Environment: This Sickens Me

By Daniel Miessler on June 7th, 2007: Tagged as Activism | Environment | Politics

pollution

In situations like this, I think there should be committees in place at an international level that convene and agree to isolate and punish countries that act in this way. And yes, this includes the United States where applicable.

The problem is that unevolved (selfish) cultures/economies/countries will do ANYTHING to get ahead. They don’t think about anyone but themselves in the present time, let alone in the future. The sad truth is that these people must be regulated; they simply lack the sophistication and decency to regulate themselves without outside influence.

This sort of hard-line policy from the international community needs to be supplemented with actual help in doing the right thing as well, since we can’t retard someone’s growth perpetually on account of environmental concerns.

I consider the destruction of the rain forests to be another such situation. The problem is that those motivated by selfishness and greed cannot be allowed to control natural resources that yield benefit to them financially or otherwise. And the difference between having a strong moral compass and ignoring it vs. not having one really matters very little in the end. But at least in the former case you can appeal to one’s sense of decency, whereas with the latter bribes and force are really your only options.

Either way, something must be done.

[ Link: Unacceptable Pollution ]

  • http://rick.thedunnams.com/ Rick

    And what shall be done? A nation has the right to go insane within its own borders. And intervention should only be done in the interest of your own sovereignty. Lets take nation X. Who has the right to say to nation X you can not do ‘thus’ with YOUR resources? That is absurd. If they OWN the resource… it is there (private or national). The only pressure that could be done would be economic, such as we will not do business with country X because it does Y.

    While we are moving toward a more interlaced global economy people seem to forget that a nation is not an imaginary line but rather a sovereign entity.

    To you it might be immoral (as well as to me) but whom has the RIGHT or the AUTHORITY to tell anyone what they can and cannot do with THEIR resources on THEIR land. Again, logic, protection of your own sovereignty is fair game. Self preservation is the right of everyone.

    If this international consul said nation X could not do Y and it did and the punishment came and a war ensued… who bares the blame for the death? Who was the aggressor?

    What is the ‘other’ side of the story? What and why did the pollution happen? And who can judge if it is a good enough reason?

    Outside of trade an international community is worthless, unless you lay waste to sovereignty.

  • http://rick.thedunnams.com Rick

    And what shall be done? A nation has the right to go insane within its own borders. And intervention should only be done in the interest of your own sovereignty. Lets take nation X. Who has the right to say to nation X you can not do ‘thus’ with YOUR resources? That is absurd. If they OWN the resource… it is there (private or national). The only pressure that could be done would be economic, such as we will not do business with country X because it does Y.

    While we are moving toward a more interlaced global economy people seem to forget that a nation is not an imaginary line but rather a sovereign entity.

    To you it might be immoral (as well as to me) but whom has the RIGHT or the AUTHORITY to tell anyone what they can and cannot do with THEIR resources on THEIR land. Again, logic, protection of your own sovereignty is fair game. Self preservation is the right of everyone.

    If this international consul said nation X could not do Y and it did and the punishment came and a war ensued… who bares the blame for the death? Who was the aggressor?

    What is the ‘other’ side of the story? What and why did the pollution happen? And who can judge if it is a good enough reason?

    Outside of trade an international community is worthless, unless you lay waste to sovereignty.

  • Matt

    I wonder if its caused by a US company (or other first-world company) looking for somewhere cheap to have a factory. Sadly, I am never surprised to see the lengths some companies will go to in order to make some extra cash.

  • Matt

    I wonder if its caused by a US company (or other first-world company) looking for somewhere cheap to have a factory. Sadly, I am never surprised to see the lengths some companies will go to in order to make some extra cash.

  • http://dmiessler.com/ Daniel Miessler

    > A nation has the right to go insane within its own borders.

    I see, well what if they can destroy the planet from within those same borders? I’m not saying this constitutes the destruction of the planet, but China (for example) is a big place. You can do a lot of damage to our planet from within the borders of a country.

    And just because something starts somewhere doesn’t mean it stays there. If you don’t understand that the whole system is connected by now than there isn’t much I can say to convince you.

  • http://dmiessler.com Daniel Miessler

    > A nation has the right to go insane within its own borders.

    I see, well what if they can destroy the planet from within those same borders? I’m not saying this constitutes the destruction of the planet, but China (for example) is a big place. You can do a lot of damage to our planet from within the borders of a country.

    And just because something starts somewhere doesn’t mean it stays there. If you don’t understand that the whole system is connected by now than there isn’t much I can say to convince you.

  • http://rick.thedunnams.com/ Rick

    I understand that but you fail to address the issue of sovereignty. Do you believe in the sovereignty of a nation? What does that mean to you?

  • http://rick.thedunnams.com Rick

    I understand that but you fail to address the issue of sovereignty. Do you believe in the sovereignty of a nation? What does that mean to you?

  • http://rick.thedunnams.com Rick

    Pardon me…. the ‘that’ to which I referred was that our resources are global. I understand that, but if they are owned and controlled by a sovereign nation… what are your options.

  • http://rick.thedunnams.com/ Rick

    Pardon me…. the ‘that’ to which I referred was that our resources are global. I understand that, but if they are owned and controlled by a sovereign nation… what are your options.


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