Comments by "Halfdan Ingolfsson" (@Halli50) on "Thom Hartmann Program"
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Thom, I wonder why I am still here, seeing that I have sworn off you due to your weird 'Murican values, but here goes:
I am Icelandic, of a nation that actually preserved oral history for centuries using all kinds of poetic tricks, and finally put it down on vellum in the 1200s - The Icelandic Sagas. Moreover, there are numerous archeological finds that confirm that the Sagas are NOT fiction! Embellished, perhaps, but the core has been confirmed - even by genetic evidence that confirms our history!
We Icelanders HAVE done what you are ranting about, abusing our environment: 1000 years ago, the Sagas tell of a country that was "wooded, from mountain to coast" - and yet our forefathers managed to denude said flora within a couple of centuries. They were environmental terrorists - but had no idea what they were doing. We, their ancestors had to burn peat to survive for centuries!
We are now in a fairly good shape: 99% of our domestic electricity/heating needs are sustainable, all our electricity and home heating requirements are hydro-electric or geothermal! The "dirty" 1% is when winter weather knocks out the power grid and local communities have to start up their local emergency power generation facilities for a few hours. The important point: We are PREPARED for these eventualities - we spend a lot of resources on idle infrastructure, and we will NEVER have what amounts to a Texas freeze-out disaster!
Our weak spot is transportation. While we are introducing electric cars at a fairly rapid rate (recharging is 100% renewable energy here!) long-distance travel, shipping and aviation still need fossil fuel. Still, that is a fairly modest "dirty-boots" sector...
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This is a simple case: If there are enough "evangelicals" in the US, yearning for the Rapture, willing to re-elect Trump, that is simply democracy at work. You get what you deserve. If, on the other hand, there are enough ordinary people that CANNOT BE BOTHERED TO VOTE then, well, you get what you deserve - not another 4 years of Trump but A LIFETIME of Trump! If he gets another 4 years, he will never let go. The Rapture-seekers will be the first being sent to death camps, and the rest of you will soon follow. Will Trump follow the example of Hitler or Stalin, or perhaps somehow manage to follow BOTH examples? Any way you twist it, the chances of the US coming out of this in one piece are becoming slimmer by the minute. Basically, you are SCREWED- and by Trump, no less!
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You have a compound problem in the US: The basic issues are inequality and not giving an Eff about your fellow citizens!
The countries that are doing, let's say not badly (no one is doing well in this situation), are those that welcome capitalism, but ONLY on a very tight rein, and can afford to do so by maintaining a solid social safety net (partly funded by appropriately taxing the capitalists, not allowing them to pervert the system). The Nordic countries are just one example. 'Murica is now finding itself in a deep hole, and you seem to be insistent on one thing only: Keep Digging, make the hole deeper!
My country (Iceland) refused to bail out the banksters in 2008, instead dragging them into court and actually jailing some of them. As a result, our recovery was surprisingly quick and we are managing to keep our heads above water for the time being. Make no mistake, we are ALL in for for a meager decade to come, partly thanks to Covid and partly due to Putin, but given all the shite flying about these days we can count our blessing. Fossil fuels have gone up considerably, but seeing that we are more than self-sufficient regarding renewable energy for everything other than transportation, we are incredibly well off.
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Interesting thought mentioned in this clip: A value system where we do not need to be "winners" at any cost, being "equal" is a perfectly acceptable, even a preferred state of affairs! On reflection, the "being equal" is accepted by most western nations - except 'Murica! The Nordic countries thrive on equality - few people are rich, few are poor, and we are basically afforded equal opportunities in life. The fact that EVERY western nation (and most non-western nations as well) have adopted the philosophy that affordable health care is a RIGHT, not a privilege - EXCEPT the USA, is telling!
In our opinion, your current value system sucks by every conceivable metric! The greatest irony of it all: This is the example the US gave us following WW2! We actually DID follow it and it has served us very well!
Thom, have you ever been to Iceland? The country where the police is rarely visible and NEVER armed? We have out problems, political and economic, but we ALWAYS stick together when the shit hits the fan (natural disasters like pandemics, volcanic activity or financial disasters have take care of that).
Is it wrong to be content with what you have? If you think so, you are probably 'Murican!
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In my country, Iceland, doing the tax return is like in Estonia: You log in, using verified electronic credentials available at no cost to every citizen, you scroll through your pre-filled tax return to scan for errors and, unless you find a discrepancy, you just sign the return by electronic means and you are done. 5 minutes, tops (if you are methodical), less if you are careless and trust your government.
PS. I did relief flights for the ICRC during the final 2 years of the Angolan Civil War in the early 1990s, and experienced but nibbles of the horrors you described, taking part in these situations. That was enough for me to appreciate the luxury of being a Nordic citizen!
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