I decided to write this post because of a thread a little ways down the list on Americans and SUVs. I was a little annoyed by some of the stuff said there. So if you are curious about my opinion about America's problems and its relationship with the rest of the world, read on, if not, bye. Be warned, it is kind of long.

Many things about this country make me ashamed to be a part of it, ashamed that I have lived here for most of my life oblivious to what I was taking part in. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the ideals we have as a nation, but our culture disgusts me on many levels.

Simply put, we are the most short-sighted, wasteful, and excessive culture in the history of the world. As a people, we consume whatever we want simply because our ultra capitalist society produces it. We buy things simply because it is there. Few people actually think about the consequences of their actions, hiding behind the axiom: "Its a free country, if I want to do or buy something, why shouldn't I". They fail to understand that their is a heavy responsibility to the freedom we enjoy.

If you want to know why so many people in other parts of the world dislike Americans so intensly, this is it. We consume and waste at a vomitous rate, and flaunt our ability to do so to the rest of the world. Now, don't be too insulted by this, for most people it is unintentional, it is just the way of life here and it seems natural. But please, open your eyes and observe what you are doing. We are wasting resources and destroying the ecosystem in which we are a part of with alarming thoughtlessness. People fail to realize, because it is not taught to us, that we are part of an ecosystem, and destruction of this ecosystem will ultimately lead to destruction of ourselves. Every time another species of life disapears (and they are disapearing very rapidly) the diversity of the ecosystem is reduced, thereby making it more fragile and unstable. Diversity is essential to a healthy ecosystem, and we have a callous indifference to this fact. Maybe you believe that other species of life are useless if they don't feed you or amuse you, but this is terribly negligent, not just to them, BUT TO YOURSELF.

Anyway, I have gone a little off my original topic here, and I am by no means suggesting that America is solely responsible for this destruction of the world's ecosystem, but as we are by far the world's leader in consumption per capita of food, water, oil, and almost every other resource, we are the most responsible for this, especially since we encourage it in others.

So to you Americans out there (and others as well I suppose), take your freedom more seriously, think about the consequences of your consumption and the effect it is having on the world. I beg you. To tell the truth, I see little hope for the human race, I believe we will kill ourselves us a lot sooner than you'd think - and not through some apocolyptic war. We will go out with a whimper, leaving the earth a dried up and useless husk of a planet for years and years until time heals it. Now you probably think I am being fatalistic, and that is your prerogative, but I would ask you to take what I have said seriously, it is not as fantastical as you might think.

To give you an idea of what is in store for us, let me tell you quickly about a conversation I recently had. I asked a prominent professor at my college what he thought about global warming, and more generally the human effect on the planet. This man, who is extremely intelligent and learned, told me that among the world of geological academia, there is little doubt that the ice caps will begin to melt in the near future. This seemingly insignificant thing will have a HUGE impact, and it is just the beginning. It will raise the sea levels quite a bit, flooding and destroying coastal settlements all over the world. Think how many cities are next to the ocean...

Anyway, sorry for this downer of a post, but I had to say something, I am constantly stunned by the ignorant attitude of many Americans - one I had for many years, and I just want to enlighten as many people as I can, even though I realize many of you will dismiss me as a fatalistic environmentalist. Unfortunately, it is this attitude that threatens us all...