>>>>>>On April 22, 1870, the future founder of the 20th century's first communist state was born.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>On April 22, 1970, the next step towards communist America was born.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I am celebrating both today by turning on all lights and appliances in my houses, opening all the doors and windows while running my ACs at 50. Meanwhile, I've enlisted several friends to drive my SUVs around and cut down as many trees as they can and so we may burn them tonight in a giant bonfire party. I've loaded up on bottled beer, carried in plastic bags (although I now hear paper may be worse, oh well). We shall throw our empty bottles in the dump and pee in the river while clubbing baby seals. Happy Birthday!
>>>>>
>>>>>Welcome to the USA. Home of consumption
>>>>
>>>>Damn right, and I encourage all my fellow citizens to follow suit. Think of it as doing your part to help the economic recovery. ;)
>>>
>>>Here's a little article about what consumerism is doing to the planet.
>>>
>>>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/8639769.stm
>>>
>>
>>Here's a little article about what consumerism is doing to the global economy.
>>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/business/economy/26econ.html
>>;)
>>
>>>I walked to a local retail park yesterday and was shocked by how much plastic rubbish there was in the grass areas around it. Every bush was covered in plastic lotter. Mos people don't see it because they drive there.
>>
>>That people are pigs is not in dispute, but to blame "consumerism" is not objectively valid. San Francisco smells and looks like a dump and it has nothing to do with discarded plastic. ;)
>
>I would agree with the pigs bit. I have never thrown rubbish out the car window or in the street in my life. Where does it all come from , who are these people who do it.

Me either. I've seen really clean cities and really filthy cities around the world and all over the U.S. I'm sure it has changed over the years for better or worse, but in my experience, overall Germany was the cleanest and France the filthiest (of the west). I've seen some really poor countries and surprisingly, the filth in France was very close to the worst places which didn't even have adequate sanitation in their country. In many really poor countries, the people have cleaner habits than in some of the most developed. They have to because the system doesn't do any of it for them.

I should add that one thing really surprised me when I lived in Germany. I had neighbors who turned in their other neighbors for not cleaning the sidewalks in front of their home and not picking up trash that had blown in by the wind. The whole idea of ratting on your neighbor for littering or not cleaning was repulsive to me at the time. Since then, it has become common place in the U.S. as well. The whole green and clean attitude has taken over in this country now too. Not a bad thing at all, but I am still repulsed by tattertales for that unless it presents a real health hazard. The idea of "reporting on your neighbors" is scary unless it is for something that is a serious crime or endangers someone.