Squeers is right of course.
The Chinese fared much better under communism.

Dear Proxy,
thanks for illustrating my point about binary thinking :-)

Well said Squeers.
It is Capitalism that is driving endless growth in population and consumption. The disposable ethos is vital to capitalism and its pursuit of nothing but profits. If products lasted a long time then no one would need to keep buying them and once everyone had one the factory would have to close or reduce(horror) in size.

The whole system of capitalism is riddled with inconsistencies and waste and is destroying humanities ability to think and stand on their own two feet. The inequality, environmental destruction, waste and exploitation inherent in the capitalist system will be its downfall. It just remains to be seen whether humanity is intelligent and rational enough to change before a catastrophic meltdown.

*It is Capitalism that is driving endless growth in population and consumption.*

Not so Mikk. Religion is driving endless growth in population.
Freemarket economics invented the pill and other family planning
methods. If it were up to the free market, abortion would be
freely available to those who want it. Religion entwined with
politics prevents these outcomes, not the free market.

Capitalism is not driving endless growth. I believe in the free
market, but that does not mean that I need to keep consuming more.
It just means that I believe that human innovation should not
be limited by the State, who does not know better.

Yes indeed some people always want more. Note the amount of people
buying lotto tickets each week. But that is not the fault of
capitalism, more the nature of some people, who seek happiness
in wanting ever more, even if its a flawed philosophy.

Don't blame capitalism for flawed human nature.

Religion is not driving endless growth in population [within Australia]and abortion is readily available for people who want it. Just mix with teenage girls and young people, Yabby, from backgrounds of religious indoctrination. They would be able to set you straight on this subject! Likewise adults of religious faith: the commandments or Bible interpretations they espouse are generally contrary to their actions; for various reasons.

For instance, Yabby, there would be as high a rate of abortion, as many sexual experiences, if not more, within families of a religious background, as there are within families who are either Athiests or non-religious. Many of the Catholic school girls in my day lived and slept in rebellion and contradiction.

The same could be said for the past 30 years. The average family numbers back in the 90s and the 20th Century consisted of a family of four or five including religious families. Most of the larger families at present am friends with are from European or Middle Eastern backgrounds with 6 dependants [by the way, none of these families are 'religious'].

P.S. I agree with some of your other comments regarding capitalism though Yabby

Yabby:
<Capitalism is not driving endless growth.>

Dear Yabby, capitalism is about endless growth, by definition!

<I believe in the free market, but that does not mean that I need to keep consuming more.>

It's not just about you; it's about the global scale of it. In any case your very lifestyle (and mine), without conspicuous consumption, is profligate in the scheme of things.