Energy and Defense #1

In the 1960's, Paul Ehrlich warned about the unsustainable exponential population growth and its impacts on the Planet Earth. (Population Bomb)

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At the time, the US was ~ 5% of the world's population and consumed ~ 25% of the world's resources.

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Decades have passed and the statistics are much the same, exacerbated by SUVs, unimproved CAFE standards, McMansions and much else.

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The US has the highest per capita energy consumption.

He predicted RESOURCE WARS over dwindling resources, conflicts over scarcity, essential human needs such as water and food in short supply, marginal land used for human habitation.

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Has it escaped everyone's notice that those countries labelled as threatening to the US and warranting invasion or intervention have energy resources? Most notably have oil, but the '..stans' have gas deposits that will be extracted via a pipeline passing through Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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Would we give a rat's petunia if Iraq's major export was lettuce?

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Would the US have armed the Indonesian military to shoot unarmed civilians seeking independence if East Timor didn't have oil off its coast?

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Resource wars, military spending and the US as mercenaries for energy companies are linked in ways that short change the lives of citizens in not so subtle ways like healthcare and education.

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Arms spending is worth consideration. LINK