Thank you, Duncan.
It is a longstanding social and economic theory known as cooperative communitarianism, mutualism, (and incorporating the word socialism to impart the idea that we need take care of the elderly, the infirm, the displaced, in essence each other) predating Marx by centuries, and contemporary to the bearded one in the form of some gentlemanly disagreement. Certainly, if one follows closely the evolution of "socialist" thought, one would see the errors of their jumping to conclusions about simplifying "isms".
There are two fundamental fronts in the struggle for equity and economic and environmental justice. There are the necessary anti-Capitalist forces and there are theorists, who hope to become practitioners, who study the history of the equity/economic justice and environmental justice movements, the arguments both for and against "socialism" and try to come up with a peaceful mission, plans, programs, and policies, to try to build consensus, and hope that there is time for the sufficient education, reorganization, and implementation of such.
The most enlightened school of thought is perhaps those of the libertarian socialists. Foolishly, some of these folks cling to the term anarcho-syndicalist, not understanding that anarchist was a derogatory term used against the early cooperative communitarians/mutualists/socialists to turn the average citizen against them in a reactionary manner.
The libertarian socialist believes in a minimum of government intervention and participation. They believe in an economic democracy that comes from the people in their local "villages", encourages and promotes inter-community, inter-regional, and world unity and cooperation. The libertarian socialist believes that consensus must be reached with respect to the local to world mission, principles, policies, and programs and that any form of government would be transitioning from the military and economic dominance of today to one of peaceful inter-community cooperation. The modern libertarian socialist purview recognizes the need to fundamentally change the ways and means by which resources are allocated to and within communities and within and among economic sectors. It is not centralized planning. It is decentralized consensus. Inclusion, equity, humanity, quality of life, environmental health and wellness, sustainability, and peace are fundamental principles to be accepted, inculcated, implemented, and maintained in all aspects of the "plan and implement" modus operandi.
I hope this essay is edifying to your attempts to understand the alternatives.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Plan with Agriculture as the Focus
Response to John Russell
Hi John,
Sorry, it took so long to get back with thee...
The fundamentals of an ecological economic redevelopment plan, while embracing relocalization for food and other necessities does not preclude the concept of comparative advantage, which as you have described would lead the folks in your area to specialize in grass fed meat and dairy.
To us, since 1976, it has always been a paradigm of "towards self-sufficiency" in food production. Inter-community and inter-regional trade can be sustained IF the USA and others will dedicate and commit and realize an 80% reduction in personal automobile use in the next 20 to 40 years, by rebuilding neighborhoods, and reallocating goods and services, to make it so that almost all (there will be rural exceptions) can get what they need within walking distance of their homes.
The terrible squandering of fossil fuel use for wasteful consumer automobile forays across and throughout the sprawlscape in search of their daily needs and many unnecessary consumer wants (the latter a result of the loss of community and resultant meaningless lives) is a large opportunity cost relative to transport for necessary trade, and for the other more important applications of fossil fuel use such as solar assisted home heating, cooking, hot water, drying, and the generation of electricity. Also, fossil fuel inputs into agricultural systems (while phasing such out to the greatest, or least optimal, extent possible) needs to be a much higher priority use of fossil fuels than the personal automobile.
Still, I strongly believe in the need to move towards veganization of diets for health and pollution reasons. I say towards because my personal experience has proven to me that when my work is mostly physical that I do need to eat a bit of meat occasionally to maintain my strength and body weight. On the other hand, eating meat every day is a recipe for disease and sickness, especially among the sedentary (among whom meat ingestion should be strongly discouraged). Milk products are important for children.
The evolution of these things and the repopulation of rural areas with the appropriate small farm technologies, labor, equity, and products (coupled with the maximization of "urban" gardening) will not evolve via a process of "invisible hands". It will only happen in a timely manner, if it is part of a consensual plan and implement economy based on a consensus of world unity and cooperation founded on the principles of inclusion, humanity, equity, environmental health and wellness, quality of life, sustainability, and peace.
Thanks for writing.
Q. (By Gil Scott (Martin Luther Kin)): What's the word?
A. (By John Lennon (Martin Luther Kin)): The word is love, the word is good.
All People Kin.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Hi John,
Sorry, it took so long to get back with thee...
The fundamentals of an ecological economic redevelopment plan, while embracing relocalization for food and other necessities does not preclude the concept of comparative advantage, which as you have described would lead the folks in your area to specialize in grass fed meat and dairy.
