Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - Re: [permaculture] conservatism

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] conservatism
  • Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:13:39 -0500

David Travis wrote:


Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2008 10:19:21 -0800 (PST)
From: Dieter Brand

I'm not going to defend consumerism, nor am I adverse to
bashing the Monsantos of this World. That is the good fight.
Yet, that economic system, with all its imperfections, is all
we have got. There are changes ahead with the resources

Dieter is right about this, at least partially, except that that isn''t all
we've got.
On one level its a fixed global economy, on the other hand there are vast
untapped resources
within the global network of local economies. This is the other part of "all we've
got" which
has been largely undeveloped underutilized.

of this planet being as limited as they are. The system will
stay stable as long as it has enough flexibility to adapt to
the changes needed. And if you look into history or at other
cultural spheres you are unlikely to find other models that
provide more flexibility.


I'm always amazed -- and I'm speaking generally about many of my fellow permaculturists here -- at how the so many of the same people who think we can radically and creatively alter the way we eat, drink, live, work, and relate to the Earth are often paradoxically willing to throw up their hands at politics and economics, making oddly definitive claims about how capitalism, corporatism, or any other aspect of business-as-usual is "just the way it is" or "all that we've got" or "here to stay". It's really interesting (and at times frustrating) to see such extremely conservative notions finding widespread acceptance among an otherwise farsighted and "big picture"-oriented movement.
- David

So what would suggest they do? What do you see as the "next step" they should take. They clearly see the issues at hand but don't want to deal with them or think they can't and just say they they don't want to rock the boat or disturb the status quo for fear of losing what they've got (the "that's all we've got" argument).
I see this as a collective and collaborative effort, to each his own, distribution of effort according to akill and talent and resources they have access to and as time permits. A watched pot never boils. There seems to ba a common interest (at least here in the US) in seeing change happen. I hear about the very rich/very poor/vanishing middle class problem. With the election coming up this is a top priority issue.

> at how the so many of the same people who think we can radically and
creatively alter the way we eat, drink,
> live, work, and relate to the Earth are often paradoxically willing to
throw up their hands at politics and economics,

So, again, what would you suggest they do?





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page