Readings International Inequality 11.29.21

 

5 shocking facts about extreme global inequality and how to even it up

Inequality.org

How Artificial Intelligence Could Widen the Gap Between Rich and Poor Nations

How Climate Change Worsens Poverty and Inequality

A Hard Look Forward

This is not a happy, feel-good post full of hope or possible answers. Here, we will take a peak into the coming dark age we are all facing. It is not just global warming we are facing. There's more trouble ahead, a lot more. We know about human caused climate change already. There are at least three more threats we need to add to the list. Our dying oceans. The insect die off. The current mass extinction event.   

The oceans face several big problems; acidification, warming that leads to current changes, over fishing and pollution. A more acidic ocean means more dying coral and shell based sea life which affects food chains the world over. Yes, it is related to a warming earth. The ocean currents are changing as well, they are slowing. This will change weather patterns, location of fish populations and sea level rise. And then you can add overfishing and pollution. We know about the huge problem of plastic waste but let's not forget oil seepage, farm chemical runoff, industrial waste and even noise pollution. Sound travels far underwater and plays havoc with animals that use sonar. Oh, and let's give a special shout-out to those fun looking cruise ships! But wait, there's more! 

The insects are dying off. We kind of need them. They pollinate plants, enrich the soil and are the basis of countless food chains. It's difficult ti imagine a world without bugs or a very few dominant species who cannot replicate the roles diverse insect populations now play. There are a number of human-made causes for this. Farm fertilizers, industrial chemicals, pollution and ongoing habitat destruction all play roles in declining bug populations. We easily forget sitting in from the elements comfortably in our homes, we are still a part on a much larger natural system on which we completely depend. Without pollinating insects, the food chain on which we depend disappears. Good luck with that! Oh, and one more thing (for this post anyway).

We are in a mass extinction event. It is not a natural cycle. It is us. We are rapidly destroying the natural world with overpopulation, habitat destruction, pollution, human caused climate change and my favorite- overconsumption. Our lives of privilege, security and ease hide the real dangers right in front of us. Few have ever been to a place where they are not the highest on the food chain. We separate ourselves from the natural world. Our idea of a food chain is a drive thru, the grocery store and now even the internet. Completely cut off from nature in our homes, work places and cars rapidly shrinking biodiversity seems far away from our day to day lives. The impacts are here and now depending on where you live in the world. Trapped in our twin illusions of limitless growth and continuous progress, we cannot see the rapidly approaching cliffs ahead. So...? 

I love our mythological, space exploring future as much as anyone. Hell, I even write science-fiction! It could happen but understand the future we get may be very, very different from the one we want. Hope for the best but plan for the worst. Once capitalism recognizes the depth of danger, it will be far too late. With all the well known dangers above, the best we get are international conferences full of half measures and lots of blah, blah, blah. In other words, the people running this shit show haven't even began to see the slow motion armageddon unfolding in real time, much less starting to do anything of substance about it. 

I don't mean to screw up your day, just help create awareness of the massive challenges ahead. It is too easy for us here in the USA to see those being affected by climate change and these three unfolding disasters today as a problem far removed from our pay check to pay check existence and daily routines. Any hope of solving these problems depends on open and honest understanding and moving well beyond the blame game. Keep your humanity moving forward friends... There will be no easy / pain free fixes.                          

Thought Flash...

So I was listening to Van Jones and Andrew Yang on Forward with Andrew Yang. Van said something like Democrats now find themselves having to defend our government institutions from Republican attack. Only problem most government institutions are despised. I'm paraphrasing here not taking a direct quote. I think I'd generally agree. That does not bode well for the Democrats in 2022, 2024 and beyond. 

Will the spending bill kick in in time? Will inflation slow a little next year? Where will we be as a country in a year? Covid? A black-swan event? There are too many variables / moving parts to write off the Democrats at this time. All the polls, talking TV heads and so-called experts are doing little more than trying to generate views and clicks at this point. Van and Andrew talked about a bunch of other stuff as well. I'm not trying to poo poo the podcast. I think it's good over all. 

