An Interesting Statistic....

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usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by YearOfTheNick
http:///forum/post/2938368
Based upon July 2008 CIA Statistics.....
The United States makes up 6% of the world's population.
The United States uses 40% of the world's resources.
What do you think about that?
Resources:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat.../print/us.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat.../print/xx.html
I think statistics are not worth the paper they are printed on, and a useless contributor to that 40%. How would you even measure that? What about foreigners in our country that use the resources. Mexico uses a minimum 15% of that number. DISCLAIMER: I am not bashing immigration illegal or legal...just making a point...Maybe we need those resources because we are putting them to better use and we are busy supporting just about every other country on this planet in one way or another.
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
Originally Posted by usirchchris
http:///forum/post/2938370
I think statistics are not worth the paper they are printed on, and a useless contributor to that 40%. How would you even measure that? What about foreigners in our country that use the resources. Mexico uses a minimum 15% of that number. DISCLAIMER: I am not bashing immigration illegal or legal...just making a point...Maybe we need those resources because we are putting them to better use and we are busy supporting just about every other country on this planet in one way or another.
Well we can determine how much steel was used, how much oil and coal was mined... stuff like that, and determine a total of resources that were used... then see how much of those resources the US purchased or mined. Pretty simple, actually.
 
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usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by YearOfTheNick
http:///forum/post/2938371
Well we can determine how much steel was used, how much oil and coal was mined... stuff like that, and determine a total of resources that were used... then see how much of those resources the US purchased or mined. Pretty simple, actually.
No not simple, they make it sound simple to print their little paper...wait was this a Government study? If it is, then you are right...it is simple
. Some liberal talking point to make us feel guilty about the environment or exploiting something...which will somehow circle back to the fact that we need to pay more taxes.
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
Originally Posted by usirchchris
http:///forum/post/2938372
No not simple, they make it sound simple to print their little paper...wait was this a Government study? If it is, then you are right...it is simple
.
Man what is up with people and extreme standards on this forum? I didn't start this forum to debate the validity or accuracy of statistics dude... Ok, I can put a +-10% on there... but you must admit that it has some validity to it... it's not like the actual numbers are 2% total instead of 40%
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
AND something must be said about the fact that we use 5x the amount of resources as we have people. Is it surprising though? I mean, look at japan... they've got all kinds of stuff there and their population is PACKED... yet very few of them actually own cars... even fewer who own two cars. But it's more the norm for a family to own at least two cars in the U.S. That difference alone is very interesting to me.
 
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usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by YearOfTheNick
http:///forum/post/2938375
Man what is up with people and extreme standards on this forum? I didn't start this forum to debate the validity or accuracy of statistics dude... Ok, I can put a +-10% on there... but you must admit that it has some validity to it... it's not like the actual numbers are 2% total instead of 40%
I am sorry Nick, just a little devils advocate. My point is merely...we are probably using more because we need to in order to move ahead and pull everyone along with us. I have no doubt in my mind we probably do use more resources, but I don't feel bad about it. This is my only point. Apologies again I was just teasing
.
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
Nah dude no problems. Sorry you got some guff from me... I hate it when people dismiss statistics just because they're called statistics. It's become so trendy.... "No I don't believe it, JUST because you called it a statistic."
 
wfd1008

wfd1008

Member
here's a twist you could add on to this, find the wealth to pop. ratio of the say the three richest countries. wonder what that would look like
 
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usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by YearOfTheNick
http:///forum/post/2938380
Nah dude no problems. Sorry you got some guff from me... I hate it when people dismiss statistics just because they're called statistics. It's become so trendy.... "No I don't believe it, JUST because you called it a statistic."
I hate the fact that it seems to be trendy to implicate the U.S. as some kind of evil empire. Not saying you are, but I am sure that was the purpose of those stats.
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
Originally Posted by usirchchris
http:///forum/post/2938387
I hate the fact that it seems to be trendy to implicate the US as some kind of evil empire. Not saying you are, but I am sure that was the purpose of those stats.
I originally heard the statistic on a sermon from a guy who was trying to help us grasp how consumer-driven we are... he was trying to get us to see how much resources available to us so we could turn around and give it to those less fortunate... like Africa.
 
