Charlie Rose Science Series
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05/12/2008
Josette Sheeran, John Holmes
An update from the U.N. on relief efforts in Myanmar
An update from the U.N. on relief efforts in Myanmar with Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme and John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
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Transcripts available through Voxant.
Transcripts available through Voxant.
I totally agree with Chris Baker's assertion about the necessity of population control and discussing this seriously on shows like Charlie Rose. It's such a joke to talk about driving Priuses or going to food relief conferences when having too many children really not only adds to global warming but also to the demise of our entire world.
Mr. Rose, in all these discussions of food supplies, and energy needs where is the conversation about a growing world population. In a world of finite size and resources we continue to talk about growing enough food to feed a world of people that will grow by fifty percent in twenty years. Both Mr. Holmes and Ms. Sheeran believe that we have the technology and the resources to do this. They think that if we just tried harder we could elminate starvation and poverty for all. But if this is not done in lockstep with population controls and global downsizing it will not be sustainable. By defintion, as the living standard of people increases so does their consumption of foood, energy and other resources as is witnessed by both India and China. We have just come out of two centuries that have been defined by growth. It is all we know as a nation and a world. Our economies, our governments and our societies only know how to grow. Not to grow is to die... goes the thinking. And it looks as if we may just die trying. Someone in the 1990's coined the phrase "No company ever shrank or downsized itself to greatness". Yet that is exactly what we must do in the coming years. We must all shrink our way to greatness. Mr. Rose where are the great minds on this subject today. I can tell you that most are scared to discuss the topic openly out of fear of being accused of elitism, racism, or even attempted genocide. The question is, will you start the discussion?
The lip-service concern for the African farmer would doubtless evaporate if the subsidies to the American farmer were discontinued. They can't compete. Nor can the Mexican farmer. Thus his help migrates here to help his competitors. Throw in the corn-for-fuel instead of for-food affect on prices further exaberbates the hypocrisy.
Unfortunately the Myanmar officials are not wholly unjustified in not trusting our help. Why is illustrated in Namomi Klein's, The Shock Doctrine. Western (USA) capitalists moved in after the tsunami and bought up prime sea front land at fire-sale (or tsunami-sale) prices - displacing the original peasants. Just as in the subprime mortgage debacle our capitalists will exploit any thing or tragedy at a drop of any calamity. The same nation that would murder for oil hegemony or M-I complex profit. So Myamar cynicism against such a history isn't blameless. Hell, who knows, in the long run they may be better off.
This segment has a lot of discussion about more food aid but I didn't hear any discussion of population control, which in future decades is probably going to be as key as food aid.