Continuing my commentary on September 11
2001 G also terribly complicated by a lack of balance in favor of Israel in the awful Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Sadly, our government never seriously asks the important questions as to why we are such a profligate and resource-wasteful culture, and how we might be able to correct this real problem, our oil-addiction problem so that we need not fight oil or other resource wars.
We in our unilateral militarist arrogance prefer to use our military fist to keep other peoples' oil flowing into our wasteful and poorly designed technology systems rather than seriously asking our creative engineers and scientists to give us orders of magnitude, more energy and other resource-efficient technology systems, and new energy systems such as solar related ones ' all of which also do not pollute the ecosphere and that do not produce global warming. Most unfortunately, our consumption culture does not ask this of our technological people; especially is this true in the United States. I call these kinds of technology, Green Technology by Design [GTBD].
I have spent the last 40 years of my professional engineering life promoting these GTBD ideas, without much success. Colleges of engineering and science across America receive billions of dollars each year from the US Department of Defense (DOD) and from related weapons industries for research and development and graduate education in their interest areas. Compared to the weapons business
however, practically nothing is available for GTBD research and development and graduate education in these areas that would help to reduce our propensity and need to fight resource wars and help us prevent global warming
etc., etc., etc.
Let me end by saying that I am a non-violent critic of my nation, for whom I have twice voluntarily placed my life on the line in two of its wars: World War II and the Korean War. I think the United States of America has currently lost its way as a beacon of hope to many people. I am concerned that we are losing the essence of democracy in contemporary USA. I love my country, and I along with millions of my fellow citizens seek a United States that we can once again be proud of ' an America that treats all people on Planet Earth with dignity and respect, rather than as collateral damage or as consumption machines. I seek an America that maximizes democratic, community, non-military, non-violent, ethical, ecological, caring, and loving relationships on Planet Earth.
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