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usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by YearOfTheNick
http:///forum/post/2938390
I originally heard the statistic on a sermon from a guy who was trying to help us grasp how consumer-driven we are... he was trying to get us to see how much resources available to us so we could turn around and give it to those less fortunate... like Africa.
Wow, did that offend you?
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Alright, I'll be the bad guy, I don't see the point. If we use 40%, 60%, or more. My running theory is that's how the world works. Not every country can have families that have 3 cars or 3000sq. ft. houses. As brute as this sounds, 3rd countries are a necessary part if there's going to be developed nations. Just because the US uses the most stuff doesn't make us the bad guys.
If I had to live in a one room shack and pedal a bicycle to work, just so someone in Africa, or Asia or European could also have a shack and a bicycle, my 100% honest answer is probably not.
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
Originally Posted by usirchchris
http:///forum/post/2938403
Wow, did that offend you?
Not at all. It's true, we have a lot of money so we should give some of it away. I believe that SOME sort of work should be made toward balance. My heart really does go out to people who die every day simply because they don't have clean water... what irresponsibility on our part. It's not the african's fault they were born in Africa.
Yes, the U.S. did work hard to get here, and I'm not asking for everyone to give everything away, but c'mon, if you're rich, I'm sure some of it can go toward sustaining life for a family in Africa. But please don't stereotype me with the pathetic Christian Children's Fund TV commercials... very little of the money you give to them actually goes toward the kids.
 
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usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by YearOfTheNick
http:///forum/post/2938409
Not at all. It's true, we have a lot of money so we should give some of it away. I believe that SOME sort of work should be made toward balance. My heart really does go out to people who die every day simply because they don't have clean water... what irresponsibility on our part. It's not the african's fault they were born in Africa.
Yes, the U.S. did work hard to get here, and I'm not asking for everyone to give everything away, but c'mon, if you're rich, I'm sure some of it can go toward sustaining life for a family in Africa. But please don't stereotype me with the pathetic Christian Children's Fund TV commercials... very little of the money you give to them actually goes toward the kids.
Why does it take his pointing out what you have to get you to give? Guilt tactics. I would never go back. Tell me a story about Africa and let me decide if I want to give and how much. I know what I have and don't need to be told or reminded. Don't try to guilt me into giving....ah man I would have blown a gasket and hurt someone if they said something like that to my face. Must find blood pressure medicine now...
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
Originally Posted by usirchchris
http:///forum/post/2938412
Why does it take his pointing out what you have to get you to give? Guilt tactics. I would never go back. Tell me a story about Africa and let me decide if I want to give and how much. I know what I have and don't need to be told or reminded. Don't try to guilt me into giving....ah man I would have blown a gasket and hurt someone if they said something like that to my face. Must find blood pressure medicine now...
haha!
Well it is an excellent argument when you are debating the existence of balance. Clearly it's off. You would assume that in a PERFECT world (which is completely unattainable by human means) for every 6% of the world's population, there would be 6% of resources used to sustain them. I was a little shocked by that 40% statistic myself...
Regardless of who said it, we are piggies in this world and the statistics prove it. I'm not mad because someone gave me this knowledge, but kinda grossed out. But I don't think I am personally imbalanced as much as some...
To give an example, despite the recession, the gov't dished out $18 Billion in bonuses this year... there's your piggies. There's the imbalance. I just think since we share the world with everyone else, we should be more responsible with it. Just because the atlantic separates us from africa doesn't mean we need to completely ignore them.
 
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usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by YearOfTheNick
http:///forum/post/2938415
haha!
Well it is an excellent argument when you are debating the existence of balance. Clearly it's off. You would assume that in a PERFECT world (which is completely unattainable by human means) for every 6% of the world's population, there would be 6% of resources used to sustain them. I was a little shocked by that 40% statistic myself...
Regardless of who said it, we are piggies in this world and the statistics prove it. I'm not mad because someone gave me this knowledge, but kinda grossed out. But I don't think I am personally imbalanced as much as some...
To give an example, despite the recession, the gov't dished out $18 Billion in bonuses this year... there's your piggies. There's the imbalance. I just think since we share the world with everyone else, we should be more responsible with it. Just because the atlantic separates us from africa doesn't mean we need to completely ignore them.

Perhaps his next statistic class should be the percentage of aid given out from our country in relation to every other country combined
.
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
Originally Posted by usirchchris
http:///forum/post/2938418
Well I am off to bed while you dig up that stat Nick

No thanks. Probably not worth the effort.
I'm just saying that if we had an attitude of giving instead of taking, this would could be a totally different place. We could learn compassion for each other, or we could learn to totally take advantage of each other... probably the latter haha.
 
sickboy

sickboy

Active Member
Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2938408
As brute as this sounds, 3rd countries are a necessary part if there's going to be developed nations. Just because the US uses the most stuff doesn't make us the bad guys.
Actually, if we were efficiently allocating these resources (which is why economists exist) it wouldn't have to be a gain at another's expense.....that is just the capitalist way....
And before someone says we are using these resources efficiently....what is happening to our jobs?
 
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