tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post5108722623538447606..comments2023-11-05T03:12:10.925-06:00Comments on Renegade Eye: The Internationalization of GenocideFrank Partisanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03536211653082893030noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-12109695782886060092007-04-26T17:34:00.000-05:002007-04-26T17:34:00.000-05:00I am not sold on ethanol. Chavez has been saying t...<I>I am not sold on ethanol. Chavez has been saying this as well. It would be kind of an insult to the world's starving population to grow food for our vechiles while they starve to death</I><BR/><BR/>Not to mention that even if every bit of arable land in the US was used for planting the crops used in the production of ethanol it would only replace 12% of the current fuel needs. The Europeans would have to plant crops in highway medians along with replacing their food crops to replace 15% of their needs.<BR/><BR/>Ethanol is a joke of the worst variety unfortunately the corn lobbyists are throwing their $$ into politicians pockets and the politicians are listening and conveniently ignoring every recent study.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10812133595782131796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-52031283819774594802007-04-23T10:39:00.000-05:002007-04-23T10:39:00.000-05:00Dear Sonia,Here in Waslala, Nicaragua, there are f...Dear Sonia,<BR/><BR/>Here in Waslala, Nicaragua, there are food shortages every two or three years, and we have been living in a “free economy” for the last 16 years. I agree that large planned economies can, and definitely have, made the horrendous errors that create absolute scarcity of food products. However I am also aware that capitalist free markets create relative scarcity of food products with very similar results. To give you an example, in Waslala under capitalism, one can always buy food. However, when there is a bad harvest (often due to climate changes that are a result of global consumption and production patterns), the local producers have neither the crops they grew to eat nor the money to buy the food that is available at high prices through the market. People starve, and people – usually young children - die. As you said “capitalist countries have plenty of excess”, however that excess is only available to those who can buy it, and it is often decided to keep the excess, and maintain prices high, rather than lower the prices – even if it means letting people die from hunger. Ethanol production requires large amounts of land for cultivation, and most of this land is either being used for food production, or is covered by cities and towns. If we divert land production from food production to ethanol production at a massive scale, food prices will go up. There will be no absolute food shortage – those who have money will always be able to buy what they need – however the most vulnerable portion of the global population will suffer from food shortages. You say that no one “in their right mind will starve to death while obsessively buying oil (or ethanol).” However the people who obsessively buy oil or ethanol are not the same people who die from hunger.<BR/><BR/>So in the end, what I was talking about truly is a shitty situation as you pointed out, but it isn’t “Marxist bullshit”, it is Capitalist bullshit.Sontínhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05691098325234262904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-44481898579581632182007-04-19T23:59:00.000-05:002007-04-19T23:59:00.000-05:00I don't know, but I very much doubt Ireland's corp...I don't know, but I very much doubt Ireland's corporations are run by bottom up democracy. <BR/><BR/> (Under Chavez, co-ops have been taking over Venezuela.)<BR/><BR/>That article is interesting. Even the farmers aren't too happy about rising corn prices.Graemehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04230080850680753260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-31634361891720372172007-04-19T23:15:00.000-05:002007-04-19T23:15:00.000-05:00See: Mexixan Tortilla Riots.<B>See: <A HREF="http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/business_agriculture/story.html?id=eb3e4b17-5a09-45a4-b32e-fb35214926e6" REL="nofollow">Mexixan Tortilla Riots</A>.</B>Frank Partisanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03536211653082893030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-1343867185857453532007-04-19T13:52:00.000-05:002007-04-19T13:52:00.000-05:00Graeme,The US has a planned economy. That's true, ...Graeme,<BR/><BR/><I>The US has a planned economy.</I> <BR/><BR/>That's true, but far less so than Cuba or Venezuela. But far more so than Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Ireland.<BR/><BR/><I>A real free market, with business run by decentralized worker councils, wouldn't be half bad.</I><BR/><BR/>Just don't call them 'workers councils (smells of Bolshevism). Call them 'shareholders meetings' and you've got small-c capitalism at its purest (like in today's Ireland, where most corporations are small and locally owned)...soniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00938174968325568608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-46116190243048748142007-04-19T13:22:00.000-05:002007-04-19T13:22:00.000-05:00The US has a planned economy. It is planned by the...The US has a planned economy. It is planned by the elites, and they isolate themselves from any risks of the rigged market.The ag subsidies are just one example. <BR/><BR/>A real free market, with business run by decentralized worker councils, wouldn't be have bad.Graemehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04230080850680753260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-70352242292587616092007-04-19T11:13:00.000-05:002007-04-19T11:13:00.000-05:00Im no economist but this shortage-less, "free econ...Im no economist but this shortage-less, "free economy" of sonias sounds more utopian than anything the late Marxists throw down.I also don't know what conditions it takes to grow sugarcane but i know there are consequences to all agro-industry. The National geographic had an article on the devestating effects to amazon ecosystem and cultures of mass soybean industry.<BR/><BR/>Only a participatory economy can decide democratically to do with less, capitalism is always about more.Under the guise of "free" markets powerful ,undemocratic powers pull the strings.troutskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16020298501632120830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-85083805662151649322007-04-19T07:10:00.000-05:002007-04-19T07:10:00.000-05:00If the price of corn will rise, as opposed to food...<I>If the price of corn will rise, as opposed to food production, only a planned economy can guarantee the proper use of the crop.</I><BR/><BR/>Corn is not an economic way of producing ethanol. Without huge US government subsidies (that's 'planned economy' for you), nobody in his his right mind would invest in that.<BR/><BR/>Ethanol from sugar cane is the way to go.<BR/><BR/>Sontin,<BR/><BR/><I>reduced production of basic food crops (because, for example, land formerly used to produce food is used to produce ethanol crops) results in food shortages</I><BR/><BR/>That's Marxist bullshit. Don't believe that. There are no food shortages when there is free economy. Nobody in his right mind will starve to death while obsessively buying oil (or ethanol). Only Communists government can do that - forcing people to starve while building heavy industry (it happened under PLANNED ECONOMY under Stalin in 1933 and Mao in the late 50's). In a free economy, people will always buy food before buying oil, so food crops will always be there. Ethanol will be produced from EXCESS production. And capitalist countries have plenty of excess.soniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00938174968325568608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-74766856896386303292007-04-18T23:22:00.000-05:002007-04-18T23:22:00.000-05:00uchadorI hope people visit Sontin's blog. His pos...uchadorI hope people visit Sontin's blog. His posts come from Sandinesta country.<BR/><BR/>Roman: The Cuban Missile Crisis was a USSR vs USA thing. Castro was relieved when the missiles were gone. He never asked for them.<BR/><BR/>It takes 15x to 1x, the amount of energy created by ethanol. John McCain in his rebel days, called it pandering to farm states. It is ok to have some of your energy package come from ethanol. If the price of corn will rise, as opposed to food production, only a planned economy can guarantee the proper use of the crop.Frank Partisanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03536211653082893030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-8902659293406048822007-04-18T19:49:00.000-05:002007-04-18T19:49:00.000-05:00Sonia, there are several problems with massive pro...Sonia, there are several problems with massive production of cash crops. First of all, large agroindustries force small agricultural producers off their lands leaving numbers of the population to join the urban poor. Secondly, the reduced production of basic food crops (because, for example, land formerly used to produce food is used to produce ethanol crops) results in food shortages and higher costs affecting the poorest segments of the population. So … even if the financial costs of production are similar between oil and ethanol production, the social and general economic costs are not the same. I do agree that it is essential to find alternatives to oil, for both the environment and for any future economic system, but we can not blindly accept the alternative without weighing the consequences.Sontínhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05691098325234262904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-11634650667079361382007-04-18T13:15:00.000-05:002007-04-18T13:15:00.000-05:00Sonia, If it uses a large amount of oil to produce...Sonia,<BR/><BR/> If it uses a large amount of oil to produce ethanol (which is ethanol isn't the savior it is made out to be) then why would oil rich countries give a shit either way?Graemehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04230080850680753260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-78722712697862333372007-04-18T06:23:00.000-05:002007-04-18T06:23:00.000-05:00Larry,I would like Sonia to tell us how Chavez ele...Larry,<BR/><BR/><I>I would like Sonia to tell us how Chavez election was "irregular".