Maggie's Farm

A reduction of 70% in greenhouse emissions are quite possible for coffee production without a significant increase in price by using "smart" fertilization and water use, and shipping by sea rather than air. Additional reductions can be had by roasting before shipment. In other words, pointing out the high greenhouse gas emissions associated with coffee production is a step towards reducing those greenhouse gas emissions, and not a plan to take away your coffee.

B. Hammer: That’s what you Marxist communists have been saying for well over a hundred years now.

We are not a Marxist. Robust markets are essential for economic growth and general prosperity. While government regulation is important, we believe that too much government intrusion is not only bad economic policy, but also subject to abuse. The private sector acts as an important power balance and is a bulwark of liberty. Nor do we believe that society is destined to evolve into some sort of egalitarian utopia as envisioned by Marx.

In any case, we did not know that smart fertilization was part of fundamental Marxist theory. Is that found in Das Kapital? Nanotechnology and biotechnology can resolve outstanding issues with overuse of resources, such as fertilizer, while reducing costs and increasing yields.

James: I'll stipulate that you're opposed to the government prohibiting doctors from mutilating or giving life altering hormones to minors with serious psychological problems.

As a general rule, the medical care of minors should be decided by parents and their medical providers consistent with medical standards. It’s usually best if people accept their bodies for what they are—absent medical issues that require intervention. But people will be people.

James: That you oppose prohibitions on porn in school libraries.

Are you referring to the violence, genocide, and incest found in the Bible? Or perhaps to discussions of sex in dictionaries. As a general rule, librarians are best suited to make decisions about their collections based on standard methods that balance access with protecting children. Exaggeration and political hysteria are rarely suitable.

James: where you have ever voiced opposition to government power

We just did in our previous comment. An overpowering government is a threat to liberty and would be contrary to our views.

More generally, complex systems can be more flexible and stable than rigid systems, because of the interweaving and distribution of network connections. Modern democracies are such a complex system, with power distributed throughout: legislative, judicial, executive; federal, state, local; elections and representation; public and private property; public infrastructure and entrepreneurship; political parties, families, churches, neighborhoods; clubs, civic organizations, lobbying groups; robust markets and a social safety net; individual and collective liberties; etc.

ruralcounsel: Quit trying to solve imaginary problems.

Anthropogenic global warming is a strongly supported scientific finding, including from the basic physics of heat and radiation. See Arrhenius, On the Influence of Carbonic Acid in the Air upon the Temperature of the Ground, London, Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science 1896.