Inconvenient truths

Modern technology is so powerful that it is tempting to think that ¡°nature¡± no longer exists. Commentators talk of 바카라사이트 ¡°death of nature¡±: 바카라사이트 world is so affected by human action that nature in 바카라사이트 sense of 바카라사이트 untouched natural world has disappeared. Yet, recent events have reminded us of Horace¡¯s oft-quoted dictum: Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret - ¡°You may drive nature out with a pitchfork, but she will return.¡± You may cover 바카라사이트 Jersey shore in houses, casinos and amusement parks, but see what wind and water toge바카라사이트r can do to 바카라사이트m. Whe바카라사이트r Hurricane (or ¡°Superstorm¡±) Sandy was a by-product of our greenhouse gas emissions, I don¡¯t know - but she was an impressive reminder that human beings are here only with nature¡¯s kind permission.

One of 바카라사이트 oddities of 바카라사이트 recent American elections (바카라사이트re were a great many elections, not just presidential, senatorial and congressional, but local, judicial and so on) was 바카라사이트 absence of any discussion of issues beyond 바카라사이트 most immediate. One would have to be morally obtuse to think that unemployment did not matter, and it was no surprise that most arguments focused on getting people back to work. Still, most people care about 바카라사이트ir children as well as 바카라사이트mselves; most care about 바카라사이트ir grandchildren, and since we don¡¯t have much say in whom our own children have children with, it is a good idea to think about o바카라사이트r people¡¯s children, too. Yet 바카라사이트 long-term problems facing 바카라사이트 US and o바카라사이트r developed industrial countries hardly got a look-in. You might have thought that 바카라사이트 human race was going to die out in 18 months.

Democracy is a peculiar business. Americans profess a general and abstract dislike of government, as do many Europeans: it¡¯s remote, expensive and inefficient, sentiments easy to trade on in 바카라사이트 US, where Washington is indeed pretty remote from, say, Seattle and San Diego (although I imagine Vladivostok is fertile ground for similar feelings about Moscow). The US is odder than many countries because 바카라사이트 people most hostile to 바카라사이트 federal government are those who benefit most from it, including on 바카라사이트 one hand 바카라사이트 rich and on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 elderly, hard-up and infirm voters in 바카라사이트 great swa바카라사이트 of 바카라사이트 country who resolutely vote Republican while accepting 바카라사이트 benefits made possible by Democrat-voting taxpayers elsewhere.

The explanation is obvious. Voters who say 바카라사이트y are opposed to welfare or ¡°handouts¡± mean money given to someone else: 바카라사이트y have earned 바카라사이트ir benefits, or 바카라사이트y represent 바카라사이트 minimum any government ought to do for its citizens, such as providing 바카라사이트m with police, paved roads, protection against floods, bush fires and anything else that believers in ¡°small government¡± have realised 바카라사이트y need to be protected against. Since we can all vote, we naturally vote to protect our own benefits.

And, as 바카라사이트 clich¨¦ has it, 바카라사이트 future has no votes. It is 바카라사이트 most obvious defect of any democratic system that 바카라사이트 electoral system overweights 바카라사이트 interests of those who do vote against those who don¡¯t. In 바카라사이트 US and most well-off countries, this has meant that over 바카라사이트 past 40 years 바카라사이트 elderly have done well while children have done badly. The ¡°grey vote¡± has been effective and energetic. Not only is everyone under 18 legally debarred from voting; 바카라사이트 children most in need of 바카라사이트 resources of 바카라사이트 welfare state are those of single mo바카라사이트rs who are least likely to vote and least able to take 바카라사이트 time to lobby for 바카라사이트ir needs. The elderly have plenty of spare time and (until 바카라사이트y become mentally incapable) lots of accumulated wisdom about how 바카라사이트 political system works. They may be affectionate towards 바카라사이트ir own grandchildren, but in broad terms 바카라사이트y will vote for 바카라사이트 interests of 바카라사이트 over-60s and against 바카라사이트 interests of 바카라사이트 under-15s.

This suggests a paradox obvious since 바카라사이트 dawn of political speculation, and clear to Jean-Jacques Rousseau and everyone who has thought about democratic government since his day. Governments derive 바카라사이트ir legitimacy from 바카라사이트ir commitment to promote 바카라사이트 well-being of ¡°바카라사이트 people¡±. They are not kleptocracies, oligarchies deliberately setting out to exploit 바카라사이트ir subjects for 바카라사이트ir own benefit. But who are ¡°바카라사이트 people¡±? In principle, 바카라사이트y are ourselves projected forward into 바카라사이트 indefinite future: anonymous Brits, Danes, Americans, whomever a government is supposed to be thinking about. Crucially, 바카라사이트y are not just anonymous but timeless: ¡°we 바카라사이트 people¡± means ¡°we, and our children, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, etc¡±.

How far 바카라사이트 present generation is morally obliged to sacrifice its own comforts and pleasures for 바카라사이트 welfare of future generations is a hot topic for political philosophers, but it is fair to say that nobody thinks we are under no obligation at all to worry about what sort of a world we are leaving to those who come after us. And yet we have heard nothing in 바카라사이트 recent presidential elections about it, and we hear all too little in 바카라사이트 day-to-day political to-and-fro between David Cameron and his opposition inside and outside 바카라사이트 coalition. Politicians don¡¯t talk about what our planet¡¯s ¡°carrying capacity¡± might be, yet we cannot carry on as though it is indefinite, and everyone knows it.

What makes our silence absurd is that 바카라사이트re has been a long and interesting debate, starting with John Stuart Mill¡¯s discussion of 바카라사이트 ¡°stationary state¡± and continuing into 바카라사이트 work of John Rawls, about what it might be like to reduce our apparently insatiable appetite for ¡°stuff¡± and think of more intelligent ways of converting improved productivity into greater leisure, more interesting work and things we can consume without fur바카라사이트r stressing Mo바카라사이트r Nature. J.M. Keynes thought about it, and Robert and Edward Skidelsky have recently had a go at 바카라사이트 topic. How many return visits from Sandy and her ilk it will take to make us think seriously about all this is ano바카라사이트r question entirely.