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Experts estimate that plant, animal and insect species are lost every day due to rainforest deforestation. As the rainforest species disappear, so do possible cures for life-threatening diseases. How and why?…At least a hundred prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources found only in the rainforest. Still think it's crap?

Even though I'm from Texas and I couldn't pinpoint a rainforest if I saw one, I know better than to say that.

This is all fine but how are you going to enforce a prohibition? We don't have hardly any rainforest in America, certainly not of the tropical dense variety.

What is causing the destruction? Slash and burn subsistence agriculture by poverty stricken farmers in other countries. What would you need to actually stop it? Other than putting up a sign because our insistence is sure to prevail over these short-sighted people such that they can just go away and starve to death. Agricultural science that improves land yields and reduces the land needed for farming cycles might be a good start.

I think the United States should go to rainforests around the world, knock them down, and build civilizations. Then, you make them states. It's always good to expand. Manifest destiny still lives.

I think at this point you are trying too hard to be provocative.

I think you just can't help the fact that my ideas are just so perfect for our nation.

I do believe that the United States should expand. We are the greatest nation and we should get bigger and get some new land.

No. I just can't help the fact that you are so impenetrable to reasonable thoughts. If you really wanted to plow under primordial forests of any kind, how about starting with the millions of forested acres we already have in our possession?

lol you are a joke

Very good rebuttal doogie.

Yes but we can't even govern what we already have Jared. We need to look at reality here mr. ethnocentrist.

Jared you are just out of your mind, what about even the civilizations of people that already live in the rain forest?

We saw these same arguments throughout Manifest Destiny. "If only the savage would become civilized"…Meanwhile, somebody had gone through and set up agriculture throughout the Americas, built villages, invested in (sometimes mutually beneficial) trade relationships, even invented a written language and a system of codified law.

All these things were accepted as though nobody had done them. Not every civilization, culture, or location, would be notably improved by destroying it and putting up a Gap, a Starbucks, and a Subway. Certainly not every local eco-system.

Make them American citizens. Ain't nothing better than that.

Got to save the environment man, on our soil.

It's impossible to completely govern an entire land, but we are doing a good job at it compared to most other countries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLv67YmMK7Q

We should strip it all and sell it like Arnold in the video.

At least he shared his opinion, unlike some people. It's easy to point the finger and laugh.

We need to conserve it, to protect the animal species and to do more research for medicine.

"We are here to help the Vietnamese, because inside every gook there is an American trying to get out."

You do realize that was a joke line mocking our attitude from the Vietnam era right?

There are no rainforests in America.

Since there are no rainforests in America (or very few) it stands to reason that no (or very few) rainforests are under the jurisdiction of our government.

Hence, there is nothing our government can do about deforestation in rainforests.

Now, if private citizens and corporations, or the states wherein such rainforests exist wish to put caps/educate about the dangers and horrors that would arise if the rainforests were gotten rid of, fine. But there isn't much that our government can do about it.

Yea, but I wasn't even thought of at that time. What I do know is that the United States is the leading power in the world and has it's foot in everything because of the way our political system is organized. It's not a perfect system, but it works. All these other countries may be doing okay, but not as good as the U.S.A.

If the United States wanted to prevent deforestation in other places, we can. We're a leading power. I don't care if these other countries don't approve of it, we are the big boys in town.

I know everyone is going to criticise what I just said, but it's people who have thoughts like mine, that actually do good for society. Sometimes, you have to do things yourself.

Yes it was. At the time. There were these things called peace marches and protests. They were sort of common.

"but it's people who have thoughts like mine, that actually do good for society"

- I love the psychology behind this.

You do know we have something called a CONSTITUTION in this country. It limits the power the Federal Government has. I don't see anything in there about mandating to other people what they should do on their land.

Besides that, it is wrong to do so. Sovereign nations, no matter their importance (or non-importance) still have rights to do with their land what they wish. That is what is wrong with things like the Iraq war.

It does not matter how big we are. It does not matter if we CAN do things, that doesn't mean we SHOULD. I CAN go get high tonight, but that doesn't mean I SHOULD. I CAN go burglarize someone tonight, but that doesn't mean I SHOULD.

This kind of attitude is what has gotten us in trouble lots of times. Like Viet Nam, or Korea, or the Iraqs. All this attitude brings is heartache and trouble.

I don't understand this comment-

"has it's foot in everything because of the way our political system is organized. "

Our political system is organized so as to reserve as much power as possible to the people. There is nothing in our political system that gives the government the power to interfere in other countries.

Yea, but here's the thing. You have two scientists with the same resources. One of them finds cures and the other doesn't. This is the United States and other countries.

We are the cure. Do you think those people want to be living in shacks and out in the open with no technology or medicine? We are all living comfortable because we live in America. We can't say the same for our friends overseas. I don't care what it says in the constitution, it's not always what's right.

Doesn't matter what's in the constitution.

"I don't care what it says in the constitution, it's not always what's right. " . Interesting.

So if we were to pass a law "we find Jared to be guilty of treason and sentence him to death", you wouldn't have a problem with that? Which parts of the law then do you feel are to be ignored and which to be followed? Those which are inconvenient say to your short-term interests?

I'm going to be honest and tell you that I don't know the constitution in-and-out, but I was referring to our international policy.

Our international policy is still governed by Constitutional principles and aspects. I strongly suspect that the War Powers Act if anyone wanted to take it to the Supreme Court is unconstitutional because it apportions the power to make and declare war within the same branch.

And our constitution still defines some of the limitations on foreign engagements, namely by defining the role of our treaty agreements and the role of individuals acting without the approval or consent of the state to negotiate on our behalf.

The more general concern that this Constitutional side-step reflects is that it has become clear from multiple debates you just don't have any qualms at all with ignoring rule of law. Laws are apparently just a pesky inconvenience for lesser people not in your world.

Wow!

Ever notice how people love to discuss the things they have no power to control or change?

Then how about you get out of my country and stop messing it up, you idiot.

I'm sorry- generally I don't say things like this. But such a blatant disregard for the founding of our country and the document that has given rise to the best governmental system in the world can do nothing but provoke shock and outrage in me.

And the scary part is that this is the attitude that most of the people you vote for have.

She can't vote yet.

And I don't vote for either major party either. For that very reason.

Like Sun Tzu said, I am only 15, and so cannot vote. Number two, if I could, I would vote Libertarian, and all Libertarians believe in Constitutionality, except our fringe area, which believes in no government. (I personally think they're just as nuts as the far left.)

yeah but someone who does have the power may read these

As a farmer I would say that one of the major problems is stopping trees and forestry from regrowing in our fields. It truly is amazing how fast these trees regrow, from personal experience, I don’t think that this is a problem, nature is more than holding her own.

jared, why do you hate rainforests so much that you want the U.S. to expand by removing them, i am just a teen but i know the importance of trees in our life unless you would like to live in the future with a tank in you body to create the oxigen us homosapiens need o.0 i noe u wouldnt and i also noe im young because of my age thus it doesnt matter i will always speak with wisdom although with bad spelling, but rainforests are the lungs of planet earth and without them this planet may fall.

the US constitution is evil.