General Discussion

MineralMan

(151,387 posts)

16. Well, I'd rather see resolve than despair.

Tue Jan 7, 2020, 01:19 PM

Jan 2020

We're going to need to resolve to elect better people to office. Not perfect people; just better.

That's going to be difficult for some. We might not think a particular candidate is the ideal one, but we can't let a horrible candidate win just because we don't think the our alternative is "good enough." We've done that too many times in the past.

I don't have any confidence that we will change our tune enough at any point to actually reverse the issues. We could, if we wished, make positive change that could compound to result in improvements over time. However, if we screw up and let people like Trump take office, things will go in the wrong direction with increasing speed.

I wish we'd think more strategically with regard to our elections, but I don't hold out a lot of hope for that. 2016 proved that we don't think that way. I'm seeing similar things this year.

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When I was 20 years old, back in 1965, there were people [View all] MineralMan Jan 2020 OP

We seem to be in a growth paradigm still Beringia Jan 2020 #1

The birth rate in the United States MineralMan Jan 2020 #3

There is an inverse positive effect of the current population growth dynamic. Aristus Jan 2020 #11

Well, that's true. However the gross population in the USA is still MineralMan Jan 2020 #13

this AllaN01Bear Jan 2020 #37

Absolutely. I'd add only that the great shortage ahead of us isn't food - but water sandensea Jan 2020 #15

Yes, potable water is a global crisis. MineralMan Jan 2020 #17

Fortunately, most of the world's continents have gotten their birth rates under control sandensea Jan 2020 #27

Yes. That's true, too. MineralMan Jan 2020 #31

Reminds me of that Peter O'Toole joke about his ex-wife sandensea Jan 2020 #47

LOL! MineralMan Jan 2020 #48

I remember when serious people discussed the concept of ZPG. Zoonart Jan 2020 #32

Yes. Our privilege apparently includes having as many children as MineralMan Jan 2020 #68

I was reading an interesting article on climate change (maybe at Vox?), bullwinkle428 Jan 2020 #2

Well, when sea levels cause water to be lapping MineralMan Jan 2020 #5

Some hard core denialists don't believe wnylib Jan 2020 #8

Pretty soon, movies labeled science fiction will start to come true. CaptYossarian Jan 2020 #4

Sure. Those scenarios have been thought about and MineralMan Jan 2020 #6

We should all have feelings of dispair. Especially since TWO elections have been stolen CaptYossarian Jan 2020 #14

Well, I'd rather see resolve than despair. MineralMan Jan 2020 #16

That's why I mentioned those two elections where the wrong people had second-place victories. CaptYossarian Jan 2020 #34

We'll see in a few months whether we learned anything. MineralMan Jan 2020 #35

One of my favorite dystopian movies is "Judge Dredd" MineralMan Jan 2020 #7

I didn't see that one, probably because Stallone was in it. CaptYossarian Jan 2020 #20

Yes. The movie was a satire, for sure. MineralMan Jan 2020 #21

I'm guessing that Blade Runner is the more likely scenario, without the replicants. GoneOffShore Jan 2020 #41

Some of them are already coming true PatSeg Jan 2020 #44

Think of the genius and optimism of Gene Roddenberry. CaptYossarian Jan 2020 #56

Oh yes PatSeg Jan 2020 #60

Just like Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone. CaptYossarian Jan 2020 #61

My grandfather warned us specifically in 1965, though he used slightly different spelling DFW Jan 2020 #9

My father, in 1962, had one thing to say about all that: MineralMan Jan 2020 #10

My dad told me at age 15 he was in no rush to become a grandfather. DFW Jan 2020 #12

Blaming entire generations is silly. yardwork Jan 2020 #18

There's a wide generation gap between older boomers lambchopp59 Jan 2020 #57

Your generalization of older retired people is inaccurate. Backseat Driver Jan 2020 #71

Good point. The economic inequalities affect all generations. yardwork Jan 2020 #74

Thank you!!!! relayerbob Jan 2020 #19

Silent Spring. Yes. MineralMan Jan 2020 #22

We're alike in this regard as well. I've written poetry and fiction skip fox Jan 2020 #43

I stopped working for others in 1974. MineralMan Jan 2020 #45

In the fall of 1969, while on the lam from the F.B.I. skip fox Jan 2020 #55

Ooh...on the lam from the FBI. MineralMan Jan 2020 #58

The problem with this thinking... Lithos Jan 2020 #23

That's a good point. MineralMan Jan 2020 #25

I was 17 years old on the first Earth Day. It had a great livetohike Jan 2020 #24

Yeah, I have the original first Whole Earth Catalog, too. MineralMan Jan 2020 #28

So cool!! I submitted a few articles to Mother Earth News livetohike Jan 2020 #36

An "interesting life" has always been my goal. MineralMan Jan 2020 #39

The same rhetoric since 1965 Dukkha Jan 2020 #26

Yes. It's a losing battle. The people who should be reading MineralMan Jan 2020 #29

The Hippies were right. OMGWTF Jan 2020 #30

Yeah, well, there have people people all along MineralMan Jan 2020 #33

this AllaN01Bear Jan 2020 #38

LOL! MineralMan Jan 2020 #40

We're not so old (I'm 73) skip fox Jan 2020 #42

Nah. We're old. MineralMan Jan 2020 #46

Agreed hence my username. Didn't put much thought Boomerproud Jan 2020 #49

Every generation has all kinds of people PatSeg Jan 2020 #52

I agree with you.. Hulk Jan 2020 #50

..and we levitated the Pentagon!! samnsara Jan 2020 #51

LOL! MineralMan Jan 2020 #53

I am a firm believer that individuals can only achieve symbolic actions in this fight... Moostache Jan 2020 #54

Yes. The power of the individual is vastly overrated. MineralMan Jan 2020 #59

Thank you MineralMan for giving voice to how many of us feel. n/t 7wo7rees Jan 2020 #62

It's my pleasure. MineralMan Jan 2020 #63

I think our generation was a disaster. NNadir Jan 2020 #64

Actually the Greatest Generation elected Reagan. MineralMan Jan 2020 #65

I don't buy that for a New York second. NNadir Jan 2020 #66

You are correct - the Baby Boomers have created the disaster that present day walkingman Jan 2020 #67

Well, the good news is that these Millenials... NNadir Jan 2020 #80

as my brother said right after KT2000 Jan 2020 #69

K&R MatthewHatesTrump2 Jan 2020 #70

You started a good thread, MM. My seminal reading was The Population Bomb... Hekate Jan 2020 #72

Thanks! Your insights are always welcome. MineralMan Jan 2020 #75

Labeling People by generations is like labeling them by astrology. MarcA Jan 2020 #73

The unknown history of boomer activism DBoon Jan 2020 #76

I don't have children, but to take credit for not doing so is a stretch. One of the Doodley Jan 2020 #77

It is the decision that is the thing. MineralMan Jan 2020 #79

You decided not to have children who would make the world a better place? Why? Doodley Jan 2020 #82

There is no way to predict what your potential children would do. MineralMan Jan 2020 #83

It's in our nature to want more xyoungblood Jan 2020 #78

Not all generation ignored the warnings uponit7771 Jan 2020 #81