Technology and Living Beyond our Means

As much as it is tempting to want to lash out at Obama, BP, the MMS or Bush or whoever is a convenient enough target, we are all collectively responsible for this mess. Our failure to demand a transition away from fossil fuels over the last 50+ years is rooted in a culture that encourages a self-indulgent lifestyle. Encouraged by the media, we consume resources far more than any other country in the world. In our society, bigger is always better. More horsepower, more towing capacity,  bigger engines, faster acceleration always take precedent over any annoying reminders that there is somehow a connection between our consumer behavior and the predicament we find ourselves in.  The thought of living within our means instead of beyond our means is anathema to the American spirit of individual liberty and freedom of choice. Feeling  helpless to change this dynamic, we angrily attempt to fix the blame anywhere we can to avoid the awful reality that the spill in the Gulf is  nothing more than a symptom of this lifestyle we have chosen.