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chervilant

(8,267 posts)

107. Just read a Howard Zinn quote

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 05:11 PM

Jul 2012

that nicely summarizes how I feel about our species' tragic missteps du jour:

“TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

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This US summer is 'what global warming looks like' [View all] al bupp Jul 2012 OP

Global Warming is confusing to some people especially in the South neohippie Jul 2012 #1

cause and effect-global warming is causing climate change leftyohiolib Jul 2012 #3

Which might happen. caseymoz Jul 2012 #44

800 degrees..damn, that will make my hair impossible to manage. dixiegrrrrl Jul 2012 #109

A more horrible case of split ends than you can possibly imagine! randome Jul 2012 #110

Sorry, but real climate scientists have totally debunked the 'Earth turning into Venus' baloney. AverageJoe90 Jul 2012 #115

Worst case scenario. caseymoz Jul 2012 #117

Venus's plates became locked in place at some point, and have stayed that way. (On the other hand..) AverageJoe90 Jul 2012 #120

I can vaguely recall a documentary that ran on an Austin, TX area indie station back in '96 or so... AverageJoe90 Jul 2012 #116

I agree nobodyspecial Jul 2012 #5

I agree, "climate change" is a much better name al bupp Jul 2012 #6

If by South, you mean all those Cletus teabaggers and their misspelled signs, Rozlee Jul 2012 #11

Yep. JoeyT Jul 2012 #34

Why should it be confusing anybody? caseymoz Jul 2012 #42

Yep-increased flooding, droughts, tornadoes, etc progressoid Jul 2012 #101

Still to come: famine. Auggie Jul 2012 #2

and with famine will come horrible disease leftyohiolib Jul 2012 #4

as the Earth gears up to eradicate a parasite. RC Jul 2012 #7

Wow, wishing suffering on others and calling them parasites? Disgusting! Odin2005 Jul 2012 #13

+100000, it is that type of Malthusian anti-humanistic rhetoric from absolute extremists in the stockholmer Jul 2012 #22

I often ask these types why they haven't offed themselves yet. Odin2005 Jul 2012 #23

They're really cowards, afraid to suck it up and go out and get a job slackmaster Jul 2012 #24

Agree with you both leftynyc Jul 2012 #27

+100000 to you. Right on the money. GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #41

Well, I wouldn't put our collective failure to take action on their shoulders. antigone382 Jul 2012 #79

You are right. We are not parasites (which often contribute to wider ecosystemic stability). Ghost Dog Jul 2012 #122

I forgot to mention our collective arrogance. RC Jul 2012 #26

+1 GliderGuider Jul 2012 #43

The thing about those "bottlenecks" is . . . caseymoz Jul 2012 #47

What you say is true. However, most people function better with a little hope. GliderGuider Jul 2012 #51

My optimistic scenario, too. caseymoz Jul 2012 #62

We think some of those dinosaur reptillian species, however, developed through their 'bottleneck' Ghost Dog Jul 2012 #123

It helps. randome Jul 2012 #124

Birds developed long before the K-T extinction. caseymoz Jul 2012 #129

Okay, that didn't help. randome Jul 2012 #131

Yup. Thanks. Ghost Dog Jul 2012 #132

Calhoun's research chervilant Jul 2012 #77

Very few people are aware of Calhoun's research, let alone its implications for humanity. GliderGuider Jul 2012 #84

Wow... chervilant Jul 2012 #96

Just read a Howard Zinn quote chervilant Jul 2012 #107

Yeah, we live in uniquely horrible times. GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #106

Instead of collectivizing it . . . caseymoz Jul 2012 #45

BINGO! GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #74

Wow... chervilant Jul 2012 #76

Thanks. There are a few that see what is happening. Too few, I'm afraid, to correct the course we RC Jul 2012 #83

And so why do you pity the mice and not people? caseymoz Jul 2012 #87

The mice can't know any better. RC Jul 2012 #108

Mice certainly knew their space was limited. caseymoz Jul 2012 #111

You are correct. chervilant Jul 2012 #98

* ronnie624 Jul 2012 #91

Then, letting everyone else know what I think: caseymoz Jul 2012 #94

The dreaded 'Ignore List' hammer has descended on you! randome Jul 2012 #95

Ty, but I don't know. caseymoz Jul 2012 #97

OutSTANDING!! GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #104

The British poet William Wordsworth said it best (back in 1800s): coalition_unwilling Jul 2012 #14

Correct dipsydoodle Jul 2012 #15

Hello, Fellow Parasite, with whom I totally agree. chervilant Jul 2012 #16

Wow. Delphinus Jul 2012 #29

Sigh. GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #40

The poster is correct about seeds Mojorabbit Jul 2012 #52

One of the most important thing people can do is buy heirloom seeds Marrah_G Jul 2012 #57

