How much is enough?

Posted by: ErikL on 03 October 2004

The fortress thread had me thinking of something I often discuss with friends and family-

How much personal wealth and how many personal assets are enough?

Why does a sense of guilt escape the wealthy, when they know others can't afford the basics?

What's the point of spending one's life buying expensive objects?

I'm being serious here.

Frugal Ludwig
Posted on: 08 October 2004 by Rasher
Joe - I believe Dom is probably referring to the Gaia Theory.
This is a perfectly respectable and valid philosophy. I have a lot of time for it myself.
Posted on: 08 October 2004 by Joe Petrik
Rasher,

quote:
I believe Dom is probably referring to the Gaia Theory.
This is a perfectly respectable and valid philosophy. I have a lot of time for it myself.


Although he didn't call it that, I assumed that Dom was referring to some variant of the Gaia hypothesis. Gaia is without a doubt one of the more controversial ideas in "earth science" to emerge in the last few decades, with variants of the Gaia hypothesis ranging from the obvious and accepted to the quasi-mystical and, in my view, downright flakey.

But among all those hypotheses -- some well supported, others much less so -- none is so vengeful and purposeful as what Dom suggested: "I think personally that Nature WILL find a way to solve the overpopulation of earth from the "virus" that is man.... It failed with HIV/AIDS, but it WILL find another way of wiping us out - I'm sure of it."

That's the point I asked him to elaborate on.

Joe... realizing he's being too anal over what was likely a less than fully thought out post
Posted on: 08 October 2004 by Rasher
Big Grin
Being a movie fan (Blockbusters)- Dom likes to go for the sensational. He is also a cynic to the extreme, (S'cuse us Dom talking about you like you weren't here), and any theory that has got it in for him gets his vote. I find it rather endearing actually.
Posted on: 08 October 2004 by Roy T
If he weren't here we'd have to invent him Big Grin
Posted on: 08 October 2004 by Clay Bingham
Actually, Dom could have been referring to routine done a few years ago by the comedian George Carlin on HBO. George was in one of his better rants on human self importance.As I recall, he was being especially critical of environmentalists and the hubris of saving mother nature and the earth. He went on to note that mother nature and the earth had been around a long time and had seen and been through many catastrophies. Not likely to be bothered by the small creatures making up the human race but in any event had a bit of a surprise in store.........called VIRUS!