Steven Earl Salmony’s Recent Comments

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  The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference begins two weeks from now. Given the humane and able exercise of intelligence, innovation and ingenuity by the human family, the converging global challenges issuing from the human overpopulation of Earth, the conspicuous per-capita overconsumption of limited resources, the reckless hoarding of wealth, the ruthless degradation of the environment, the rapacious dissipation of Earth's body and soon to become patently unsustainable growth of the leviathan-like world economy are still manageable if we can act boldly and cooperatively now.... before humanity's "window of opportunity" to make a difference closes. The leaders of the single generation who are largely responsible for these challenges cannot continue to be richly rewarded for their arrogance, foolishness and greed as well as be allowed to willfully proceed down a "primrose path" advocating more of their same, old, unsustainable business-as-usual activities, only to end up dumping fulminating global threats to human wellbeing and environmental health into the laps of the children. From this point of view only one colossal, human-induced challenge remains that is derived directly from a clearly recognized and plainly understandable imbalance of power. Perhaps this is the proverbial "mother" of all human-driven global threats to human wellbeing, environmental health and the future of life as we know it in our time: A few million Masters of the Universe with billions of dollars versus a few billion human beings with feet of clay and millions of dollars. It appears that a tiny minority of leading elders in my not-so-great generation are deliberately mortgaging and threatening the future of the children by remaining self-righteously focused upon the endless accumulation of material wealth, the unrestrained increase in per-capita overconsumption of limited resources, and the continuous consolidation of power. Despite all the flowery cascading rhetoric to the contrary, we need not look far to see that money, power and privilege for ourselves, our bought-and-paid-for politicians, and our newly-minted minions are the primary objects of our lives. Regardless of the fulminating human-driven calamities visible on the horizon that could soon befall the children, we have consciously and willfully chosen to live long, large and free from responsibility for our behavior. Yes, we proudly live in a patently unsustainable fantasy world (We call it reality. You know nothing of its extent.) of idle comforts, effortless ease, multiple McMansions, rampant consumption, secret handshakes, exclusive clubs, exotic hideaways, mega-yachts, limos and private jets, having abandoned our concern for the less fortunate among us, for the maintenance of life as we know it, and for the preservation of the integrity of Earth. Think of our single-minded pursuit of material wealth, power, and privilege to profligately hoard and recklessly ignore the requirements of practical reality as a raison d’etre......the work of deity. During the past 8 long dark years, we have learned that when too many leaders of my generation of arrogant, foolhardy and avaricious elders have completed their `mission’ on Earth, the children will likely look back in anger and utter disbelief at the things we have done so selfishly and failed to do so sanctimoniously………… all the while proclaiming ourselves Masters of the Universe doing God's work.On Skeptics claim global warming is fake after top scientists' emails hacked at CRU posted 7 hours, 50 minutes ago 3 Responses

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  We need so-called leaders to become actual leaders who are capable of making necessary changes and choosing a different path to the future. The distrust, dishonesty, duplicity, double-dealing, diablerie (Axis of Evil), and denial that marked the past 8 long dark years cannot continue. All the talk about the need for baby steps, steppingstones are needed, a deal is too difficult to reach much less enforce; the chasm between the rich and poor is too wide; slow food is advised, no meat is recommended, eat less tuna; the time left before the Climate Change Conference is too brief, the meeting time of the UNFCCC is too short; because it's already too late, have the 'courage' to do nothing; accept incremental change even though such change amounts to using a water hose to put out a barn-burning fire: it is the best we can do. All of this is silly talk from woefully inadequate, emasculated leaders who are not providing necessary leadership. As we approach the great meetings in Denmark, what is happening so pitifully and timorously is both a shame and a sham, and does not have to be occurring as it is now. The distinctly human-driven global predicament looming before the human family can be approached differently and in better ways. When the Masters of the Universe among us decided just last year to save the global financial system from collapse and rescue the real world economy from a death spiral into depression, no one took responsibility for anything that had occurred to produce that colossal economic mess and no one made wimpy, half-way proposals or suggested there was nothing that could be done. No way. There was work to be done and they did it. The integrity of Earth's body and its environs is at stake now. A colossal ecological mess is already visible on the horizon and awaits the children if we choose now, yet again, not to act ably, responsibly, reasonably, sensibly and humanely. The window of opportunity to save the planet, life as we know it, and a future for the children remains open. There is still a chance, a ray of hope. People have a choice between taking the "primrose path" to Hell or the less traveled path to Copenhagen. We know which path the self-proclaimed Masters of the Universe have chosen. Time is short but still available, perhaps for a while longer anyway, for human beings with feet of clay among us to speak out loudly and clearly in Copenhagen so that necessary changes occur to rescue the world we inhabit from relentless large-scale overproduction and reckless per-capita overconsumption activities of the Masters of the Universe who are ravaging the Earth and polluting its environs, even as they pretend to be its stewards.On Copenhagen panic is premature posted 2 days, 1 hour ago 4 Responses

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  While I have enjoyed Woody Allen's humor for a long time and respect his words (as they are reported here) with regard to our bleak prospects, there are more than two paths to the future, I suppose.On We have met the deniers, and they are us posted 2 days, 6 hours ago 152 Responses

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  Dear Witsendnj, Of course, I am agree with you on virtually everything you have reported. At least to me, it seems as if you and I are somehow standing on the same promontory, overlooking the landscape directly before us. Because we share a "scope of observation" in the same moment of space-time, I suppose we can see things similarly. All that acknowledged, the matter of hope could be a point where we differ somewhat. Just as you report, I believe the "prognosis" for the future looks bleak. Yes, definitely yes, to that realization. Even so, the window of opportunity for shouting and changing appears to remain open. As long as that "window" remains ajar, even slightly, it seems to me we have reasons to hope for finding a path to a good enough future for the children. Sincerely, Steve PS: My greatest fear for the children is that too many so-called leaders in our time will elect to remain mute and human beings with feet of clay will be taken in by an unverbalized mantra, a pernicious sound of silence, which is communicated to people everywhere through the mainstream media at the behest of the self-proclaimed Masters of the Universe among us.On We have met the deniers, and they are us posted 2 days, 7 hours ago 152 Responses

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  Dear Witsendnj, Is it not a bit early to conclude that "it's all over but the shooting"? There is still time, precious time for many people "shouting as one voice" to make a difference by forcefully, mindfully and humanely encouraging necessary changes from our unsustainable lifestyles to sustainable ways of living well in the world God has blessed us to inhabit. It does seem to me that God's Creation may not change in the future in ways that are certain to be beneficial to the human species. If that is so, perhaps it is incumbent upon the human community to keep and use its wits, its innovative know-how and its ingenuity to adapt its lifestyles to the practical requirements of biophysical reality, as given to us in well-established scientific knowledge. Thanks for speaking out so loudly, clearly and often. Always, SteveOn We have met the deniers, and they are us posted 2 days, 23 hours ago 152 Responses