I will say this, if the Democrats fail to protect voting rights we will become a true one party state. That will not end well for anyone. One party states don't play well together, mix in some nukes and you get the idea.     

A Few Notes on Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving may be the best holiday on the US calendar; no gifting expectations, no need to add to your debit level and for many a few days off work. I have never participated in the Black Friday madness and I would urge you to pass as well. We give thanks for what we have and then turn right around and buy more, only in the USA! Don't let others define Thanksgiving for you. Instead make it your own. No or little family around, find a few friends in a similar situation and cook out or go for Chinese food! Alone? Cook something tasty watch some football or a movie and make it a relaxing day. The huge meals with lots of family and friends are cool most of the time (just don't let it stress you out). Take a day to set aside differences, heal old hurts and reconnect when possible. Some of my most memorable Thanksgivings were the unusual ones. You?

Many years ago brother Dave ran in a marathon in Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day. We went down the day before and spent the night in a hotel. He ran the race in the morning, came back to the hotel, took a short nap and then drove most of the five hours home. There were no restaurants open for a proper meal. It was even a challenge to just find gas but we did. A soft drink, nabs and a candy bar morphed into the Thanksgiving meal. I was just glad to be on the road with Dave and Dad. It was a good trip. Then, there was the more recent year my wife, Thu, got a great deal on three (or was it four??) turkeys. Chest freezers are a good thing indeed! She baked the first one with a little help from YouTube. The others she baked over time as needed. We ate turkey off and on until the following spring. So... what is there to be thankful for in these times? 

Well, to start with, the sun came up today. And we are here to greet it! Appreciation of the small things is a good place to start. If you're reading this, there is a good chance you hav a roof over your head. I appreciate you taking a few minutes to read this! Be thankful you have made it this far in life. Getting older does not suck, it's a privilege that not everyone gets. Nobody said it was going to be easy. Along with the sunrise, we have another opportunity to try and make the world just a little better. Those are a few general things. Here are a few things I'm thankful for in no particular order. 

I'm thankful for family and friends of course. I'm personally thankful for the ADA; ramps up curbs, wide enough isles in stores, elevators most everywhere I need one and travel. I've always found help getting around airports when I've needed it, even internationally. I'm glad knowing help is a 911 call away. Thank you EMS, Fire and Police Departments. I think they should all be paid better! I'm happy I have access to and know how to use technology; safer cars, computers and a more comfortable home. Those are a few things, there are more. It's nice to have a holiday built around a meal with family and or friends. 

** Covid is still lurking out there, be smart!! ** 

  

               

Religious Freedom

 

Now. here's a topic that can make everyone mad! That's not the goal. 

In recent times, religious freedom has come to mean "I have the religious freedom to impose my religion on my employees and or customers." No birth control coverage for people working in Catholic charities, remember? "I'm not gonna make a wedding cake for a gay couple." Now, for a select few, it means I don't have to get a vaccine to protect myself or community because vaccines are against my religion. These are the same people crying religious persecution as synagogs are defaced with nazi symbols, mosques are vandalized and African-American churches are burned to the ground. The freedom to hate seems to be a longe running theme also. Hatred of other religions, other nationalities / races, nonbelievers and anyone in the LGBQ community are common among nationalistic, conservative christians. It is a form of dehumanization. It is very dangerous and not what our country is about.

The people who started this circus known as the United States of America knew the perils of mixing government and religion. They decided that the government here should stay out of the religion business all together. It's there in the Bill of Rights for all to see. Here's a little from the ACLU. The church / state wall held strong until Nixon's Southern Strategy. We have been on a path towards a one party ruled state dominated by huge corporate interests along with Christian Nationalist types ever since. Trump came close but proved too inept to pull it off. Don't worry, he will not be the last to try. I think this is our biggest threat after climate change induced collapse. A dictator type here will have the power to destroy the entire world many times over. All that stands between us and this disturbing view of the future is a weak Joe Biden, a Democratic Party ran by so-called centrists and you and me. Forgive me, but I have little faith in the first two. That leaves us. Let me give you my take on religious freedom. Try not to let the fact that I'm a practicing agnostic fuck you up. Hear me out.        

