Amusing to remember Al Capp cartoons & Bullmoose. Re: having squat to say about ownership of petroleum. At the moment true. In considering the economics of sustainability, mining and extratraction of resources will have to be brought more under the control of the public sector, if only through stricter and more accountable regulation of vital industries.. Consider that 80% of current petroleum is owned by nation states (and ruling elites within), it's not such a leap to imagine bioregional control of the ecological foundations of communities, removing through buyouts or even appropriation if the "ecological security" of peoples are threatened. Tony
On Mon, Nov 24, 2008 at 9:27 AM, Jon Bosak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Margaret McCasland wrote: > | FYI, if you're too young too remember, a rewording of: "What's > | good for GM is good for America," an iconic misquote. > > And if you're really ancient, you'll remember Al Capp's > ultracapitalist billionaire General Bullmoose, whose motto was > "What's good for General Bullmoose is good for the USA" -- a > pretty fair representation of the moral position taken by a number > of our current CEOs, within the auto industry and without. > > Katie Quinn-Jacobs wrote: > | Sure, it's becoming easier for people to appreciate the pitfalls > | of growth capitalism, but is there any other viable option ready > | to step in? I see the lack of economic savvy as the weak link in > | the sustainability revolution. How do we organize markets without > | growth? Is there an economic arm to this movement? > > I agree that the sustainability movement is in general sadly > lacking in economic savvy, but the question assumes that we're in > a position to have any influence on the direction the country > takes. Tony Del Plato's question "Will we continue to allow 'free > market' energy development, especially petroleum?" makes what > seems to me to be the same assumption. In fact, "we" are not > going to have squat to say about this. > > I'm more hopeful than I was three years ago that we can have some > influence on public policy at the town level and maybe (if we try > real hard) at the county level, but beyond that, I think that > economic developments at the state and national level will be > driven by market forces largely beyond anyone's control; I suspect > they're just something we'll have to cope with. I'd rather see us > concentrate on local initiatives that might do some good (like > AFCU) than waste our energy thinking about how to influence the > larger picture. > > Unless something unexpected happens, it's likely that the > unemployment tsunami headed our way is going to force the > institution of huge new-new-deal programs that will shape our > economic strategy for years to come. Obama is already indicating > this. If that's the case, efforts to shape policy at the national > and state level would probably best be devoted to getting those > programs heading in the right direction (toward rebuilding > passenger rail instead of expanding the highway infrastructure, > for example) rather than trying to replace capitalism with > something more sensible. > > If history is any guide, we'll be lucky if the anger of the > American public over their shattered dreams heads in the direction > of welfare socialism rather than fascism. If we're going to have > any influence on this, it will probably be through example. > > Jon > > > _______________________________________________ > For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, > please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org > -- The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science... Albert Einstein _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