</I><BR/><BR/>1. Chavez is cracking down on opposition media, denying them licences to operate legaly. Journalists who write anti-Chavez articles are accused of working for the CIA and plotting a coup - they are harrassed, arrested and killed. Without free speech, there is no free election. Imagine if George W. Bush could deny CNN or some other pro-Democrat TV channels the right to broadcast in the US, only allowing FOX news with its pro-Republican POV... <BR/><BR/>2. Chavez is expropriating people who donate money to opposition parties, nationalizing their companies. It's a bit like if George W. Bush in 2004 nationalized the Heinz ketchup company, effectively denying his opponent, John Kerry (married to Heinz's owner) access to money to finance his campaign.<BR/><BR/>Greaeme,<BR/><BR/><I>It would be kind of an insult to the world's starving population to grow food for our vechiles while they starve to death.</I><BR/><BR/>Economically, what you're saying is pure nonsense. It takes the same resources to extract oil and refine it, as it takes to grow sugar cane and transform it into ethanol (especially now, with the oil prices so high). True, the price of sugar will inevitably go up, but people will still grow normal crops. And the money that people will save by not buing oil (money going to Arab terrorists and Chavez's goons) can then be used to buy food.<BR/><BR/>I can understand why Chavez hates the idea (Saudi monarch hates it too, for the same reason). As for Castro - under Communism, Cuba isn't capable to produce enough sugar cane for sugar, much less for ethanol. But capitalist Brazil is able to produce enough sugar cane to feed itself, run all its vehicles on ethanol (whch don't pollute) and export the surplus, both as sugar and as ethanol.<BR/><BR/>Viva Lula!!!soniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00938174968325568608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-36316566782718070622007-04-18T01:57:00.000-05:002007-04-18T01:57:00.000-05:00I am not sold on ethanol. Chavez has been saying t...I am not sold on ethanol. Chavez has been saying this as well. It would be kind of an insult to the world's starving population to grow food for our vechiles while they starve to death.Graemehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04230080850680753260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-45898425856328083722007-04-17T23:47:00.000-05:002007-04-17T23:47:00.000-05:00I would like Sonia to tell us how Chavez election ...I would like Sonia to tell us how Chavez election was "irregular". Seems to be he got 63% of the votes in an election that foerign observers said was cleanLarry Gambonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04965037776214596919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-2065780881269718282007-04-17T20:24:00.000-05:002007-04-17T20:24:00.000-05:00Renegade Eye,I thought it was an interesting and i...Renegade Eye,<BR/><BR/>I thought it was an interesting and important view on the ethanol debate. What surprised me however, were the comments. <BR/><BR/>Sonia, it is one thing to debate democracy and political freedom in Cuba, and quite another to talk about the political economy of ethanol production. It is possible to listen to someone you do not normally agree with and then judge their arguments. <BR/><BR/>Roman, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a long time ago and in a very different context. True, Castro might have a very different line if Cuba had nuclear capacity, but that is beside the point. <BR/><BR/>Sushil_yadav, well I would agree that we need to change and reorganize how we consume and produce; however, we must also remember that we are part of nature and not some external force. If we keep that in mind, it becomes clear the need to maintain ecological balance while meeting the needs of the human populations. Obviously the capitalist imperative to accumulate capital and the need for continual economic growth, have serious consequences to the environment, but that does not mean that it is the only way to organize large societies. As for the thinking versus emotions part … well I don’t know about you, but I manage to both think and feel. <BR/><BR/>Red Bolivarian, I agree. Morality depends on the interests of the classes that create, share and reproduce the morality. Is it moral to illegally copy and sell cheap copies of patented drugs? Is it moral to let millions die of AIDS because they can not afford to pay the monopoly prices for those same patented drugs? Who’s morality?<BR/><BR/>I think I have digressed more than enough for one evening …Sontínhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05691098325234262904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-33184932909927401522007-04-17T14:10:00.000-05:002007-04-17T14:10:00.000-05:00Whatever Fidels "Moral" authority is, he is lookin...Whatever Fidels "Moral" authority is, he is looking at things from a perspective of those who have nothing in this world but their lives. <BR/><BR/>Morality is a joke. Fidel has more moral authority than overpriviledge capitalist pigs who live off the exploitation of working people. <BR/><BR/>Its okay for rich people to live fat while working people starve since they are all just poor and probably colored. Thats rich, white morality for you. What can any procapitalist say about morality without it being a joke. Morality my ass. <BR/><BR/>I like the moral auhority that Slaves had when they killed the slave masters and burn down the plantation. Thats beautiful. <BR/><BR/>At least in Cuba there aint no Gusanos like in AmeriKKKa. :)<BR/><BR/>Whats up RE, glad to see u still doing your thing. Much love to you and keep up the good work. <BR/><BR/>BLACK AND BROWN POWER!!!