To us, since 1976, it has always been a paradigm of "towards self-sufficiency" in food production. Inter-community and inter-regional trade can be sustained IF the USA and others will dedicate and commit and realize an 80% reduction in personal automobile use in the next 20 to 40 years, by rebuilding neighborhoods, and reallocating goods and services, to make it so that almost all (there will be rural exceptions) can get what they need within walking distance of their homes.
The terrible squandering of fossil fuel use for wasteful consumer automobile forays across and throughout the sprawlscape in search of their daily needs and many unnecessary consumer wants (the latter a result of the loss of community and resultant meaningless lives) is a large opportunity cost relative to transport for necessary trade, and for the other more important applications of fossil fuel use such as solar assisted home heating, cooking, hot water, drying, and the generation of electricity. Also, fossil fuel inputs into agricultural systems (while phasing such out to the greatest, or least optimal, extent possible) needs to be a much higher priority use of fossil fuels than the personal automobile.
Still, I strongly believe in the need to move towards veganization of diets for health and pollution reasons. I say towards because my personal experience has proven to me that when my work is mostly physical that I do need to eat a bit of meat occasionally to maintain my strength and body weight. On the other hand, eating meat every day is a recipe for disease and sickness, especially among the sedentary (among whom meat ingestion should be strongly discouraged). Milk products are important for children.
The evolution of these things and the repopulation of rural areas with the appropriate small farm technologies, labor, equity, and products (coupled with the maximization of "urban" gardening) will not evolve via a process of "invisible hands". It will only happen in a timely manner, if it is part of a consensual plan and implement economy based on a consensus of world unity and cooperation founded on the principles of inclusion, humanity, equity, environmental health and wellness, quality of life, sustainability, and peace.
Thanks for writing.
Q. (By Gil Scott (Martin Luther Kin)): What's the word?
A. (By John Lennon (Martin Luther Kin)): The word is love, the word is good.
All People Kin.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Thursday, August 20, 2009
What Must Be Done
Richard Collier wrote:
> Capitalism in any form won't cut it -- it's like termites on a
> rotting log . . . they will eat and eat and eat, until there's
> nothing left and then they starve to death.
Your point about termites needs to be taken into consideration.
To think that the human species has been no superior in ecological intellect
to the termite, increasingly throughout its tenure. reaching the zenith (or
more accurately nadir) of the "selfish gene", as some call it, in its
manifestation through Capitalism, at the same time being the most successful
(I argue that it was Western Technological Civilization raping virgin
landscapes) and the most destructive form of human economic organization.
True socialism has not really been tried, although critics of "Communist"
regimes really have not studied the assiduous efforts made in many countries
to stay true to their ideals of "scientific socialism" and not given credit
where credit was due. I'm not going to write at length in defense of such
experiments. My assessment of their "failure" is related to many factors.
One was a relatively limited resource base as compared to the so-called
"free world". A second reason, was that they were trying to build a new
social/economic system from a dysfunctional one. A third reason for their
"failure" was that their modus operandi (the history of the human race, and
inter-specifically much if not most of the animal "kingdom") was violence.
Once you are forced into such a trajectory and you adopt it as part of your
strategy it is hard, if not impossible, to re-establish your mission without
it. The same is true for Obama and his inheritance of colonialism, genocide,
slavery, anti-Communism, and pro-Capitalist Economic Hegemony. (The same is
true for the perceived or real need to walk out the door and turn the
ignition on the biggest blunder that the human race ever made and its
concomitant half-century to century of sprawl, the personal automobile. It
is absolutely essential that the leader of the USA have a talk about the
fossil fuel realities and the need to adjust lifestyles immediately (don't
drive unless you absolutely have to)... and the need to commit to a 20 to 40
year plan to reduce the use of the personal automobile by 80%. This is very
doable and will create so many jobs that we will have to dedicate tremendous
organizational and educational resources to equitably engage the labor
supply and meet the work demand).
An eye for an eye and the whole world is blind. The next leader (assuming
so-called Taliban is an organization and not a culture) that takes a violent
hit needs to scream the teachings of Jesus about "turning the other cheek"
and "loving your 'enemies'".
Remember, too, that Islam is the faith of the oppressed.
Capitalism is very irrational in the ways and means that it allocates
resources. There is no free market, I guess that is the absurdist point of
the "free socialists". We will not work our way out of the impending tragedy
of the human race with "invisible hands"...
