AlterNet: Is the Deadly Crash of Our Civilization Inevitable?

[marmar]

Is the Deadly Crash of Our Civilization Inevitable?

By Terrence McNally, AlterNet. Posted February 13, 2007.



An interview with author Thomas Homer-Dixon about the social, political, economic and technological crises we face and how long we can sustain the lifestyle that brought them about.

Humankind is doing more things, faster, across a greater space than ever before, producing changes of a size and speed never seen before.

Thomas Homer-Dixon compares our current situation to driving too fast along a country road in a dense fog. Some ignore the fog and keep their foot pressed on the accelerator, but most of us feel like fairly helpless passengers on this wild ride.

In 1870, the average income in the world's richest country was about nine times greater than that in the world's poorest country. By 1990 it was forty-five times greater.

In 2006, the world's 793 billionaires held combined wealth of $2.6 trillion. (If liquidated in 2006), this wealth could have hired the poorest half of the world's workers -- the 1.4 billion workers who earn a few dollars a day -- for almost two years.

Between 1977 and 1996, the weight of the average American cheeseburger grew over 25 percent, and the volume of the average soft drink grew more than 50 percent. About 40 percent of the world's population now lacks sufficient water for basic sanitation and hygiene, and nearly one out of every five people does not have enough to drink. .....(more)

The rest of the article is at: http://www.alternet.org/story/47963/

[laststeamtrain]

1. Reminds me of a quote from Mohandas Gandhi:

Reporter's question: "What do you think of Western Civilization?"

Gandhi: "I think it would be a good idea!"

[tom_paine]

2. Well written and thought-provoking

[Emillereid]

3. I'm now reading The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of Civilization."

I highly recommend it.

[marmar]

4. I will check it out.....Who's the author?

:hi:

[atommom]

7. Same author as interviewed in this article: Thomas Homer-Dixon.

:hi:

[marmar]

8. Merci beaucoup.

:hi:

[Emillereid]

9. The author is Thomas Homer-Dixon. He the Director of the Trudeau

Centree for Peace and Conflict Studies and professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

[Porcupine]

5. Here's to the end ot the world as we know it........

and I have a headache. May the change come sooner rather than later.

[Demeter]

6. It's Certainly the End of the "Bubba Civilization"

if one can call it that. The rest of us are going to be working our tails off, trying to keep the engines of life and liberty going, however.