h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My error, TD I apoligise for assigning to you a post that you did not write.

"We fight 'against' everything, but more and more I worry that we never fight 'for' anything. Oh we can criticise and complain and judge everything, but where does that get us?
Griping isn't the same as creating something. Rebelling isn't re building. ridiculing isn't replacing. We've taken the World apart, but we have no idea what to do with the pieces. We've spent so much time judging what other people created that we've created very little of our own. We use rebellion as a way to hide out. We use criticism as fake participation. It only looks as if we've accomplished something.
Have you ever contributed anything worthwhile to the world? "

"Have you ever contributed anything worthwhile to the world?"

Are you aiming that at everyone or just non-americans?

Aimed at everyone - including me!

Aimed at everyone - including me!
In other words I didn't 'aim' it at all.

Like a nuke, you just kinda set the timer and ran

Yep I suppose so, if everyone thinks that it's a destructive thing to say.
Is it destructive?

Perhaps we could tkae a dep breathe here and listen to tghis- if the technology works
[Unsuitable link removed by Moderator]

Sorry about all thejkn.typos a/l;
rubber fingers

"Have you ever contributed anything worthwhile to the world?"

I guess one of the things I am proud of doing was taking over a cub scout troop {boy scouts ages 6-12} that was failing both in membership and finacily. {7 children - less than $100.00 in acount}

I was cubmaster for 6 years and brought the troop up to 63 children with over $4500.00 in account when I Retired.

Cub scouts teachs children to respect all people {cultures,religions,ethnic backrounds} morals, builds charactor, runs charity drives and allows for a clean safe enviorment for the children to have go clean fun.

Yes this is one of the small things I have done to help the world.

"Have you ever contributed anything worthwhile to the world? "

Er, occasionally, I think I have. ESOL teaching in my friend's church, working with special needs people for years (unpaid) and various similar...

Those are worthwhile things, I think.

Plus 3 kids, who I have 'contributed' and who make their contributions..

Theres a story in the hitchikers guide about a planet so beautiful and yet ravaged by tourism that in order to make sure that your visit hadn't impacted on the beautiful place you were weighed before and after you visited. (So you had to get a reciept when you went to the toilet)

Anyway, this question is drifting from 'why some people hate americans' to 'pitying propaganda fed people' to 'what have you done for the world.' In that case I think the question shouldn't be about what you have given, but also about what you have taken in terms of resources and negative impact.

America is the most consumptive nation, does it give as good as it gets???

do you want that in kilo-watt hours?

According to 60 minutes over half of the US population are over weight and 30% are obease (SP?)

So Zebrafish, are you suggesting that Americans contribute to the mass of the planet or that there shoulod be a recipt system

kilowatt hours would do as a start. Maybe also oil consumption (barrels per person per year), methane production, chemical disposal, nuclear waste generation, non-biodegradables in landfill sites...
hot-air (cubic meter per person)

landmines per square mile

Subcontractors indirectly working for US corporations (30cents per hour)

Arms exported (deathrate)

Number of McDonalds restaurants per impressionable kid.

response to 1635

Yes I see kind of a 'for being an ameican tax' you could put it to the court of world opinion and maybe even the UN. Of course you would want to make sure you are not seen as hypercritical and definently not hypocritical. So before you do put forward this Idea you should make sure you are free of the following: riding in any powered vehicle other than your own power, eat meat or proccesed food, read paper or books, use any household cleaners including laundry detergent, electricity, phone, computer, shelter {other than what you make fron fallen tree limbs and grass by your own hands} employment, taxes and farting. Of course this is only a prelimanary list you might want to go over it. Then when you are completly self sufficient and have reached non-consuming nirvana you can start throwing stones at those over consuming americans.

So you're saying as long as anyone consumes at all then it's ok for americans to waste and pollute far beyond proportion.

Somehow I don't see anyone in Oceania dying of skin cancer from living next to or under the ozone hole buying that one.

ok...Back from to days of relaxation with girlfriend Varla Duween.

I'm off for a week myself, tomorrow morning

yay! An american capable of irony! And there was me thinking it was just Bill Hicks, Noam Chomsky and Tenacious D who understood the concept.

But hell yes, on a rough and ready and proveable-on-an-etch-a-sketch level Americans overconsume. So shouldn't they be held to account to the rest of the world?