Hello, fellow organic gardener! chervilant Jul 2012 #60

Nice !!! Marrah_G Jul 2012 #63

You'll laugh at my insect control method... chervilant Jul 2012 #64

I adore freshly made butter and whipped cream Marrah_G Jul 2012 #65

Sad, really, chervilant Jul 2012 #54

+1 GliderGuider Jul 2012 #67

There's a third. caseymoz Jul 2012 #46

At one time James Lovelock might have agreed with this idea, but he's changed his position a bit slackmaster Jul 2012 #17

Riiiight. GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #38

Really? chervilant Jul 2012 #56

Really. GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #61

Where do food supply limits come into it, in your view? GliderGuider Jul 2012 #66

That's what carrying capacity means. GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #70

Crossing a line, Dawg, chervilant Jul 2012 #68

Anyone who calls the entire human race "parasites" crosses a line. GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #71

Feels good, doesn't it? GliderGuider Jul 2012 #69

Well - GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #73

I, for one, appreciate the information you give us. randome Jul 2012 #78

It's interesting to me GliderGuider Jul 2012 #86

Calling humanity parasites comes across as just that -self-loathing. randome Jul 2012 #89

It is though, an apt descriptor regardless of how we ourselves may feel about it. LanternWaste Jul 2012 #90

Not at all, despite your "regardless." GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #105

"just another individual who is Tea Party level ignorant and loud" Nihil Jul 2012 #92

Some of the choices we make are exceptional. randome Jul 2012 #93

Loud, perhaps. GaYellowDawg Jul 2012 #103

Not to mention water shortages... chervilant Jul 2012 #20

Excellent point. Nihil Jul 2012 #53

Thank you chervilant Jul 2012 #55

And when people get hungry - they fight. nt rrneck Jul 2012 #80

Holding out hope that these constant, excessive heat waves will change some minds. antigone382 Jul 2012 #8

Have you seen this? chervilant Jul 2012 #18

Wow...and I'd say it's expanded since then. antigone382 Jul 2012 #19

here in midcoast Maine, we are back out of abnormally dry magical thyme Jul 2012 #31

More recent version here - and these update every Thursday morning at around 9:00 Central Time, IIRC hatrack Jul 2012 #33

Denial of Global Warming is dead. caseymoz Jul 2012 #49

The USDA has changed its planting maps Patiod Jul 2012 #9

they hid their changes under a software upgrade, whereas commercial seed growers magical thyme Jul 2012 #32

We have ginkos and sugar maples growing in Fargo. Odin2005 Jul 2012 #35

Sugar maples are a fantastic resource Marrah_G Jul 2012 #59

I am an avid gardner and everyone went up one to two USDA zones this year based harun Jul 2012 #81

Yay from Maine. We're now approaching a Zone 6. mainer Jul 2012 #121

This message was self-deleted by its author Patiod Jul 2012 #9

It was 97F in Fargo, yesterday. The Dew Point was 77F. Odin2005 Jul 2012 #12

Two once-in-a-century weather extremes in a row. What are the odds? NickB79 Jul 2012 #85

Talked to someone from Bangladesh and-justice-for-all Jul 2012 #21

The rest of the world doesn't have Fox News and the US news bubble underpants Jul 2012 #39

I love talking to people from other countries and-justice-for-all Jul 2012 #119

Just like most everyone paying attention outside USA reckons 9/11 Ghost Dog Jul 2012 #125

warming obama4ever11 Jul 2012 #25

wettest June in UK history JCMach1 Jul 2012 #28

Actually, wettest April-June period in UK since (at least) 1910. n/t Psephos Jul 2012 #114

Jet stream consistently not where it used to be. Ghost Dog Jul 2012 #126

Last week on the local news, the "good" news was that only almost all of TX... LanternWaste Jul 2012 #30

Imagine what it will be like in 2100. roamer65 Jul 2012 #36

Flying cars! Faithful robotics! Limitless power! The Picture Phone! A 30-hour work week! slackmaster Jul 2012 #37

Yep, all the fifties science fictions said that. caseymoz Jul 2012 #50

I was thinking more along the lines of "Kill the pig! Slit her throat! Bash her in!" hatrack Jul 2012 #113

Me too. n/t RebelOne Jul 2012 #100

The impact on the food supply may be enormous GliderGuider Jul 2012 #48

I think that is one big reason to change what you eat and how you cook now. Marrah_G Jul 2012 #58

Temperature also has huge impact on the microbial activity in the soil harun Jul 2012 #82

I just read about this! chervilant Jul 2012 #99

Awesome, I'll go idle my car for a while to do my part. LeftyMom Jul 2012 #72

Just came in from watching the fireworks, Brigid Jul 2012 #75

Did it ever drop below 80 last night? AngryOldDem Jul 2012 #88

I'm not sure. Brigid Jul 2012 #112

Then go back to 1960 and dont burn so much oil dipsydoodle Jul 2012 #102

The USA no longer controls the global climate single-handedly. GliderGuider Jul 2012 #128

so far, 10 days above 95F in DC with high humidity, drought wordpix Jul 2012 #118

I think we need more research to be sure. agent46 Jul 2012 #127

"Nor will they say global warming is the reason 3,215 daily high temperature records were set in the Tiggeroshii Jul 2012 #130