Somehow, we must convey these truths to every person on this planet.
A Plan and Implement economy based on a humane mission and principles is the
answer. A Speculation, Risk and Return Economy is fundamentally corrupt.
The role of markets is for trade. As long as the Social Darwinism of
Competitive Advantage suffocates the survival instincts and needs of
comparative advantage and the humane aspect of sharing, then we all will be
the losers.
Obama is the most important person on this planet, because his trajectory is
the most destructive, the most fundamentally wrong. Someone please get these
messages to the youth.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
> Capitalism in any form won't cut it -- it's like termites on a
> rotting log . . . they will eat and eat and eat, until there's
> nothing left and then they starve to death.
Your point about termites needs to be taken into consideration.
To think that the human species has been no superior in ecological intellect
to the termite, increasingly throughout its tenure. reaching the zenith (or
more accurately nadir) of the "selfish gene", as some call it, in its
manifestation through Capitalism, at the same time being the most successful
(I argue that it was Western Technological Civilization raping virgin
landscapes) and the most destructive form of human economic organization.
True socialism has not really been tried, although critics of "Communist"
regimes really have not studied the assiduous efforts made in many countries
to stay true to their ideals of "scientific socialism" and not given credit
where credit was due. I'm not going to write at length in defense of such
experiments. My assessment of their "failure" is related to many factors.
One was a relatively limited resource base as compared to the so-called
"free world". A second reason, was that they were trying to build a new
social/economic system from a dysfunctional one. A third reason for their
"failure" was that their modus operandi (the history of the human race, and
inter-specifically much if not most of the animal "kingdom") was violence.
Once you are forced into such a trajectory and you adopt it as part of your
strategy it is hard, if not impossible, to re-establish your mission without
it. The same is true for Obama and his inheritance of colonialism, genocide,
slavery, anti-Communism, and pro-Capitalist Economic Hegemony. (The same is
true for the perceived or real need to walk out the door and turn the
ignition on the biggest blunder that the human race ever made and its
concomitant half-century to century of sprawl, the personal automobile. It
is absolutely essential that the leader of the USA have a talk about the
fossil fuel realities and the need to adjust lifestyles immediately (don't
drive unless you absolutely have to)... and the need to commit to a 20 to 40
year plan to reduce the use of the personal automobile by 80%. This is very
doable and will create so many jobs that we will have to dedicate tremendous
organizational and educational resources to equitably engage the labor
supply and meet the work demand).
An eye for an eye and the whole world is blind. The next leader (assuming
so-called Taliban is an organization and not a culture) that takes a violent
hit needs to scream the teachings of Jesus about "turning the other cheek"
and "loving your 'enemies'".
Remember, too, that Islam is the faith of the oppressed.
Capitalism is very irrational in the ways and means that it allocates
resources. There is no free market, I guess that is the absurdist point of
the "free socialists". We will not work our way out of the impending tragedy
of the human race with "invisible hands"...
Somehow, we must convey these truths to every person on this planet.
A Plan and Implement economy based on a humane mission and principles is the
answer. A Speculation, Risk and Return Economy is fundamentally corrupt.
The role of markets is for trade. As long as the Social Darwinism of
Competitive Advantage suffocates the survival instincts and needs of
comparative advantage and the humane aspect of sharing, then we all will be
the losers.
Obama is the most important person on this planet, because his trajectory is
the most destructive, the most fundamentally wrong. Someone please get these
messages to the youth.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Capitalism vs. Socialism; and Industrialism
I agree with Richard's assessment that it is Capitalism, the blind to
externalities profit motive system that is driving us towards
extinction.
Of course, the answer is not so simple, so white and black as
Capitalism versus Socialism. The ideal system will be communitarian/
mutualist in a way that does not extinguish entrepreuneurial spirit
and motivation, but is different from Capitalism in that it focuses on
needs and reasonable wants, and encourages the best qualities in all
of us, not the personally and socially debasing characteristics so
rampant in the USA and its Capitalist Empire: greed, opulence,
ostentation, consumerism, immediate gratification, irresponsibility,
the glorification and justification of violence, etc., but instead
focuses on and acts with love and caring of our fellow humans (and
other species) and whose overall libertarian mission focuses on
inclusion, humanity, equity, quality of life, sustainability, and the
resultant peace.