The government should not be involved in promoting one religion over another, much less establishing some kind of official state religion. I don't know about you but countries that do have an official state religion are not too high on my places to visit list. Cutting off limbs, heads and female genital mutilation have no place in a modern free state, nor does witch burning, executing gays or Atheists. Living here, I've been fortunate to welcome and learn from Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and other lesser known religious people here in my own home. None had to worry about a police (or other force) knocking on the door. It is one of the most magical things about living here in the USA. We can take our own path to the spiritual life or not.  

     

  

What is Modern Monetary Theory? Some Readings.

 

What is Modern Monetary Theory? Understanding the alternative economic theory that's becoming more mainstream

The Economist Who Believes the Government Should Just Print More Money

Modern Monetary Theory

Stephanie Kelton

Answers?

We recently talked about capitalism vs. climate change and income inequality. I think these two issues are related at least as far as justice is concerned. It is poor people who always take the brunt of the suffering. Well off people are in a better position to move, build and secure safe housing. They also have better food security. Thinking this will always be the case is being short-sighted on their part. It depends on just how warm we get and how fast. Time is not on humanity's side. Today we are experiencing the effects of a warming planet, not in ten or twenty years. It is here. There are solutions. People like short-term and black and white answers, good vs. evil, Democrat vs. Republican and right vs. wrong. If you have lived past ten years, you learn that life is rarely so clear. Huge problems are often decades in the making and solutions take time. We are going to need patience, hard work and a willingness to change. 

We have two tools we can use for positive change, the ballet and our wallets. Here in the USA, where the so called choice is between center right and far right voting our way out of this mess will be a long difficult slog. I'm often tempted to throw in the towel bitching about both parties are more or less the same. I think in many ways they are. But then January 6th, 2021 happened. The Republicans ceased being a political party and morphed into a doomsday cult headed by the former president. They are utterly devoid of ideas on how to better the country, much less the world. They are blind to income inequality and climate change mynacilly repeating the same old tired, disproven and irrational ideas of tax cuts for the rich, deregulation, the power of the mythical free market and guns for everyone. Recently they've added phobias of everyone non-white, the words communism and socialism (anything that could possibly help average people) and a cult leader. The Democrats at least pretend to be reasonable, listen to science and throw a few scraps here and there for working people. I can vote for Democrats but am under no illusion they are going to save us from the ravages of casino capitalism. They might just buy us a little more time. A more effective tool is our wallets, how we spend our money. 

Money is the only language our corporate overlords understand. We've seen a slight gain in worker power here in 2021. Enough people are finally saying we are not going to just accept slave wages, hence wages are rising (note the slick amazon ads about rising pay). I'm not impressed with your small business making money by paying minimum wage. A viable business should pay living wages. This notion needs to carry over into climate related areas. DISCLAIMER: I don't do enough of these either. But here are a few ideas. I should avoid meat all together (clear cut farming). I should never go to Walmart or use Amazon (landfills). I drive / use my car rarely (I can). I have my own garden, chickens and a greenhouse (my wife's but hey!). None of us should fly. It may be too late already but we can still try. I don't know a way to organize enough people to spend their money in an environmentally friendly way. If you do, I'm all ears! This leads me to the hard part. 

Adapting to a rapidly changing environment will require us to fundamentally change the way we live. Not only that, it will require an entire paradigm shift on how we view the world. We can no longer live humankind vs nature. We need to get back to humankind is a part of nature. I think this is impossible for most people living in a luxurious western world. We are simply too deeply and hopelessly attached to houses, yards, cars, year around HVAC and an undying belief in eternal growth and "progress." Yes, I too, want the shiny Star Trek future, flying cars and to break the mind machine barrier. Alas, not going to happen. We are going to have to learn to live in a shrinking economy, with more crazy weather and more and more conflict. Can we do it? I'd guess no but we may as well try.