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Economic Systems: The alarmists keep telling us their concern about global warming is all about man's stewardship of the environment. But we know that's not true. A United Nations official has now confirmed this.
At a news conference last week in Brussels, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of U.N.'s Framework Convention on Climate Change, admitted that the goal of environmental activists is not to save the world from ecological calamity but to destroy capitalism."This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time, to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the Industrial Revolution," she said.

Referring to a new international treaty environmentalists hope will be adopted at the Paris climate change conference later this year, she added: "This is probably the most difficult task we have ever given ourselves, which is to intentionally transform the economic development model for the first time in human history."The only economic model in the last 150 years that has ever worked at all is capitalism. The evidence is prima facie: From a feudal order that lasted a thousand years, produced zero growth and kept workdays long and lifespans short, the countries that have embraced free-market capitalism have enjoyed a system in which output has increased 70-fold, work days have been halved and lifespans doubled.

Figueres is perhaps the perfect person for the job of transforming "the economic development model" because she's really never seen it work. "If you look at Ms. Figueres' Wikipedia page," notes Cato economist Dan Mitchell: Making the world look at their right hand while they choke developed economies with their left.

travelinman67 wrote:Referring to a new international treaty environmentalists hope will be adopted at the Paris climate change conference later this year, she added: "This is probably the most difficult task we have ever given ourselves, which is to intentionally transform the economic development model for the first time in human history."The only economic model in the last 150 years that has ever worked at all is capitalism. The evidence is prima facie: From a feudal order that lasted a thousand years, produced zero growth and kept workdays long and lifespans short, the countries that have embraced free-market capitalism have enjoyed a system in which output has increased 70-fold, work days have been halved and lifespans doubled.

So, let me see if I've got this right: Capitalism is "the only economic model that has ever worked at all" and the U.N.'s goal is to END it?

Just as the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say “thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills. How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion. Can we continue to stand by when food is thrown away while people are starving? This is a case of inequality. Today everything comes under the laws of competition and the survival of the fittest, where the powerful feed upon the powerless. As a consequence, masses of people find themselves excluded and marginalized: without work, without possibilities, without any means of escape.

In this context, some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting…. This imbalance is the result of ideologies which defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation. Consequently, they reject the right of states, charged with vigilance for the common good, to exercise any form of control. A new tyranny is thus born, invisible and often virtual, which unilaterally and relentlessly imposes its own laws and rules.

If you are a Christian, protecting the environment is part of your identity, not an ideological option, Pope Francis said Monday (Feb. 9).

“When we hear that people have meetings about how to preserve creation, we can say: ‘No, they are the greens!’” Francis said in his homily at morning Mass, using a common name for environmental activists.

“No, they are not the greens! This is the Christian!” he said.

“A Christian who does not protect creation, who does not let it grow, is a Christian who does not care about the work of God; that work that was born from the love of God for us,” Francis continued. “And this is the first response to the first creation: protect creation, make it grow.”

The pope — who took his name from St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the environment — has made care for the environment a hallmark of his papacy since he was elected nearly two years ago.

In fact, the pontiff is preparing a major document, called an encyclical, on the environment. It is likely to reiterate his frequent calls for governments and individuals to take steps to combat climate change, a phenomenon he attributes in part to human activity.

JohnStOnge wrote:Well, obviously, she could have been saying that we need to change the economic model to save the planet. I don't think there's any "smoking gun" thing there indicating that the underlying motivation is to end capitalism. The underlying motive could be to save the planet with the idea being that prevailing economic model has to be changed if that's to be done.

Skjellyfetti wrote:Sounds pretty Catholic.

Baldy wrote:That's one angry looking dude.

89Hen wrote:

Skjellyfetti wrote:Sounds pretty Catholic.

Cut to the chase Jelly. What is your intent here?

89Hen wrote:

Skjellyfetti wrote:Sounds pretty Catholic.

Cut to the chase Jelly. What is your intent here?

89Hen wrote:

Skjellyfetti wrote:Sounds pretty Catholic.

Cut to the chase Jelly. What is your intent here?

GannonFan wrote:

89Hen wrote: Cut to the chase Jelly. What is your intent here?

It's like he's posting a cliffhanger - part 2 will be fascinating.

CID1990 wrote:

89Hen wrote: Cut to the chase Jelly. What is your intent here?

To find a way... ANY way... to refute what has come straight from the horse's mouth.

If you can't, then you have to make weak veiled non-sequiturs disguised as analogies.

travelinman67 wrote:

kalm wrote:
If we want to talk one world government and loss of freedom stuff we really need to discuss Trans Pacific Partnership.

GannonFan wrote:

kalm wrote:
If we want to talk one world government and loss of freedom stuff we really need to discuss Trans Pacific Partnership.

Since you're probably related to Hawley and/or Smoot, I know any talk of free trade and free trade agreements get's your ear's perked up. But really, "one world government" and "loss of freedom"? Even for you, that hyperbole is, well, hyperbolic. That's almose expansdos-worthy right there.

AZGrizFan wrote:

travelinman67 wrote:Referring to a new international treaty environmentalists hope will be adopted at the Paris climate change conference later this year, she added: "This is probably the most difficult task we have ever given ourselves, which is to intentionally transform the economic development model for the first time in human history."The only economic model in the last 150 years that has ever worked at all is capitalism. The evidence is prima facie: From a feudal order that lasted a thousand years, produced zero growth and kept workdays long and lifespans short, the countries that have embraced free-market capitalism have enjoyed a system in which output has increased 70-fold, work days have been halved and lifespans doubled.

So, let me see if I've got this right: Capitalism is "the only economic model that has ever worked at all" and the U.N.'s goal is to END it?

CID1990 wrote:

89Hen wrote: Cut to the chase Jelly. What is your intent here?

To find a way... ANY way... to refute what has come straight from the horse's mouth.

If you can't, then you have to make weak veiled non-sequiturs disguised as analogies.

Grizalltheway wrote:

CID1990 wrote:
To find a way... ANY way... to refute what has come straight from the horse's mouth.

If you can't, then you have to make weak veiled non-sequiturs disguised as analogies.

Somebody just looked up non-sequitur in the dictionary!

AZGrizFan wrote:

travelinman67 wrote:Referring to a new international treaty environmentalists hope will be adopted at the Paris climate change conference later this year, she added: "This is probably the most difficult task we have ever given ourselves, which is to intentionally transform the economic development model for the first time in human history."The only economic model in the last 150 years that has ever worked at all is capitalism. The evidence is prima facie: From a feudal order that lasted a thousand years, produced zero growth and kept workdays long and lifespans short, the countries that have embraced free-market capitalism have enjoyed a system in which output has increased 70-fold, work days have been halved and lifespans doubled.

So, let me see if I've got this right: Capitalism is "the only economic model that has ever worked at all" and the U.N.'s goal is to END it?

Much ado about nothing. As usual.