[Ographer]

Why cherry pick a single bad thing from over 60 years ago? Is that supposed to discredit all actions by the country? One could find just as many examples, if not more, of the US destroying the ecosystem in that same time period.

The US is held back by corporations that demand ever increasing profits and by political parties that roadblock each other such that it cannot focus any substantial effort on meaningful initiatives for change.

[karaterobot]

I imagine the reason to cherry pick a single bad thing is because the list of all of them would be too long to be of practical use.

On the other hand, I agree that the person you're responding to didn't make a strong argument by posting something unrelated to solar energy manufacturing and deployment. No more than you did by responding with "but what about the USA...". Neither are helpful, salient, or convincing.

[Ographer]

I thought this headline would be cause for celebration and I'm just disappointed to see so many negative comments that reduce the accomplishment down to red scare style jabs.

I only pointed back at the US to help reframe the situation in readers' minds who are mostly US based. The list of environmental damage by the US would also be too long to list so it seems unfair to have comments presenting 1 side without mentioning the other.

[anovikov]

As for parties, well that's not a problem. This is by design. U.S. political system is the way it is to prevent tyranny - not to provide the most efficient or even effective government. The Founding Fathers understood it and it was an acceptable tradeoff. Nothing in America assumes or expects a functioning government able to get things done, society and business exists pretty much on it's own. It's the best thing government can do - do nothing, and provide a good shitshow for the people to watch. A healthy society doesn't need government to babysit it.

Corporations can't "demand" profits, profits are what the market conditions form.

Renewable energy will work in America once it makes more money than fossil fuels for the same input. Business in the U.S. is almost not susceptible to political shit.

[Ographer]

I get that the US system was supposed to do all that in theory, but in practice it has been structured to prevent citizens from having any control over anything. It's a form of tyranny masquerading as democracy. Without major reform, we are stuck with whatever politicians these 2 parties put before us and our only choice is the lesser of 2 evils. These parties have similar interests to continue the current, flawed, system and so we are powerless to enact any change.

"Business in the U.S. is almost not susceptible to political shit. "

That's because capitalists control politics. Their profits are more important than social wellbeing.

https://youtu.be/oYodY6o172A?si=6YqkvTpC3EKrp8jd

[rdtsc]

> Why cherry pick a single bad thing from over 60 years ago?

It was the one I remembered first. Solar panels can be one good thing and the dead sparrows and famine can be one bad ting, and they can balance each out perhaps?

> Is that supposed to discredit all actions by the country?

I didn't say or think of it that way, but you seem to. So, what do you think that action and the following famine exemplifies or points to?

My response was mainly tongue in cheek to the GP's point that communists are somehow the paragon or efficiency and no bullshit attitude.

> The US is held back by corporations that demand ever increasing profits and by political parties that roadblock each other such that it cannot focus any substantial effort on meaningful initiatives for change.

Yeah no doubt. I wonder what a good way forward is there?

[Ographer]

Sorry to be combative, maybe I missed the tongue-in-cheek. My response was mostly because your comment took a headline which should be good news for the world and appeared to frame it negatively just because of their political system.

[mensetmanusman]

The 100,000,000 starved is 100,000,000 bad things.

[Ographer]

Yes, that happened and it was clearly bad science but scientists know better now. During the same time period, the US was spraying DDT across the country killing off many species including its own bald eagles. I'm still unclear what this has to do with modern China and solar initiatives.