American Excess

[richlevy]

This is a brilliant photo-study of the amount of consumption (and other social issues) in America today.

Chris Jordan keeps his eyes open for staggering statistics, and the more alarming the better. What sets his 44-year-old heart racing is some new figure expressing American excess and neglect—the number of disposable batteries manufactured by Energizer every year (6 billion) or plastic beverage bottles used every five minutes (2 million) or children without health insurance (9 million). Think of him as the unofficial artist of the Harper’s Index.

The puzzlelike photographs he makes in response to these big numbers are designed to illustrate “the scale of consumption of 300 million people” and what such rampant profligacy, if unchecked, might mean for the future of the planet. He has completed 19 pieces for the sardonic series he calls "Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait," and he has more in the works

[TheMercenary]

A common view from the bottom looking up.

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

A common view from the bottom looking up.

I wouldn't call it a class issue. Plastic bottles and plastic bags aren't the trappings of the rich. The point is the disposable culture to which we belong. Consider the trash of someone in the middle class in the 1700's compared to today. If it wasn't hauled away, the plastic bottles, plastic bags, aluminum cans, etc would reach higher than the roofs of our houses in a year or two.

Recycling has helped, but gone are the days when we refilled bottles, reused boxes, etc. Right now we're exporting a lot of trash, but this is not sustainable.

Did you ever hear of syringes and medical waste washing up on beaches in the 30's, 40's, and 50's?

[piercehawkeye45]

Rich, you might be interested in this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/op...on&oref=slogin

Some of his arguments are sketchy but the main point is good.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by richlevy

I wouldn't call it a class issue.

I could not agree more... well until the author threw in: "or children without health insurance (9 million). ", then it obviously became a political issue and the author was exposed as having an adgenda other than saving the environment (which I would have otherwise supported).

[Ibby]

yes, because trying to save childrens lives and protect their health is definitely just political pandering.

A humanitarian agenda =/= a political agenda, except where one side is against humanitarianism.

Is this honestly what america has come to?
*sigh*

[TheMercenary]

Fuck that. Bleeding hearts want you to believe that people are dying left and right in America becasue of the lack of national health insurance and that is bull shit. I work in health care and can tell you that all of the illegal aliens are getting free health care in the US while those citzens who were born here get nadda...

[Ibby]

I hope you wont be too offended if I don't take your word for it.

[TheMercenary]

Not at all, this is a public board filled with nothing more than individual opinions. Enjoy. Share. Consider.

[classicman]

Emergency rooms around the country are apparently clogged with illegal aliens who have no insurance. i know this cuz my bro told me so - so there.

[lookout123]

ibram i've seen it with my own eyes dude. they use the ER like a normal family physician - they can show up, can't be turned away, and all they have to do is sign a BS document saying they'll pay at some future date.

[classicman]

But lookout - they aren't a drain on our resources

[lookout123]

anyone who believes that should come spend just a little time in the schools, hospitals, and jails here. if they walk away with the same opinion they are either deluded or a liar.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Fuck that. Bleeding hearts want you to believe that people are dying left and right in America becasue of the lack of national health insurance and that is bull shit. I work in health care and can tell you that all of the illegal aliens are getting free health care in the US while those citzens who were born here get nadda...

So, because of our lack of national health insurance, illegal aliens are doing great, and citizens are dying left and right?

That doesn't seem to support your "bull shit" accusation.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by lookout123

anyone who believes that should come spend just a little time in the schools, hospitals, and jails here. if they walk away with the same opinion they are either deluded or a liar.

Two questions:

How much do illegal aliens help our economy? I am not talking about through taxes, but if all the illegals were deported, how much would our economy be realistically affected in all areas?

When NAFTA passed and the corn farms moved from Mexico to the United States because it is cheaper to make corn here, how much money has the United States taken from Mexico?