Morally Odious...

Very interesting article on Adbusters HERE by Maria Hampton.

"Washington’s Earth Policy Institute predicts that by 2031 – when incomes match Americans – China’s tipping point is likely to become the world’s. Analyst Lester Brown believes that, unchecked, China will consume two-thirds of the world’s current grain supplies, 99 million daily barrels of oil – against a global supply of 84 million – and twice as much paper as the world currently makes. If they follow Americans and amass three cars for every four people, their fleet of 1.1 billion vehicles will dwarf the current global fleet of 800 million, and would require paving an area equivalent to all of China’s rice paddies to be driven."

Pretty scary stuff. China does have one thing going for it though...An authoritarian regime that can change policy in seconds. At first glance there is 'hope' as protests in China have increased every year for a decade...

"Last April, 60,000 Zhejiang residents torched cars, smashed windows and injured 30 officials during pollution protests. In July, 15,000 rioters raged against an aging Xinchang pharmaceutical plant."

Sounds promising except when you realize that the one thing China has going for it...an Authoritatian regime capable of quick change...then you realize any democratization will hasten the tipping point...

Hm...

This brings us to the point of the article...

"Which leaves us in the morally odious position of wishing a continued dictatorship on others to ensure our own survival. But how can we demonize a nation whose individual citizens consume ten times less than we do? If the path that China is taking the world makes us nervous, we might want to level the criticism closer to home – at the institutions that gave China the directions."

Can I revoke my Human Citizenship? I'd like to be a Golden Retreiver please...:)
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I know I mocked the Dubai Port 'scandal' on an earlier post and this piece of info doesn't change my mind. I just found it very interesting. The Jeruselum Post is reporting HERE that the parent 'compan' of Dubai Ports World (DPW) is the government of Dubai. We knew that. Here's where it gets interesting. The government of Dubai owns DPW through a holding company called the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCZC). Turns out this company participates in the Arab boycott of Israeli goods and products. Whoops...why is this is a big deal?

"US law bars firms from complying with such requests or cooperating with attempts by Arab governments to boycott Israel."

A little sleuthing leads us to HERE, a US governmentDepartment of Commerce website dedicated to...

Antiboycott Laws:

During the mid-1970's the United States adopted two laws that seek to counteract the participation of U.S. citizens in other nation's economic boycotts or embargoes. These "antiboycott" laws are the 1977 amendments to the Export Administration Act (EAA) and the Ribicoff Amendment to the 1976 Tax Reform Act (TRA)

Objectives:

The antiboycott laws were adopted to encourage, and in specified cases, require U.S. firms to refuse to participate in foreign boycotts that the United States does not sanction. They have the effect of preventing U.S. firms from being used to implement foreign policies of other nations which run counter to U.S. policy.

Primary Impact:

The Arab League boycott of Israel is the principal foreign economic boycott that U.S. companies must be concerned with today. The antiboycott laws, however, apply to all boycotts imposed by foreign countries that are unsanctioned by the United States.

This is going to be problematic:) That sound you just heard was the Jewish Lobby in DC picking up their phones en masse and calling their bitches...er...Congressmen and Senators;)

Help Bush Stay Legal! and you...why don't you...

Stay Naked.

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