Industrialism also needs to be called into question for its lack of
humanity and for the pockets of excess which are resultant from its
success (kept in the perspective of their raping virgin landscapes and
exploiting, dehumanizing, murdering, and ruining fellow human beings)
which has lead to so much decadence, arrogance, and selfish
irresponsibility towards their fellow men, towards animals and the
environment (they don't seem to grasp the suicidal nature of their
genocidal, ecocidal highways of life) and towards a future for the
youth and children of the planet.
Eschewing industrialism does not eschew industriousness. Unfortunately
the spoils of industrialism, the evolution of a concentrated ownership
class living side to side with a welfare state, has caused great
degeneration in the work ethic of many rich and poor alike. The
reorganization, reallocation, relocalization economic redevelopment
paradigm will recapture the humanity and joy of life if it embraces a
return to artisanship. The cultivation of beauty within ourselves and
in all our environments will go a long way towards realization.
We must fundamentally change the way that we allocate resources to and
within communities, and within and among economic sectors. We can do
this if we can get fundamental consensus that the purpose of our lives
is consistent with a mission of making the world a better place for
our contemporaries and especially for the progeny.
In Peace, Friendship, Solidarity, and Cooperation,
Mike Morin
http://groups.google.com/group/world-unity-and-cooperation
> Richard Robinson wrote:
>
>> In short, it is capitalism that is the ‘fifth horseman’ who drives the
>> four horsemen of our impending environmental apocalypse – global
>> warming, ecosystems collapse, resource depletion and (the disastrously
>> adverse effects of) population growth. Conversely, it is wholly
>> implausible that the motivation for and control over our industrial
>> civilisation will shift away from profitability and radical
>> unsustainability without equally radical political intervention.
>>
>> All in all, I don’t know how far capitalism can be adapted to social
>> and environmental sustainability – given its inherent drive for
>> economic growth, either it or civilisation itself will have to give –
>> but I am quite certain that capitalism is a much more realistic answer
>> than Paul and George’s rather speculative abstractions.
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Richard
>> Fifth Horseman blog:http://richardjrobinson2.blogspot.com/
externalities profit motive system that is driving us towards
extinction.
Of course, the answer is not so simple, so white and black as
Capitalism versus Socialism. The ideal system will be communitarian/
mutualist in a way that does not extinguish entrepreuneurial spirit
and motivation, but is different from Capitalism in that it focuses on
needs and reasonable wants, and encourages the best qualities in all
of us, not the personally and socially debasing characteristics so
rampant in the USA and its Capitalist Empire: greed, opulence,
ostentation, consumerism, immediate gratification, irresponsibility,
the glorification and justification of violence, etc., but instead
focuses on and acts with love and caring of our fellow humans (and
other species) and whose overall libertarian mission focuses on
inclusion, humanity, equity, quality of life, sustainability, and the
resultant peace.
Industrialism also needs to be called into question for its lack of
humanity and for the pockets of excess which are resultant from its
success (kept in the perspective of their raping virgin landscapes and
exploiting, dehumanizing, murdering, and ruining fellow human beings)
which has lead to so much decadence, arrogance, and selfish
irresponsibility towards their fellow men, towards animals and the
environment (they don't seem to grasp the suicidal nature of their
genocidal, ecocidal highways of life) and towards a future for the
youth and children of the planet.
Eschewing industrialism does not eschew industriousness. Unfortunately
the spoils of industrialism, the evolution of a concentrated ownership
class living side to side with a welfare state, has caused great
degeneration in the work ethic of many rich and poor alike. The
reorganization, reallocation, relocalization economic redevelopment
paradigm will recapture the humanity and joy of life if it embraces a
return to artisanship. The cultivation of beauty within ourselves and
in all our environments will go a long way towards realization.
We must fundamentally change the way that we allocate resources to and
within communities, and within and among economic sectors. We can do
this if we can get fundamental consensus that the purpose of our lives
is consistent with a mission of making the world a better place for
our contemporaries and especially for the progeny.
In Peace, Friendship, Solidarity, and Cooperation,
Mike Morin
http://groups.google.com/group/world-unity-and-cooperation
> Richard Robinson wrote:
>
>> In short, it is capitalism that is the ‘fifth horseman’ who drives the
>> four horsemen of our impending environmental apocalypse – global
>> warming, ecosystems collapse, resource depletion and (the disastrously
>> adverse effects of) population growth. Conversely, it is wholly
>> implausible that the motivation for and control over our industrial
>> civilisation will shift away from profitability and radical
>> unsustainability without equally radical political intervention.
