green things
Jun. 24th, 2003 12:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
timepiececlockSo I was looking up bio pages on Ayn Rand for a mini-report I'm doing on famous women. I've read parts of Atlas Shrugged, but to my shame I ahven't finished yet. It's slow, difficult reading, and I keep getting distracted for long periods of time. I like it, but haven't finished it.
While looking up articles, I ended up reading this one, which mentions Rand, but is actually by someone else, and goes into the Big Evil Lie that apparently is environmentalism.
Dude, maybe because I've grown up in a very Democratic state in an area chock full of liberals that have fouled my young mind with early environmentalist propaganda, but the article just made me laugh. I love whales, I love trees, and I having been several times as a youth to some of the only places on Earth you can still find giant Redwood trees, I simply can't take seriously anyone who says environmentalism is a joke.
We had a guy come visit us for Thanksgiving the year before last who was from Kentucky. He came up with my brother from the Naval base in San Diego. And you know what he wanted to do, when we asked him? He wanted to see Redwood trees, because he never had before. He wanted to go to a Northern California beach, absorb all the scenery he could.
When I was visited DC and Virginia last September, I spent forever it seemed just staring out at the psychotically green hills.
There's two young people, raised in entire different areas of the continent and country, and we both wanted the same thing when we visited other places. Absorb nature. That means something.
That tourists flock to Yosemite National Park every year (and god it's so funny listening to them talk about their expectations of California) to see the landscape and environment, means something.
That I've been down to LA at least 8 times and at each visit swore I'd never live in that city because of smog, means something.
Now, Ayn Rand was doing her philosophy half a century ago, before environmentalism had become the reality that it is today. I wish I knew when this article was written, so I could frame it with my response. But I don't.
But it still makes me think about oil drilling in Alaska, and extinct animal species, and a host of other things.
Makes me stare at George Bush's lips moving pointlessly on the tv screen and wanna say aloud, "Dang dude, what's wrong with you? Who doesn't like trees anyway?"
While looking up articles, I ended up reading this one, which mentions Rand, but is actually by someone else, and goes into the Big Evil Lie that apparently is environmentalism.
Dude, maybe because I've grown up in a very Democratic state in an area chock full of liberals that have fouled my young mind with early environmentalist propaganda, but the article just made me laugh. I love whales, I love trees, and I having been several times as a youth to some of the only places on Earth you can still find giant Redwood trees, I simply can't take seriously anyone who says environmentalism is a joke.
We had a guy come visit us for Thanksgiving the year before last who was from Kentucky. He came up with my brother from the Naval base in San Diego. And you know what he wanted to do, when we asked him? He wanted to see Redwood trees, because he never had before. He wanted to go to a Northern California beach, absorb all the scenery he could.
When I was visited DC and Virginia last September, I spent forever it seemed just staring out at the psychotically green hills.
There's two young people, raised in entire different areas of the continent and country, and we both wanted the same thing when we visited other places. Absorb nature. That means something.
That tourists flock to Yosemite National Park every year (and god it's so funny listening to them talk about their expectations of California) to see the landscape and environment, means something.
That I've been down to LA at least 8 times and at each visit swore I'd never live in that city because of smog, means something.
Now, Ayn Rand was doing her philosophy half a century ago, before environmentalism had become the reality that it is today. I wish I knew when this article was written, so I could frame it with my response. But I don't.
But it still makes me think about oil drilling in Alaska, and extinct animal species, and a host of other things.
Makes me stare at George Bush's lips moving pointlessly on the tv screen and wanna say aloud, "Dang dude, what's wrong with you? Who doesn't like trees anyway?"
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no subject
Date: 2003-06-24 03:13 am (UTC)I have some dimly rembered Ogden Nash poem..
"I will never see a billboard,
As lovely as tree"
But that was by the by. In part I envy you lving in California, I would love to see that state 9Yeah, the Redwoods. I got seaside and Forests where I live but hey they different). I am so perplexed by people who go on holiday to the USa (which has some amazing countryside) and then spend all there time in a Theme Park! Crazy.
You know your insane president's government conveintly edited out the global warming data in ther elatets Environmental report? Mad I tell you.
Tell me more about Ayn Rand. I have never heard of her
no subject
Date: 2003-06-24 04:13 am (UTC)Ok i actually read that article you link to.
The guy is a bit of fool. Is it just me or is he making one Massive generalisation about environmentalism? He has highlighted the view of the extremist and said that is the view of the entire movement (like saying ALL muslims are evil because of the extremists who carried out spet 11th).
It's not like he even tries to show environmentalists concerns over acid rain etc, are false.
What's worse is he claims to be objective! Help me there are some veyr well educated fools out there!
no subject
Date: 2003-06-24 05:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-24 08:05 am (UTC)Well, you see, trees don't vote, pay taxes, or go on orgiastic sprees of capitalistic spending thereby stimulating the economy. So what have trees ever done for "us"?
/cynicism
no subject
Date: 2003-06-24 11:07 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-06-24 11:33 am (UTC)I've never read The Fountainhead. But that's a take on rape I've never believed or cared to read. Oh well, can't judge until I've read it myself.
Good luck with winning that contest. ;)