Clay Bennett for September 30, 2018

Now to find a round hole to fit this in…

People from all around the globe go to Flat Earth Society meetings.

Why is fear of the unknown a more compelling (and exploitable) force than curiosity and research?

Curiosity and research takes some work to accomplish. Complaining takes little effort.

I’d like to tear the world apart

And finish it off with oil

Build Armata tanks and secret banks

And snow-white loyal trolls

*

I’d like to teach the world to fear

In perfect harmony

I’d like to crush with my arms

And make it my company

*

I’d like to see the world for once

All chained up hand to hand

And hear me tweet through the hills

For war throughout the land

*

That’s the song I sing

I’d like to teach the world to fear

Let the world fear today

In perfect harmony

*

I’d like to teach the world to fear

In perfect harmony

I’d like to own the world alone

And furnish it with chains

Build Armata tanks and secret banks

And snow-white loyal trolls

Backer / Cook / Davis / Greenaway – used without permission

In other words, “Bizzarro World.”

Oh boy, I think you’re way off base on this one. I see globalism as the unrestrained metastacism of capitalism, to the point where everything is converted to money. And the biosphere dies. By that definition (which, granted, may itself be way off base), I’m strongly anti-globalist.

Or maybe you just don’t like Cubism.

@Cerabooge – everything that humans touch is already (and always has been) converted to money/commodities/resources. Competition for these things can be managed by general consensus – globalism, or by traditional sectarian means – and all that that entails.

Unilateral action to combat AGW really is a lost cause. Less hopeless is the community of nations coming to common agreements. It’s a long-shot, but it is our best option for survival.

@Cerabooge

Steven Pearlstein’s book, “Can Capitalism Survive” just came out. It is certainly worth your time to read. It is a critique of modern capitalism and the morality (or rather lack of it) in the modern world. I have almost finished it, and I have been cheering Pearlstein throughout. He understands the underlying biological basis of cooperative human behavior and its role in the success of the species. I have said before that I think morality has a biological basis because the ability to cooperate, trust and empathize all have arisen in the evolution of the species and these characteristics are essential to effective social behavior. Provincialism won’t be sustainable in a global world with the environmental problems we face, as Guy points out. One last point, the effects of globalism are outlined in Pinker’s book, “Enlightenment Now”, and are overwhelmingly positive. I do have some nitpicks with Pinker, but I have to agree that today’s world is immensely better for billions of people than even 100 years ago. Can we as a species come up with a path forward to continue this trend or will we retreat back into our caves?

By definition, “Globalism” means granting every citizen of the planet equal rights (and responsibilities) under a blanket Rule of Law. You would be hard pressed to find ANY stance more antithetical to the ‘Code of Conduct’ zealously followed by Republicans, today!

Especially, in light of the “What’s in it for ME” mob boss mentality of Donald john Trump!

Globalism as it is practiced is just national exploitation on a global level. Only the top tier do well. Not the workers not anyone else.

After all, the old ways of thinking worked so well. :-|