National borders are becoming irrelevant, says John McDonnell

[Anna B]

Looking at the planet Earth from space there are no borders, and just one race of people, mankind.

Everything else is a manmade construct. But rather than help to organise the world, it has divided it, and created territorialism, borders and wars.

 

It would be nice to think that we could simply undo the damage, but it isn't going to happen anytime soon. However wouldn't it be a good idea to start trying to work towards it?

 

Surely the first steps should be to ensure that anywhere and everywhere is a good place to live. Most people have very modest personal requirements: everyone needs shelter, warmth, food and clean water, safety, and the love of family and friends.

 

We can do that.

 

Add to that education and healthcare. And we're almost there.

 

We have computers with brains the size of a planet and still growing, and a communication system that means I can talk to people on the other side of the world instantly, and a transport system that crosses the Globe. Let's use technology as it was intended, for something good, and try to achieve these things.

 

If Global Warming has taught us anything, it is that we have to work together to achieve real results.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Anna B

[Quik]

Looking at the planet Earth from space there are no borders, and just one race of people, mankind.

Everything else is a manmade construct. But rather than help to organise the world, it has divided it, and created territorialism, borders and wars.

 

It would be nice to think that we could simply undo the damage, but it isn't going to happen anytime soon. However wouldn't it be a good idea to start trying to work towards it?

 

Surely the first steps should be to ensure that anywhere and everywhere is a good place to live. Most people have very modest personal requirements: everyone needs shelter, warmth, food and clean water, safety, and the love of family and friends.

 

We can do that.

 

Add to that education and healthcare. And we're almost there.

 

We have computers with brains the size of a planet and still growing, and a communication system that means I can talk to people on the other side of the world instantly, and a transport system that crosses the Globe. Let's use them as they were intended, for something good, and try to achieve these things.

 

If Global Warming has taught us anything, it is that we have to work together to achieve real results.

 

Check the third world population boom stats. Then try living on a couple of quid a day which will be required to be 'fair'.

 

I have no desire to live like an african. I have no desire for my kids to live like africans. So I won't be advicating any policy that reduces our living standards.

[*_ash_*]

Looking at the planet Earth from space there are no borders, and just one race of people, mankind.

Everything else is a manmade construct. But rather than help to organise the world, it has divided it, and created territorialism, borders and wars.

 

It would be nice to think that we could simply undo the damage, but it isn't going to happen anytime soon. However wouldn't it be a good idea to start trying to work towards it?

 

Surely the first steps should be to ensure that anywhere and everywhere is a good place to live. Most people have very modest personal requirements: everyone needs shelter, warmth, food and clean water, safety, and the love of family and friends.

 

We can do that.

 

Add to that education and healthcare. And we're almost there.

 

We have computers with brains the size of a planet and still growing, and a communication system that means I can talk to people on the other side of the world instantly, and a transport system that crosses the Globe. Let's use technology as it was intended, for something good, and try to achieve these things.

 

If Global Warming has taught us anything, it is that we have to work together to achieve real results.

 

Really this is all dreamy nonsense.

 

Hand over your money Anna!! You can start

 

The last sentence sums it all up.

[Anna B]

Really this is all dreamy nonsense.

 

Hand over your money Anna!! You can start

 

The last sentence sums it all up.

 

Well what's wrong with dreaming? Got to start somewhere.

[unbeliever]

Well what's wrong with dreaming? Got to start somewhere.

 

What's actually been happening in the last couple of decades is that the worlds poorest people in India, China and especially Africa have started embracing capitalism and greatly benefitted from it.

Is it fair? No it isn't. But after a while you have to look at the alternatives as they are rather than how the could or should be and admit that capitalism is the best of a bad lot.

 

All this stuff about resources becoming scarce is guff. Every year the population grows and the supply of key resources grows faster.

Oil running out? Let's think of better ways of digging it up. Tada!

Short on food? Let's get better at growing it. Tada!

 

What's holding them back is attempts at grand organisation. They always fail. We're not actually smart enough to figure out in advance what the best way of doing something is. We almost always get it wrong. But create a system in which each small success is rewarded and the net effect is that things trend positively.

 

Honestly, I used to think like you Anna. I really did. I looked forward to a great and benevolent world government allocating resources and bringing people together for the common good. It's a beautiful dream. It just doesn't work. And every attempt at it holds people back and keeps them poor for another few years.

Edited February 1, 2016 by unbeliever

[sutty27]

Looking at the planet Earth from space there are no borders, and just one race of people, mankind.

Everything else is a manmade construct. But rather than help to organise the world, it has divided it, and created territorialism, borders and wars.

 

It would be nice to think that we could simply undo the damage, but it isn't going to happen anytime soon. However wouldn't it be a good idea to start trying to work towards it?