<BR/>HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!!!<BR/>ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!IGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04244588669736580507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-19404946787002690522007-04-17T11:08:00.000-05:002007-04-17T11:08:00.000-05:00Renegade Eye,You have posted the views of Fidel Ca...Renegade Eye,<BR/><BR/>You have posted the views of Fidel Castro on Ethanol, Climate Change, Environmental Crisis, Culture and War. Our planet can only sustain production of Food - it cannot sustain production of so many Consumer Goods. Human activity [Overactivity] has destroyed all ecosystems. In this context I want to post a part from my article which examines the impact of Speed, Overstimulation, Consumerism and Industrialization on our Minds and Environment.<BR/><BR/><B>The link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues.</B> <BR/><BR/>The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked. Our Minds cannot be peaceful when attention-spans are down to nanoseconds, microseconds and milliseconds. Our Minds cannot be peaceful if we destroy Nature. <BR/><BR/><B>Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment.</B> <BR/><BR/>Subject : In a fast society slow emotions become extinct. <BR/>Subject : A thinking mind cannot feel. <BR/>Subject : Scientific/ Industrial/ Financial thinking destroys the planet. <BR/>Subject : Environment can never be saved as long as cities exist. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Emotion is what we experience during gaps in our thinking. <BR/><BR/>If there are no gaps there is no emotion. <BR/><BR/>Today people are thinking all the time and are mistaking thought (words/ language) for emotion. <BR/><BR/>When society switches-over from physical work (agriculture) to mental work (scientific/ industrial/ financial/ fast visuals/ fast words ) the speed of thinking keeps on accelerating and the gaps between thinking go on decreasing. <BR/><BR/>There comes a time when there are almost no gaps. <BR/><BR/>People become incapable of experiencing/ tolerating gaps. <BR/><BR/>Emotion ends. <BR/><BR/>Man becomes machine. <BR/><BR/><BR/>A society that speeds up mentally experiences every mental slowing-down as Depression / Anxiety. <BR/><BR/>A ( travelling )society that speeds up physically experiences every physical slowing-down as Depression / Anxiety. <BR/><BR/>A society that entertains itself daily experiences every non-entertaining moment as Depression / Anxiety. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Fast visuals/ words make slow emotions extinct. <BR/><BR/>Scientific/ Industrial/ Financial thinking destroys emotional circuits. <BR/><BR/>A fast (large) society cannot feel pain / remorse / empathy. <BR/><BR/>A fast (large) society will always be cruel to Animals/ Trees/ Air/ Water/ Land and to Itself. <BR/><BR/><BR/>To read the complete article please follow any of these links : <BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.planetsave.com/ps_mambo/option,com_simpleboard/Itemid,75/func,view/id,68/catid,6" REL="nofollow"/> <BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.freeinfosociety.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=3649" REL="nofollow">FreeInfoSociety</A> <BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.ephilosopher.com/bb-topic-244.html" REL="nofollow">ePhilosopher</A> <BR/><BR/>sushil_yadavAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-35021731475779324532007-04-17T08:19:00.000-05:002007-04-17T08:19:00.000-05:00"The United States is totally ignoring the fact th..."The United States is totally ignoring the fact that world opinion is against any type of nuclear weapons."<BR/>Fidel, we both know another country who ignored that fact, remember the Cuban Missile Crisis?romanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11704331.post-45576104650679675202007-04-17T06:46:00.000-05:002007-04-17T06:46:00.000-05:00Until there are free elections in Cuba, the likes ...Until there are free elections in Cuba, the likes of Castro have no moral authority to tell people what to do about ethanol or any other issue for that matter. President Lula of Brazil and Bush can have agreements and disagreements on a variety of issues, including ethanol. They both have mandates from their own people to do that. Even Iranian president Ahmadinejad and Chavez were democratically elected (albeit in highly irregular circumstances), so we have to take their stupid speeches seriously, because their do represent a sizable portion of the public opinion of their countries. But Castro has no moral right to lecture anybody. For all we know, not a single Cuban would vote for him anyway.soniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00938174968325568608noreply@blogger.com