Myth Busters:Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
BELIEF in the future is perhaps the most important value for a free society. It is what makes so many interested in getting an education, or investing in a project, or being nice to their neighbours. If we think nothing can improve or that the world is coming to an end, we don't work hard for a better and more civilised future. And we will all be miserable.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
BELIEF in a sustainable, democratic and civil future is perhaps some of the most important values for a free society. It is what makes so many interested in getting and education, or helping with a project, or being nice to their neighbours. If we think nothing can improve or that the world is coming to an end, just like it is with Peak Oil and Global Warming, then we may decide to do something about it for a civilized sustainable, democratic and civil future. Or we can just ignore it. And hope that it will all go away at our own peril.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
Enlightenment philosophers created the belief in the future in the 17th and 18th centuries by letting us know that our rational faculties can understand the world and that with freedom we can improve it. Economic liberalism proved them right. When Adam Smith explained that it's not from the benevolence of the butcher that we expect our meat but from his self-interest, it was much more than an economic statement; it was a world view. It was a way of saying that the butcher is not my enemy. By co-operating and exchanging voluntarily, we both gain and make the world a better place, step by step.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
Enlightenment philosophers created the belief in the future in the 17th and 18th centuries by letting us know that our rational faculties can understand the world and that with freedom we can improve it. When Isaac Newton explained "what goes up must come down" and "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"; It was a world view. It was a way of saying that SW Asia is not my enemy. By co-operating and exchanging voluntarily, we both gain and make the world a better place, step by step.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
Since those days, mankind has made unprecedented progress. We are wealthier, healthier and happier than we have ever been. We live longer, we live more safely and we live more freely. For every successive generation, we have been able to build on the knowledge, technology and wealth of earlier generations, and add our own. We have reduced poverty, created more wealth and increased life expectancy more in the past 50 years than we did in the past 5000 years.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
But to be fair and balanced, since those days, mankind has made unprecedented progress and unprecedented failures. Some of them are wealthier, healthier and happier, and others are poorer, unhealthier, and unhappier. Some of us live longer, some of us live more safely and some of us live more freely. Others have no life expectancy at all because they cannot find food and some even spend 25 million flying to a space station while others die of hunger. Some of them died for democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan and others are in detention camps. Some are not very free at all. For every successive generation, some of us have been able to build on the knowledge, technology and wealth of earlier generations, and add their own, others have been exploited and down trodden. So we have also reduced poverty for some and created more wealth for others.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
I am not just saying that the glass is half full rather than half empty. I am saying that it used to be empty. Just 200 years ago, slavery, feudalism and tyranny ruled the world. By our standards even the richest countries were extremely poor. The average chance of surviving your first year was less than the chance of surviving to retirement today.
The glass is at least half full and it is being filled as we speak. And if I had it here before me, I would propose a toast to the creativity and persistence of mankind. In other words: Don't worry; be happy!
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
I am not just saying that Peak Oil is at its peak rather than there is no more oil. I am saying that there used to be plenty. Just 200 years ago, slavery, feudalism and tyranny ruled the world sure. But not much has changed by our current standards with the slavery of prostitution; sweat shops and the Prison Industrial Complex. Then there's illegal and degrading wars including torture and detention, and even the poorest countries still being extremely poor. The average chance of surviving your first year may be less than the chance of surviving to retirement today for some but that may also depend on where you live in today's world?
Peak Oil, is at least half empty and it is being emptied as we speak. The tyranny of war, terrorism, slavery and fear are also with us. And I have it here before me, so I would propose a toast to the stupidity and ignorance of mankind. In other words: Worry; be alert and alarmed and if you don't start fixing the problem we're doomed.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
But although we are happy, we don't seem to notice, and we do worry. When we ask people about what has happened in the world, most say that things get worse, poverty is on the increase and nature is being destroyed. Last week I published a survey showing that Swedes think all the indicators of living standards and the environment that are improving rapidly are in fact deteriorating. When we read the papers, we see problems, poverty and disasters. Powerful international movements oppose globalisation and capitalism because they think they increase misery and hunger. And scholars write books saying that we are all sad and depressed.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
But although we live in fear in Australia, and seem to notice, and we do worry. When we ask people about what has happened in the world, most say that things are getting worse, poverty is on the increase and nature is being destroyed. Last week I published a survey showing that Iraqi's think that all the indicators of living standards and the environment are being destroyed rapidly and are in fact deteriorating. When we read the Un-Australian Newspaper or the Daily Terror, we see problems, poverty, hunger, illegal and degrading wars, and natural disasters. Disempowered international movements oppose globalization and greedy capitalism because they know the capitalists have increased misery and hunger. And scholars write books saying that we are all sad and depressed amongst other things, as they have always done. Don't like what you read?
