Alan Batie [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] wrote:
> The places where people buy only what they need are what we > call "third world countries" I think. Actually, people in > most of those places buy things they don't really need as > well. This statement reminds me of one of the more annoying > phrases my mother always used to give me: "you don't need > that". Well, no, I don't need it, that's not the point. I don't > *need* anything but food and shelter. One of the things that > drives humans is to improve our conditions beyond what we "need". ... now if only we could see beyond improving our immediate, individual conditions and work at improving the conditions for *everyone* instead. Unfortunately, a first world person "improving" their immediate personal condition through unnecessarily excessive consumption of limited and/or non-renewable resources (such as single-occupant commuting in an SUV at 70mph when a NEV or Th!nk would suffice) is contributing to degrading the immediate and future living conditions for all first, second, and third worlders as sell as their own. Cheers, Roger.
