The Interrelated Context Of Things

I provide juxtapositions like this because it's been, so far, the most convenient way of trying to tie interrelated aspects of assails us these days, both in terms of information, and the all too real events of day to day life now.

In this new one, unfortunately, we have to get especially complicated. This is so because it brings together so many aspects of a few, supposedly isolated reports on events; as I usually cherry pick from Digg. And yes, of course I cherry pick. I have already told you I'm biased after all.

There is also added, however an extra, non Digg element here. And that of course is to provide contrast to the Amazon dominance story. That comes from another, identified source (see link below).

So, all that being said, let us begin.

From the left, which is always fitting for me, we start with a question that, in one sense, is quite logical in its underlying criticism of building homes, or businesses, in disaster prone areas. Not only is there private rebuilding expense, naturally, there is also a good deal of public expense as well; both in rebuilding public facilities damaged, but also in responding to such emergencies in the first place.

What you need to remember here, though, is not only that this applies to more than just "Wildfires," but that the question must not be, and cannot be, considered just in that commercialized view of property, and who pays for what. It must be considered in the context of our actually understanding the need to see this turned around to a more social, fundamental need. That it must instead be stated as "How can we afford not to rebuild?"

And I think I can say this because it goes to the point now that everywhere will be subject to one form, or another, of such catastrophic events; both because ever more erratic weather will ensure increased likelihoods that all areas might get hit with some kind of extreme occurrence in this vein. But even more than that will all areas be affected by the indirect effects of the other areas that get affected, whether the unaffected have no weather extremes at all or not. Indirect effects of critical system production, or service, that the affected areas provided, and that many, surrounding areas depended on.

Then we have the whole concept of market dominance. One company controls virtually half of all Ecommerce. Two companies control a huge swath of Web advertising. And because of this at least one of these companies has become the poster child for how to bully localities into letting it operate without paying for much of anything extra. And very few, if any, of the others, are all that incentivized to want to pay for anything either. And remember here, the "anything" we're talking about at the moment is "Rebuilding Costs."

Speaking of which, you really ought to try Googling the phrase: "estimated extreme damage costs for 2017, 2018," Boy, what an eyeful. Total costs since 1980, according to NOAA, for the 233 events that exceeded a billion dollars, exceeded $1.5 trillion overall. And can you guess how much of that probably went into increasing our national debt (it wouldn't be all of it certainly, but it would be quite significant in my opinion)?  And does any of this damage get presented to the American public as the real debit to our GDP that it ought to be? As in when they trot out big, glowing numbers as to how well the economy is doing right now?

Then we come to worry about Democracy. And don't think that's not its own coming disaster either, because it is. Only here, not only are the fat cats not going to help much in rebuilding it, that are, right now, in significant numbers, trying to use their ungodly, outsized ability to induce human activity, to thwart all of the most important aspects of what Democracy needs to survive at all. And they are doing that precisely because they see it now as one of their biggest threats to survival.

These are the things you must balance out in your own mind. How are we going to contend with just surviving, much less prospering as free people? Do you even care anymore?

As I always say, time will tell.

Can We Afford To Keep Rebuilding In The Line Of Wildfires?

Amazon's Unreal Dominance In The E-Commerce Market, Charted

Is Democracy Really Dying?

Facebook, Google Digital Ad Market Share Drops as Amazon Climbs


See Also:
[Post Note: Does this qualify as a new, natural disaster?

After all, it might actually create its own local weather for a while. Assuming most of the cars had a goodly amount of fuel to keep getting access to... Eventually... As in allowing delivery tankers to get to the gas stations so that the ever creeping parking lot, that this system represented, could still flow enough, however slowly, to get the big rigs there at all.

Anyways, I just had to include it because it creeps me out that we might come to this as well. J.V.]