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
American writer Gregg Easterbrook has pointed out that old problems, horrible as they were at the time, seem less threatening in retrospect because we know that we solved them. But the problems of today are uncertain and unsolved, so they stay in our mind.
A few weeks ago, the first story in the leading news shows on television was that there is a "growing environmental threat" in Europe. The problem was shipping, which is rapidly becoming the biggest emitter of sulphur dioxide in Europe.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
But problems of today are more uncertain and not likely to be solved because of the monkey business going on behind the scenes by the governments, corporations and media giants pretending to be ignorant and trying to spin the public about common sense and that's why the problems stay in our minds. Just pretending there are no problems and everything is rosy and profits will just take care of themselves while people are being, undernourished, mistreated, detained, killed, tortured or maimed no matter how greedy or ignorant some government or corporations are won't fix the problems either.
A few weeks ago, the first story in the leading Indymedia news website was that there is a "growing environmental threat" in the world. The problem was shifting the blame.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
However, if you listened closely to the report, you understood that this was not because of growth of emissions from shipping - which grew very modestly - but because of a rapid reduction in emissions from other sources. Total sulphur dioxide emissions in Europe (including shipping) have been reduced by about 60 per cent in 15 years. So the real story was one about a dramatic improvement in environmental conditions, but shipping was now the thing we have to deal with and so it was news.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
However, if you read between the lines, one might also see that this was not because of growth of emissions from shipping - which grew very modestly - but because of the rapid blame shifting - in clean up rates elsewhere that were reduced. So the total sulphur dioxide emissions in Europe (including shipping) now stands out more.
Just turning the figures around so it looks like the opposite has occurred doesn't fix the problem does it? I think that is a marvelous blame shifting exercise by greedy corporations. So the real story was one about a dramatic improvement in blame shifting, but shipping was still one of the things we have to deal with and so it is still bad news but not if you're a corporate international sea merchant.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
I am an optimist. I happen to believe that this perceptual bias is a good thing. That's what keeps us alert, so that we solve problems and improve the world. But we have to understand that this also means that our minds are constantly occupied by problems. And therefore we think the world is worse than it is.
Progress also always creates some new challenge and problem solvers think more about the challenges than the progress. We live longer than ever. Isn't that fantastic? No, because it results in higher costs for pensions and health care. At last poor countries make economic progress. Isn't that wonderful? No, because we are afraid that Polish plumbers and Indian programmers will take our jobs. There is always something to be scared about. In the 1970s, when temperatures were declining, we worried about a new ice age. Now they are increasing and we worry about global warming. We used to worry about everybody who was depressed, now new antidepressant drugs have reduced suicide in rich countries by one-fifth. And so we worry about so many people taking pills.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
I am an optimist too. And I happen to believe that understanding this perceptual blame shifting is a good thing. That's what keeps us on guard to protect our liberty from evil-minded rulers, so that we can ring the bell, solve problems and improve the world. We have to understand that while our minds are constantly occupied by fear, and terror we are not focusing on creating our life better or making the world a better place. Progress also creates some new challenge and problem solvers think equally about the progress of their communities and the challenges at the same time. Some of us live longer than ever. Isn't that wonderful? Yes, but it results in higher costs for corporations and government welfare. At least poor people survive longer even if it costs a bit more. Isn't that wonderful? Yes, because it means corporations get less. There is always something for communities to be scared about. We worry about global warming. We used to worry about everybody who was depressed, now governments and corporations just push the fear button anytime they want to get what they want. Creating more depression and then hand out 'Fuckitol' from big pharma corporations and dump the mentally ill out on to the streets while still maintaining a profit.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
The media exploits this interest in problems and disasters. We want to hear the latest horrible stories because our Stone Age brains think that this is important information on which we must act. At the turn of the millennium, a New York University survey made a list of Journalism's Greatest Hits. Would you expect news stories about new vaccines, fantastic inventions, the rise in living standards or the spread of democracy from 0 per cent of countries 100 years ago to 60 per cent today? You would have been disappointed. The greatest hits were all about war, natural disasters, dangerous chemicals and unsafe cars.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
