h a l f b a k e r yExperiencing technical difficulties since 1999
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[+] (Mainly in principle). This has reactivated an ancient obsession of mine with the fundamentals of (utilitarian, I suppose) economic behavior. Whatever anyone acquires at some or other cost, one acquires in order to obtain some "value". That's the simplified and utterly obvious core of the matter. |
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Well we all forget this. Instead of value-seeking, we slip into conformity. We slip from being human into being mechanical, to put it in the melodramatic terms I like to use. |
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In concrete terms, here's someone rich trying to make all that money add to her quality of life by buying another villa on the Amalfi Coast. And it doesn't work. The villa is nice and so on, but really you can only ever properly, fully own one house or palace. The quality of life return is lousy. You don't get "value" in the way I mean. |
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In concrete terms, the best way someone who has "everything" can get themselves more value is by propagating their Values. And that's where the hells that can be reheavened come in. |
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You'll like this story [pashute]. There is a place here Called Butchart gardens which began as a quarry and cement plant. When the lime was depleted the owners' wife insisted on cleaning up his mess and turned the wasted area into one of the most spectacular gardens in our little corner of the world. |
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That is not dead which can eternal lie
And with strange aeons even death may die |
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<semi-obligatory waggling fingers under chin Cthulu-tentacles-stylee> |
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I'll post a link to the Dead Sea dying and to the butchart
gardens after our holiday next Tuesday. I like your idea
skoomph, but without the concrete. |
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I'll have to get a ... thesaurus. |
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I think the intelligent rich kind-of do this to some extent already. However, with a clearer concept of what it is - or could be - all about, they could get a bit more satisfaction from it. |
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-- How to use being worth quite a bit, to make yourself ... worth quite a bit - just to couple up some more value-laden terms in a way that fits quite maybe not quite nicely enough, together. |
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Of course if someone is basically just a fatter caterpillar than the others on the leaf, such musings won't make it through. In that in which they are poor, they will remain poor - a bit like the rest of us (when measured by what we do, rather than what we say.) |
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Rich people tend (that I've noticed) to fund projects to improve the lot of people, rather than the environment: it's more news and tax-writeoff worthy. |
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[+] But yeah, there does need to be more TV shows showing rejuvenation of trashed areas. |
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I agree and also award my bun. I want to believe something
like this would be possible, but I have a hard time
imagining that those burdened by excessive wealth would
compete to be rid of it. From what I've seen, rich people
seem to like giving their money to charities that make it
really easy for them. |
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What [skoomphemph] said.[+] |
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What I'm saying is that environmentalist architects and
planners develop a restoration plan that will be a beautiful
place to live in and own. It includes the restoration of
viable income for the people who lived there for
generations. Imagine restoring the now dry and hot town to
become once again a fishing resort town with the
millionaire owning a beautiful mansion nearby. All people
in the area and wildlife gain. It's a win win situation. |
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The same would be with poor countries that are cutting
down the rain forests. If someone invested in real estate
and landscaping they would have an incentive for forest
preservation, and would find ways to support the local
population in a none destructive way while raising their
cooperation and support of their habitat preservation and
restoration. |
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See the Dead Sea link. If somebody bought land at the
north part of the lake and invested a few millions of dollars
in the environment the potash factories would even be
happy. The villagers on both sides of the Jordan river and
border would be grateful and so would the Bedouin tribes. |
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Money could be a strong incentive in getting this going. |
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And the rich people wouldn't lose their money. They
are buying property at dirt cheap value and making it
worth millions that everybody envies. Their rivals will
want to buy the property from them at a higher price.
Meanwhile the foundation that goes "with the
property" has established laws that force the owner to
comply with environmental preservation and
restoration, otherwise the property is taken from him
(assuming an anti-environmentalist male millionaire or
billionaire) |
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