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Re: Hudson Institute / sustainability



Thank you for this insightful reply. Indeed, such "left is good 
right is bad" generalizations can only obscure the issue. For 
example, wouldn't we agree that one significant reason for 
industrial agriculture having attained its present dominance is 
governement policy which encourages high input/high yield 
agriculture (by allowing them to externalize costs and losses to 
the people and governement by such mechanisms as price supports, 
crop insurnace, subsidies, tax write offs on inputs, etc.)? And 
which ideology encourages government programs? Yes, I'm 
oversimplifying as well, but I hope I've made my point.
I favor a movement to individual responsiblity in the 
marketplace by well-informed consumers that understand the 
consequences of their purchasing actions over bureaucracy and 
bullying. 
What do you all think? Is this a realistic goal and how can we 
achieve it?
Thanks for listening
David

David Conner
Center for Rural Studies
207 Morrill Hall, UVM
Burlington, VT 05405
(802) 656-3021
FAX: (802) 656-0776
dconner@moose.uvm.edu

On Thu, 16 May 1996 willi_r@mail.uwlax.edu wrote:

> 
> Mr. William Blake had stated:
> >
> >1) Yes, right-of-center suppositions are detrimental in and of 
> >themselves.  They derive from beliefs about human worth vs. state power, 
> >and the conclusions demonstrate these beliefs.  Not that "left-wing" 
> >viewpoints are _necessarily_ good alternatives, but many or most of them 
> >are.
> >
> Wow, that has to be the most extreme statement that I think I have probably
> seen printed anywhere in a long time. I wonder if Mr. Blake understands the
> concept of right vs. left? As a former leftist myself, I have to completely
> disagree most strongly. The main reason I parted company with the left was
> that I finally realized how detrimental the group solution was by a
> centralized power. That is the basic concept of left thinking. (Sure they
> put it under the guise of the little guy and belittle right wing views as
> for the big corps etc.) Right wing tends toward less centralized control
> especially as you go extreme right toward the libertarians. It specially
> stresses economic freedom (which is the basic freedom without which all
> other freedoms are moot) and the idea that the worth of the individual is
> more important than the centralized state.  
> 
> It is primarily left wing thinking and action (politics) that have led the
> U.S. and other nations to its current situation. Not completely, of course,
> but a definite trend or direction put in motion. Hey does this mean right
> wingers have all the answers. Probably not. It is a balancing act. If you
> let right wing tendencies to go too far, human nature is always ready to
> take advantage of the situation and attempt to squelch those who disagree
> and you wind up with totalitarian situations. But do not be deceived by the
> left either. The same thing happens when you go too far and you lose all
> freedom too. Fascism and Communism are basically the same thing (remember
> the grand Alliance of Germany and Russia -- but it didnt last). They dont
> call Nazism NATIONALIST SOCIALIST for no reason:)
> 
> Most people are more middle of the road. They dont think left and right but
> tend toward pragmatism. And yes, they are swayed back and forth depending on
> the times and what they perceive is their own self-interest.
> 
> Richard K. "Rick" Williams
> Internet Address: willi_r@mail.uwlax.edu
> 
> 



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