Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 03:10:36 -0800 (PST)
From: fourletters-AT-pseud.pseud
Subject: Re: M-INTRO: Pollution


It's impossible to definitively prove whether or not
men are greedy by nature, but we can look at what man
does to those around him and to his surroundings. Why
is it that recent legislation made it possible for old
power plants to have lower pollution standards than
newer power plants as long as they are only upgrading
20% of their equipment per year in the US? The motive
is profit. If a company can over the span of several
years upgrade a plant to efficient equipment without
having to be held to the rigerous pollution standards
required for new plants, they don't have to incur the
pollution control costs. This is not inspired by a
socially responsible or utilitarian attitude. It has
to do with profit and greed. 

If left unchecked, man will exploit those around him.
Why is it that we have so many labor laws? Why is it
that we have so many pollution control laws? Because
man left to his own devices will destroy his
surroundings and exploit his neighbors.

--- The_Kailua_Kid-AT-pseud.pseud wrote:
> I also disagree with the idea that humans are not
> greedy by nature.
> 
> I find it interesting though that Republican states
> that monogamy was created so MEN could pass on their
> property. I think it has also been used in the past
> as
> a means to deny women ownership of property. 
> 
> I also don't think Republican's assertion that
> animals
> are materialistic is accurate. Animals are
> territorial
> because a certain area of land can only support a
> certain amount of wildlife. If you have too many
> predators, like wolves for example, they would
> reduce
> their food supply to the point where they would
> start
> to starve. If you have too many grazing animals,
> such
> as deer, they begin to strip all the vegetation to
> the
> point where they don't have enough to eat. The
> territorial behavior in animals is a way for them to
> maintain equilibrium and balance with the
> environment
> they depend on. Humans today, on the other hand, are
> territorial because we have insatiable appetites. We
> consume natural resources faster than they can be
> replenished because of our greed, our need to have
> more.
> 
> --- Republican-AT-pseud.pseud wrote:
> > I would have to disagree with Savil in that humans
> > are not by nature greedy 
> > when it comes to material wealth. It was due to
> this
> > greed that early 
> > civilization created monogomy, as a means for men
> to
> > pass their property from 
> > themselves to their children. If the women they
> were
> > with had several male partners, 
> > then there was no way in proving which male
> fathered
> > her child. Even animals are 
> > in an essence materialistic. The majority of them
> > fight over territory just 
> > as humans fight over land.
> > 
> > 
> > --- StripMime Warning --  MIME attachments removed
> > --- 
> > This message may have contained attachments which
> > were removed.
> > 
> > Sorry, we do not allow attachments on this list.
> > 
> > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- 
> > multipart/alternative
> >   text/plain (text body -- kept)
> >   text/html
> > ---
> > 
> > 
> >      --- from list
> > marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> 
> 
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now
> http://companion.yahoo.com/
> 
> 
>      --- from list
> marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---


__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now
http://companion.yahoo.com/


     --- from list marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---