Stan and Karl,
When China's CP decided that birthrates in their country had to be reduced it was
hardly rightist or racist. It's not because some right-wing people say something
sensible that have to shy away from saying the same thing. It's also necessary to
STOP THESE DEMOGRAPHICS. Also, you should not forget that a rich baby
usually has less children when he grows up.
As to resource consumption, sustainability, etc. I think that you won't get a good
picture of the situation if you focus on oil alone. There are other problems, notably
depletion of topsoil and water reserves.
Even if it was possible to feed the current world population without mechanized
agric. (I don't know), the problem of the degradation of the physical/biological
system which supports non-mechanical agriculture remains, as well as the problem
of increasing world population.
About implemeting agricultural reform, Stan says:
>Alternative
>practices are essential, but simply imagining them and being "right" about
>them doesn't put them into practice. It is NECESSARY to have political
>power--legal monopolies on force to make coercive inroads against these
>structures--to transform these alternatives into realities. If we accept
>that, ...
We shouldn't accept that. These structures are mainly based on profit. If there is
more profit to be made by using alternative practices, they will be used. The
relative profitability of different practices depend on many things incl. the price of
inputs, the choices of consumers, tariffs, taxes, etc. Of course if there isn't
something
like a legal monopoly of force, it's not possible to collect taxes. But in that case,
the
whole system would collapse and there would be nothing to make "coercive
inroads" into.
It is probably true that without a struggle, alternative paractices will only be used
when we'll be in the Cuban situation. But the struggle doesn't need to have such
forms or goals.
Julien
_______________________________________________
Crashlist resources: http://website.lineone.net/~resource_base
To change your options or unsubscribe go to:
http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/crashlist
