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October 11, 2006
British commentary: "how America is eating the world"
"
On a global scale the average US citizen uses far more than his or her fair share of the planet's resources - consuming more than four times the worldwide average of energy, almost three times as much water and producing more than twice the average amount of rubbish and five times the amount of carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming," explains the London-based Independent today. This isn't news, except that today's the day when the U.S. population reaches a round 300 million. The article you see here (and can read at www.independent.co.uk) is titled "Supersize Nation: As its population reaches 300m, how America is eating the world." Yuck.
While the British are nearly as irrational and misleading as the United States in their airline anti-terrorist measures (the government here, too, is in need of justification for the Iraq War, of course, so this makes sense), the British press is far superior to ours and I don't mind at all if they take a hard look at America.
I'm using the IRIS system now when I enter the U.K., which means going into a glass compartment and letting a machine read my irises. No human interaction, no passport or landing card to show, and it's very very fast. But it's a little worrisome, thinking that the government has my iris pattern in its system.
Posted by Karen Christensen at October 11, 2006 2:30 PM
Comments
Karen,
As far as I am aware, there are no clinical trials demonstrating the long-term safety of iris scans. You only have one set of eyes, better safe then sorry. I'll continue to stand in the long lines and do my border crossing the old fashioned way.
Mark
Posted by: MarkD at October 11, 2006 5:13 PM
Karen
Quote:
I speak as an African who hears the talk of many here (when no Amerikans are present). Also most of us don't say it to your faces but African people, like South Americans, are sick and tired of you cheating, double-dealer, evil Yankee people; (corporations/government/cia) empire with "your" World Bank and "your" International Monetary Fund, for all the suffering, hunger, pain and death you cause on us with your capitalist lies. With memories of what you have done to us in the past and what you do to innocent Iraqis in the present, secretly more and more the men form groups at all levels in preparation to drive you out and defend ourselves. All we want is peace and freedom to prosper in our own lands but all you cause us is hunger, poverty, slavery, death in our own lands. What have we done to you?
We are not afraid of your bombs, Iraq is our brothers now! Venezuela is our brothers now! Iran is our brothers now! Korea is our brothers now! We will fight you and cause you the same pain that you cause on us. Is it not one of your ancestors who said: I would rather die free than live a slave. Aluta continua!
Anon ..
Unquote
So, Karen, why is it that this comment cannot be voted for? (get error message). It is a very interesting comment, and particularly regarding the subject you are writing about here today. Also, on the same subject, on "npr" today, we heard Mozambique cotton farmers who cannot make a living on what they get paid for their cotton because the price of cotton is pushed further and further down by the subsidies offered US farmers (and I must add, EU farmers as well). As well, the Mexican illegal immigrants are pushed accross the border by Nafta accords that have erradicated their farms in central and south Mexico. That is something Sam and his likes do not "want to know"!
Posted by: EJ at October 13, 2006 12:57 PM
Talking about entering the UK, and also in regard to someone's comment about not much difference between the UK and US, (I agree to that), let me add something I saw on the news on TV last week.
In the UK, there are lots and lots of TV cameras everywhere on the streets. The screens are being monitored 24/7. But now, and here is big brother, there are loud speakers which the monitor uses to admonish people in the streets, for example a cyclist cycling on a pavement is told to dismount his bike, someone dropping a cigarette but or piece of paper is told to pick them up. All this loudly so everyone is looking around and the person targetted is humiliated publicly. We saw this on screen and the reaction of the people. The journalist doing the report said that, eventually, after the success of this system in the UK, the US will adopt it within the next 5 years. The presenter, I can't remember if it was Charles Gibson on ABC, said something like "Oh my"...
Posted by: EJ at October 13, 2006 1:11 PM
I don't know why the voting wasn't working. We're going to revise the site and need advice, so please write to us!
Posted by: Karen Christensen at October 19, 2006 3:49 PM