 

Surely the first steps should be to ensure that anywhere and everywhere is a good place to live. Most people have very modest personal requirements: everyone needs shelter, warmth, food and clean water, safety, and the love of family and friends.

 

We can do that.

 

Add to that education and healthcare. And we're almost there.

 

We have computers with brains the size of a planet and still growing, and a communication system that means I can talk to people on the other side of the world instantly, and a transport system that crosses the Globe. Let's use technology as it was intended, for something good, and try to achieve these things.

 

If Global Warming has taught us anything, it is that we have to work together to achieve real results.

 

How big is the list of species that doesn't do the same, how many species do you know of that will share everything equally with other member of their own species, most species will fight over resources with other members of their own species. There will never be billions of people sharing resources, there will only be war over resources.

[Eric Arthur]

Well what's wrong with dreaming? Got to start somewhere.

 

We could start with genetically modified crops for food to prevent famine migrations, and fracking for fuel and building nuclear power stations to stop energy conflicts.

[unbeliever]

We could start with genetically modified crops for food to prevent famine migrations, and fracking for fuel and building nuclear power stations to stop energy conflicts.

 

Surely we all have to travel by battery powered flower bus and wear sandals.

[sutty27]

What's actually been happening in the last couple of decades is that the worlds poorest people in India, China and especially Africa have started embracing capitalism and greatly benefitted from it.

Is it fair? No it isn't. But after a while you have to look at the alternatives as they are rather than how the could or should be and admit that capitalism is the best of a bad lot.

 

All this stuff about resources becoming scarce is guff. Every year the population grows and the supply of key resources grows faster.

Oil running out? Let's think of better ways of digging it up. Tada!

Short on food? Let's get better at growing it. Tada!

 

What's holding them back is attempts at grand organisation. They always fail. We're not actually smart enough to figure out in advance what the best way of doing something is. We almost always get it wrong. But create a system in which each small success is rewarded and the net effect is that things trend positively.

 

Honestly, I used to think like you Anna. I really did. I looked forward to a great and benevolent world government allocating resources and bringing people together for the common good. It's a beautiful dream. It just doesn't work. And every attempt at it holds people back and keeps them poor for another few years.

 

We are very good at producing food, the problem is that we are using water much faster than it is replenished.

 

Supplies are constantly being depleted, even in the United States. Agriculture and industry have put increasing demands on the world’s rivers and estuaries. Agriculture alone accounts for 70% of the world’s fresh water use. In a recent article series published by National Geographic, eight of the world’s major rivers were experiencing major depletion. The Colorado River in the US no longer reaches the ocean and barely supplies Mexico with fresh water. The Indus River in the the Middle East is facing a similar problem. The water is being depleted by Pakistan’s agricultural needs before it reaches the Port of Karachi.

 

 

Rivers are not the only fresh water source being depleted. Recently, satellite evidence of severe groundwater depletion was detected in the Tigris and Euphrates River basins. This loss of water totals to a staggering 144 cubic kilometers, most of which (roughly 60%) can be attributed to the pumping of groundwater from underground reservoirs. A study conducted in the Netherlands found that nearly half of the world’s water basins were depleting more than 40% of their renewable supplies. Losses to aquifers and groundwater have devastating consequences, as these sources take a long time to replenish.

[unbeliever]

We are very good at producing food, the problem is that we are using water much faster than it is replenished.

 

Supplies are constantly being depleted, even in the United States. Agriculture and industry have put increasing demands on the world’s rivers and estuaries. Agriculture alone accounts for 70% of the world’s fresh water use. In a recent article series published by National Geographic, eight of the world’s major rivers were experiencing major depletion. The Colorado River in the US no longer reaches the ocean and barely supplies Mexico with fresh water. The Indus River in the the Middle East is facing a similar problem. The water is being depleted by Pakistan’s agricultural needs before it reaches the Port of Karachi.

 

 

Rivers are not the only fresh water source being depleted. Recently, satellite evidence of severe groundwater depletion was detected in the Tigris and Euphrates River basins. This loss of water totals to a staggering 144 cubic kilometers, most of which (roughly 60%) can be attributed to the pumping of groundwater from underground reservoirs. A study conducted in the Netherlands found that nearly half of the world’s water basins were depleting more than 40% of their renewable supplies. Losses to aquifers and groundwater have devastating consequences, as these sources take a long time to replenish.

 

 

We already have desalination technology. If and when it becomes economic to do so the technology will be developed and deployed. Much like shale oil has taken off when the supply of traditional oil became an issue.

 

The socialist approach would be to regulate. Water would be taxed or rationed to preserve the supply. Problem is that this turns what should be a temporary problem into a chronic one, because well intentioned people are trying to head of a catastrophe which would in reality never have materialised.