300,000,000

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Kidicious

Translation: America does not have a sustainable development plan for the world. What's the problem?


I don't really see anything there like that.

the first thing wrong is the hook, US population. As I said, US pop growth is tied to immigration. TFR for native US is barely at replacement level, IIUC (though that still higher than Europe). Second is that the overall question of sustainibility isnt really addressed - easterbrook gets a throw away line, while Thurow gets several paragraphs. Third is tossing in stats on obesity, which isnt really related to sustainability at all - why not mention European tobacco smoking, probably higher than the US - thats a health problem as well, and one that uses land. Fourth is comparing US stats to developing country stats without including stats for other countries with the same GDP (yes I know on some measures US is still higher, but as weve discussed the reasons for that are complex, and have nothing to do with a superior european model of sustainable development)

[lord of the mark]

" But many experts say passing the 300 million milestone should be a wake-up call that demands a reappraisal of the extraordinary, unparalleled rate of consumption by the world's largest economy and its third largest by population."

Many experts - the usual throwaway when a reporter wants to give their own opinion.

Extraordinary, unparalled - BS. On a per capita or per GDP basic not THAT far off from other developed countries.

[lord of the mark]

"As an economic model for the rest of the world to follow - in particular the rapidly developing economies of China and India - it is unsustainable, they say."

a consumption pattern is not an economic model. Gasoline consumption per capita in Manhattan is radically different from that in Montana. Does that mean Manhattan follows a different economic model than Montana? No. They both follow a model of responding to market signals, which results in different consumption patterns in different places.

[Kidlicious]

I don't argue that the article is good. I'm just amused that Arrian get's so upset about it instead of either just ignoring it, or criticing it.

[lord of the mark]

"On a global scale the average US citizen uses far more than his or her fair share of the planet's resources "

whats the fair share? Does the US production of resources matter - after all we produce lots of food and lots of paper - and oil, aside, were a pretty huge energy producer as well.

And since when is there a global shortage of paper? KH?

[lord of the mark]

"The 'great white hope' Jess Willard beat black boxing champion Jack Johnson in a dubious bout in Havana; Marines were dispatched to Haiti after a mob killed its president and the Ku Klux Klan was reestablished as a 'benevolent' organisation."

definitely a fair sampling of events in the US in 1915, right?

[Kidlicious]

Why not?

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
We're not really bothered -

The government is . The common man isn't . That sound better ?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by MOBIUS

At least tell us why you think so...?

Several 'facts' are blatantly wrong.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by MOBIUS
Personally the main reason I posted this was the realisation that my knowledge of the US population size was seriously out by 275m

You thought the pop was 25m?

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by Caligastia


You thought the pop was 25m?

Which would be 30% of the population of germany

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by MikeH


So... did you think their population was 25 million or 575 million?

Oops!

Still, shows what a bunch of chumps you Polyites are that it took a CGer to point my keyboard error after so many posts...

[MikeH]

Yeah right, keyboard error.