[lit-ideas] Re: The continuation of Realpolitik -- a counterfactual
- From: Eric Yost <mr.eric.yost@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 23:48:46 -0400
David wrote: Instead of finding more energy, we must curb our
enthusiasm for consumption ...
That makes sense if the curbing is done in the interests of human
potential (reading books by Ott light versus viewing wall-sized TV, for
example). If libraries, museums, and universities are accessible by bike
(as in Madison, Wisconsin) or on foot (as in NYC) curbing is great,
though we cannot tell people what to do.
On the other hand, I worry about "curbing" undertaken as a sort of
fascist imperative, where the elite use ecological awareness as a tool
for social engineering a new class of techno-peasants. After all,
today's elite are not patrons like the Hapsburgs or the old WASP gentry;
instead they are mostly parvenu vulgarians, latter-day Jay Fricks,
people all-too-happy with a private island and a Wackenhut security crew.
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
Other related posts:
