Lack of Resources Due to Wastage Caused by Subsidies

(future of our planet because it's clear Musk is so removed from the experience of people who aren't running five companies or worth hundreds of billions of dollars, that he is only able to see things at a high level. As a result, he misses the effect of decisions on everyone else. )

Elon Musk is 100% right here. No problem with water. The problems are those caused by lies spread by this journalist and others, 100% of them. Journalists rely on advertisements, but Elon does not advertise so these journalists, 100% of them lie about Tesla, even Cleantechnica, supposed to champion sustainability.

As to water resources. Israel has no problem with water. It is in nations with abundant water that have problems with water, including Malaysia lah. Malaysia can just collect rainwater, but alas, they prefer to drink salty water than collect rainwater. Currently happening in Sandakan, 2023. Sandakan is the largest producer of timber and oil palm in Malaysia. Sandakan Residency lah, not just it's district, during Malaysia. Under the British, Sandakan was a Residency, equivalent to a State with its own palace.

In Semporna, in 1960s, we used to collect rainwater for drinking, and the salty water for washing and bathing.

If you look at places with problems of resources, such as Lebanon currently, it is due to wastage as a result of subsidies. Subsidies result in wastage because it encourages people to overuse it, because of the apparent cheap prices. Worse, it favours the rich much more.

Sri Lanka solved the lack of petrol by reducing petrol subsidies. Queues immediately shortened, and more people cycle. If Sri Lanka removes all subsidies, no reason why there should be any lack of petrol or medicine. Sri Lanka did not, so lack of resources still continue but to a much lesser extent.

I am surprised that journalists ignore completely the role of subsidies that clearly led to such shortages in resources. Ignoring also completely the resolving of resources just by reducing subsidies such as Sri Lanka. No problem at all with resources in developed nations that have zero subsidies, especially in resources.

Another pet lies by journalists is to increase interest rate to combat inflation, ignoring facts completely that increasing interest rates never stopped inflation in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and probably Venezuela. Not sure how much higher the interest rates, but for Turkey it was 100%. Turkey still has inflation of around 100%. One thing is for sure. All these nations suffering from super inflation give lots of subsidies.

Even with huge resources, like Argentina, with oil revenue as large as Malaysia, it suffers high inflation also. Malaysia was already going into the same economic trends, with its huge subsidies, similar to Argentina. The RM already devalue so much it was just a matter of time. The more the currency devalue, the more subsidies are given, just like Lebanon. The subsidies for petrol increase from 50% to much higher when Lebanese pound devalue even more. Lebanon did not change the price of petrol in local currency despite its devaluation, just like Malaysia and Venezuela. Probably Argentina also.

Malaysia escape the hyper inflation, but I do not understand why. The devaluation of RM has stopped or slowed down. The interest rate has not increased after some time. Subsidies are still high because of the continuing devaluation of RM. National budget is still in deficit. A lot of information is hidden. I suspect it  is just the slowing down of wastage, as more corruption charges are brought to the front.

 But all these are just feel good effects with little value compared to the subsidies. Savings from threatened anticorruption is only less than 5 billion rm, but wastage due to subsidies is more than 10 times at 50 billion RM. With no sign that subsidies will be removed, just like Argentina, with similar petroleum resources as Malaysia, only a miracle will stop Malaysia from suffering fates like Argentina.

The irony is that these countries encourage waste of resources through subsidies in the name of religion. But religions forbade waste. Even Buddhism. In the 1970s, Sri Lanka was on the way to a developed state by removing subsidies, justified by Buddhist's teachings. Sri Lanka reintroduced subsidies in the 1980s, most probably due to pressures by voters, not corruption.

The quran certainly does not allow any subsidies but all Muslim nations practise subsidies. The west actually referenced the quran for Quran's anti clergy/ulama and universal justice(no subsidies, only cash handouts). So the West obeyed religion so they are developed and have no problem with resources. Buddhism and Christianity, do not have writings forbidding subsidies, but monks and Christianity groups  argue against subsidies based on ethics. 

https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/3-things-elon-musk-just-said-in-an-interview-with-bill-maher-that-should-worry-everyone.html