The media exploits this interest in problems and disasters. They want us to hear the latest propaganda because their corporate Stone Age brains think that this is important information on which we must act. Well you would have been disappointed too as the greatest hits were all about war, terror, crime, politics, police, and prisons in that order.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
Risks, horrible acts and disasters are easily dramatised and cheap to produce. That is why crime is such a popular theme on the news. Studies from the US show that the more time people spend watching news on TV, the more they exaggerate the extent of crime in their cities. A fascinating study about Baltimore showed 84 per cent feared that criminals would harm them or their loved ones, but at the same time almost everybody - 92 per cent - said they felt safe in their neighbourhoods, of which they had first-hand knowledge. They all think there is a lot of crime in Baltimore, but they all think it takes place somewhere else in the city, in the places they know about only from the media.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
Fears, risks, horrible acts and disasters are easily dramatised and cheap to produce. Over your dead body of course. That is why crime is such a popular them on the news and not crime prevention. Those studies from the US would also show that the more time people spend watching news on TV, the more they exaggerate the extent of crime in their cities or for that matter what ever else is 'exaggerated on TV in their cities' including the political propaganda of terror, tyranny and wars.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
These results appear again and again in surveys. People think that the environment is being destroyed; that the economy is going to bits and Germans think the reunification of Germany was bad for most people. But they also think that their local environment is good, that their personal finances are improving and that German reunification was good for their personal situation.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
But people think that the environment is being destroyed because it is and that the economy is going to bits because it is and whatever Germans think you'd have to ask a German. Pity Johan wasn't German because there is no indication in his story about what Germans say and think except from what he say's they say and think. I think that's even more interesting! No "quote from a German." Am I being disrespectful? You'd have to ask Johan.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
At the same time that extreme poverty has been cut in half in developing countries, many people think poverty is on the increase because they see the poverty for the first time on TV. Partly we care about it because poor Vietnamese and Chinese make the shirts we wear. If you don't understand the context, you think that it is the fact they make our shirts that has made them poor. Never mind that people who work for an American multinational in a low-income country earn eight times the average income in that country.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
Another blame shifting exercise by corporations? If the average income in the underdeveloped country has increased from $2.00 to $16.00 it's still not a living wage even if it's eight times as much. So what is he trying to say? The work was only given to the sweatshops in the underdeveloped country to increase the margins of the corporations from minimum wage jobs in developed countries. Many people know poverty is on the increase because a lot of people are living on less than $2.00 a day it's obvious they can't buy plasma, or a house to put it in let alone feed themselves and all the while trillions of dollars are spent on wars and rocket science.
Johan Norberg: Don't worry, be happy?
The long-run prospects for the world are amazing. Today we have more people living longer lives in freer societies and we have more scientists alive than lived in all previous periods combined, and they all get an education that is almost as long as a lifetime in earlier periods. Biotechnology, nanotechnology and robotics will create vast improvements. We will be richer, we will live longer and we will be healthier. Continents that we thought were doomed to misery will soon have the living standards we have today.
Johan Nordberg is head of political ideas at Timbro, a Swedish think tank. He is author of the best-selling book In Defence of Global Capitalism, which the Sydney-based Centre for Independent Studies republished this week. This is an edited extract from the 22nd annual John Bonython Lecture in Sydney last night.
Question Everything: Worry, be alert and alarmed!
The long-run prospects for the world are devastating. Today we may have some people living longer, but in fear that they'll be blown up on the bus and the train because of their government's greed in trying to manage Peak Oil. Ignoring scientists at their own peril in relation to global warming and more people are living in fear of draconian laws and terror which is increasing mental illness ten-fold, that is not freedom. Everyone who wants education doesn't get it unless they pay for it and on less than $2.00 a day most of the world's children can't afford an education they are too busy scavenging rubbish dumps if they can find one just for a basic meal.
Biotechnology, nanotechnology and robotics will create vast improvements. If it is used to feed the poor, stop the war and not fly to the moon. Some people will be richer, some people will live longer and some people will be healthier. Continents that live in misery like Iraq and Afghanistan will never make it while the terrorists keep blowing them to bits. Unless the media giants stop lying and start focusing on the real world and investing in pragmatism instead of sensationalism we are doomed!
Question Everything is co-ordinator of humanist ideas at Sydney. He is author of many articles on Pragmatism, Common Sense and Global Harmony, which the Sydney-based Centre for Independent Thinking publishes ever week on Indymedia.
By Propaganda Monster 12, October 05
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