled Iraq (assuming that we should have been there at all), due to lack of preparation for occupation, looting, including the National Museum, too few troops, lack of training, lack of equipment, lack of securing loose Iraqi munitions, disbanding the Iraqi army . . .
  • Invited no bid contracts in Iraq, including to Halliburton and companies that provide mercenaries with little or no accountability.
  • Encouraged torture, indefinite detention, the end of habeas corpus, and kangaroo courts.
  • Mishandled the political firing of US attorneys.
  • “Heck of a job, Brownie,”
  • Authorized warrantless NSA wiretapping in October 2001.
  • Allowed extraordinary rendition to facilitate interrogation by torture
  • Maintained cozy corrupt relationships with K Street Lobbyists.
  • Allowed Cheney’s Energy Policy and refused to divulge the oil industry participation.
  • Encouraged financially irresponsible cuts for the wealthiest, big corporations.
  • Denied of Global warming and its human causes.
  • Attempted to disband the 911 Commission.
  • Damaged
…

Continue ReadingNew York Governor Eliot Spitzer fails the “I’m sorry” test regarding the prostitute.

Religion can be harmful to your health.

Fifty people stared straight at the sun to see the Virgin Mary and caused themselves to go blind.  It happened in THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India. At least 50 people in Kottayam district have reportedly lost their vision after gazing at the sun looking for an image of Virgin Mary. Though alarmed health…

Continue ReadingReligion can be harmful to your health.