BiscottiGelato

I don't know about the point of the article. It's known that US have a much higher std of living than say, China or HK. At max the only insight, to some people, is the somewhat absurd definition of 'poverty'.

It's always been the case that on average, people get complacent and lose competitiveness. People who are worse off will try to work harder to improve his/her situation. It's not a cultural thing, it's just human nature. Besides, if you have an awesome life, are you supposed to still work your ass off, instead of enjoying it? If you are rich, you are going to retire and relax. Competitveness is only for the poor.

In terms of conservation. I don't know if I'm a believer in that. I tend to believe that market economy and innovation will solve problems associated with finite resource/infinite demand. Afterall the best cure for high demand is higher prices. Sustainability and conservation is too anti-evolutionary, maybe on another planet, but it just won't work on this one.

快樂牛郎

If everybody have the same standard as living as people in the first world countries have, we woul ...
Ovaltine 發表於 2011/9/19 16:57

but how do you convince the chinese that they can't have the same standard of living as the Americans?

too bad that now nuclear warfare does so much damage to the environment
in the old days with swords, you could have a massive war that eliminates population without doing any environmental damage

anyways, it's all over now
earth will still turn without any human
no big deal

peter236

有官僚資本主義下，根本是沒可能
唯一是實行世襲奴隸制，使其作奴隸的人們世代相信自己是奴隸 ...
ricrick 發表於 2011-9-19 16:15

In democratic India they still have 世襲奴隸制. This why they lag way behind China in economic development.

peter236

In this rare occasion, I cannot agree more with cowboy this time.

That is 100% true, especially for a lot of HKers who used to enjoy
good lives in the good old days, but not anymore.

They cannot accept China is growing and there are a huge
mass of middle class households who are enjoying extremely good
lives now. However, China has also a lot of poor people in
the opposite end. China's challenge is to bring all the
people up to the same standard standard of living
fy789 發表於 2011-9-19 15:11

These self-hating people still cannot accept the rapid rise of the huge Chinese middle class.
Just look at the rapid increase in sales of cars, electronics, branded clothings, computers, and tourism etc. This shows Chinese middle class is rapidly increasing in wealth and in size.

The rapid urbanization is moving more people into the big cities. The poor village population is shrinking by millions each year.

Ovaltine

I don't know about the point of the article. It's known that US have a much higher std of living tha ...
BiscottiGelato 發表於 2011-9-19 17:18

Calling conservation anti-evolutionary is like the Neanderthals calling the homo-sapiens "intelligent weaklings" I suggest y'all read Ronald Wright's "A Short History of Progress"
or Wikipedia "Progress Trap" Human industrial civilization is part of the progress trap where we based our lives of rugged individualism.



We have globalization for profit, why do we not have globalization for the community? or the general population? Our narcissistic behavior is most likely indoctrinated from media and education system, I don't see the generation before had this kind of behavior. People of our generation usually lack community sense, or even concepts of family.

Look4chrisng

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A

Elizbeth warren said these in 2008.  There is nothing new, if they can fix the middle class finance, there is no real recovery, and the world is in deep ****.  See the Americans cheer when other makes a mistake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8PCHis_PnM

Look4chrisng

Elizbeth warren said these in 2008.  There is nothing new, if they can fix the middle class financ ...
Look4chrisng 發表於 2011-9-20 10:12

Hate to say that.  It sure feels like Germany in the 1930s'

Ovaltine

Elizbeth warren said these in 2008.  There is nothing new, if they can fix the middle class financ ...
Look4chrisng 發表於 2011-9-20 10:12

Your reply is the root of the problem, you are replying my post with economic reasons rather than societal problems. If we don't change the structures of our lives, there will be society collapse.

Look4chrisng

回復 18# Ovaltine


Yes, this is somewhat true.

But, say if US gov default on their loan, will end the world much faster than global warming.

ricrick

我一向喜愛田園生活，最多歸隱山林，起碼吾洗再返工，為金錢/物質做奴隸，自由奔放，情懆何等高尚