Cob RE: Beyond Cob...

[Julia and Patrick Bunn]

At 11:45 AM 12/2/97 -0600, you wrote:
>> >People are not starving because there are more people than food. <
>
>Not _yet_, Julie, but that day is going to come, and in the next 20 years if
>the population explosion continues.
>
This assertion is false.  There is a population implosion of crisis
proportion going on.  In many countries, leaders are begging people to have
more children.  The US is a prime example of a country not replacing the
population.  I was born the year of Roe V. Wade.  My generation will have
to support the baby boomers, who vastly out number us GenXers, thanks to
the "choice" of so many mothers to murder their babies, and the
unwillingness of married people to be generous.  I for one, intend to do my
part, and have as many children as God deems I should have.

>>  >  If all the world but the US stopped producing food, the US
>> could feed the entire world. <
>
>There is less land being farmed now than at any other time in the history of
>this country.  There are also less "family" farmers than ever before.
Massive
>corporations are gobbling up more and more acres of farmland every year.  And
>these companies make all their production decisions based on the bottom
line of
>a profit and loss statement - not what is best for the environment or the
human
>species.  They use massive amounts of energy, water and chemicals on the
crops,
>all in the name of profit.  This is _not_ sustainable farming.
>
Okay, so we need farm reform.  This is not a population issue.  And, there
is nothing wrong with profit, though it is wrong when people sacrifice
their children for the sake of prosperity.

>I get the impression from your post that you feel this country should set new
>goals for feeding the rest of the world.  I don't feel that way at all.
Other
>countries have their own natural resources and they should learn to use them
>for feeding, housing and caring for their own peoples.  This country is not
>responsible for the entire rest of the world!

Yes, I agree with you.  Your impression was mistaken.  I don't say we
should feed the rest of the world, I just say we could if we wanted to.

>
>No other country in the world has done more for other countries than has the
>US.  And Americans are almost universally hated in the rest of the world.  If
>the US was struck with tragic disasters, natural or otherwise, I don't for
one
>minute believe that the rest of the world would rally to our aid.  We do have
>the technology and wealth needed to come up with better ways to feed and
house
>ourselves.  We should be doing that.  If the other countries are willing to
>learn and do the job for themselves, fine.  If not, then it's their
problem to
>solve any way they want to do it.
>
I think we have the problem of feeding and housing ourselves pretty well
licked.  I think we need to learn to solve more important problems, like
how to be rational, moral human beings.  

>> > People are starving because of evil coercive governments who control the
>> distribution of food, and who deny people their natural rights: life,
>> liberty, and property. <
>
>I'm not at all a fan of our government - neither Democratic or Republican
>leadership.  Not at all!  But I don't buy the image of "evil coercive
>governments" with the goal of inflicting as much suffering as possible on the
>largest number of people possible.
>
The goal may be only to expand power and wealth for the powerful and
wealthy, but the end is they inflict "as much suffering as possible on the
largest number of people possible".  The result seeking to overturn the
moral order, is always suffering and death.  
We don't need to worry about food, that will take care of itself, if we do
worry about the right things.  A wise man once said,  "Take no thought for
tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. . .  But seek
first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall
be added unto you."

>On the other hand, if you want to have a party to throw rocks at our
government
>for being egotistical and ill informed, then I'll come - and bring my own
>rocks.
>
If the people of this country were only better at governing themselves,
egostistical and ill informed local/state/federal governments would never
come to power.

--Julie
>
>> Carol M.
>>
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