Dear Michael in Marujo, and all others of the decentralisation camp, In thinking a bit more about it, seems that as I write from my I Mac or call thru the iphone, centralisation of certain things is a good thing. What is not good, as many others have said or implied here, is the incumbent growth of non accountability, transparency, flexibility of design and involvement and localised responsibility that keeps the centrailsed operation honest. Whats not good as well in the centralised model, is the carbon footprint of mass distribution form production centers Whats Even more 'not good' about a priori centralised thinking, is the attendant infestation of the posturing, power plays and positioning and image maintenance that so often overrides the core purpose of the centralised production effort in the first place.. (cheaper, better quality etc etc…).
The wonderful fact of the matter is that the sheer logistics, communications access, and cultural and political differences will continue to make it near impossible to ever reach the burgenoning majority of the globe's population by this model. We have to learn, in that politically long incorrect saying, to bring the mountain to Mohammed --to adapt design not only FOR but WITH and WITHIN the population of potential adapters. The trick is how to do this get paid for it and assure that those who are using it will get paid for it as well each according to their own skills, and interests. But even that is not enough; We need to have the input of all concerned for, no one of us is as smart as all of us. The question becomes how to adapt, integrate, learn with and from the 'engagees' as active and equal participants in the process, all the while assuring each participant's option for accessing their market for training and their own product sales. Thats a difficult pill to swallow for most of the good technical minds we encounter here in the west. Its not so difficult for the technician academic, trainer or producer from most nations south to anywhere else south though. For that I feel sorry for the former group. They are missing a lot. I am not playing mother Theresa here: Its just common sense You do not move forward in your line of work in such a way as to cause others to be left behind as a result. All you wind up with in your with is a defensive lifestyle lived behind gated communities. For what ? Our fello citisens of the shared planet need the option for access (and admittedly many may decide to not take that option) to make it themselves, otherwise you have what we now have instability, resource mining, environmental imbalance, political upset, military investment etc etc... globally under the guide of the free market unregulated systems. Really, isn't this just all common sense? where is the rocket science and why don't we seem to get it? So I'd vote, along with many of us, for centralisation for those products that demand very specialised and very highly skilled resources but only where subcomponents cannot be made locally but starting from the platform of of thinking localised and inclusive and networked and engaged as possible. Aluta continua, Richard / Ashland On Jan 3, 2014, at 6:39 AM, <[email protected]> <[email protected]> wrote: Interesting discussion it is surprising how wide spread around the world the support for decentralization is even with its problems warts and whiskers. Growing up in the middle of the 20th century I remember when there were A & Ps, IGAs Rexalls Texacos etc. scattered all across the United States. people were optimistic and the future bright. Then came the alphabet soup CFOs CEOs MBA and the Walmarta, Enrons, the dotcoms and all the rest. Now we have the 1 % and the greatest misdistribution of wealth known to mankind. Some how I just do not feel comfortable about the idea of massive centralization. But then again consider what would happen today if Abraham Lincoln was caught returning some little old lady’s cash by one of todays CFOs or MBAs Curmugeonly In Majuro, Michael N Trevor _______________________________________________ Stoves mailing list to Send a Message to the list, use the email address [email protected] to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org for more Biomass Cooking Stoves, News and Information see our web site: http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/
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