>>
>> All in all, I don’t know how far capitalism can be adapted to social
>> and environmental sustainability – given its inherent drive for
>> economic growth, either it or civilisation itself will have to give –
>> but I am quite certain that capitalism is a much more realistic answer
>> than Paul and George’s rather speculative abstractions.
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Richard
>> Fifth Horseman blog:http://richardjrobinson2.blogspot.com/
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Local/Regional Agriculture, Building, & Education
Hi Susan,
It is a pleasure to converse with thee.
The primary source of nitrogen fertilizer is from the air, synthesized by burning, preferably natural gas because it is the petrochemical that burns the cleanest.
I had a seasonal job once delivering fertilizer to mostly dairy farms in Western New England. The alternative source of nitrogen was blood meal (yes, from slaughter houses). Now, we both know about legumes and their nitrogen fixing capabilities and crop rotation, but I'm wondering how that would be applied to organic gardening and extended organic gardening (that is what I call true organic farming). I don't know. Many years ago (about thirty give or take a few), I subscribed to Rodale's Organic Gardening and Farming Magazine (among many others) and had in my posession their Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. I used to know more about such things back then or at least had an excellent reference material at my fingertips.
Corvallis, eh? The Aggie School. Let's put them to work. They have a very healthy "Urban Farm" at the U of O, here in Eugene. But honestly, it is a garden, not a farm.
An interesting story about Corvallis. I almost went to school there for a second Bachelor's degree in Construction Engineering and Management (my first Bachelor's degree was in Environmental Studies. Part of my family comes from the building trades.). But, when I studied the curriculum at OSU, I recognized that it was strictly geared toward "heavy construction" (i.e. roads, bridges, dams, power plants, institutional buildings, large scale development, etc). My interest was along the lines of "light construction" (i.e. passive solar design and construction, retrofitting, carpentry, greenhouses, adapting common community space, solar water heating, etc.). I decided not go, there were other reasons, but that was the primary one.
Instead, I studied Planning and Economics and eventually got a MBA. How many socialists can say the latter?
It would be nice to put Corvallis, Eugene, UC Davis, and the like (AND COOPERATIVE EXTENSION), regional and inter-regional cooperation as favored contrasted with State, to work in helping the transition to a true organic agriculture, rather than an absurd, inhumane, inequitable, and unhealthy agribusiness of today.
Same for the building trades and related industriousness, and our transition to a fundamental demand side management plan with respect to natural resources, particularly fossil fuels, of course coupled with the concerns of inclusion. equity, humanity, quality of life, and yes, peace, elusive peace.
What think?
Mike Morin
Eugene
It is a pleasure to converse with thee.
The primary source of nitrogen fertilizer is from the air, synthesized by burning, preferably natural gas because it is the petrochemical that burns the cleanest.
I had a seasonal job once delivering fertilizer to mostly dairy farms in Western New England. The alternative source of nitrogen was blood meal (yes, from slaughter houses). Now, we both know about legumes and their nitrogen fixing capabilities and crop rotation, but I'm wondering how that would be applied to organic gardening and extended organic gardening (that is what I call true organic farming). I don't know. Many years ago (about thirty give or take a few), I subscribed to Rodale's Organic Gardening and Farming Magazine (among many others) and had in my posession their Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. I used to know more about such things back then or at least had an excellent reference material at my fingertips.
Corvallis, eh? The Aggie School. Let's put them to work. They have a very healthy "Urban Farm" at the U of O, here in Eugene. But honestly, it is a garden, not a farm.
An interesting story about Corvallis. I almost went to school there for a second Bachelor's degree in Construction Engineering and Management (my first Bachelor's degree was in Environmental Studies. Part of my family comes from the building trades.). But, when I studied the curriculum at OSU, I recognized that it was strictly geared toward "heavy construction" (i.e. roads, bridges, dams, power plants, institutional buildings, large scale development, etc). My interest was along the lines of "light construction" (i.e. passive solar design and construction, retrofitting, carpentry, greenhouses, adapting common community space, solar water heating, etc.). I decided not go, there were other reasons, but that was the primary one.
Instead, I studied Planning and Economics and eventually got a MBA. How many socialists can say the latter?
It would be nice to put Corvallis, Eugene, UC Davis, and the like (AND COOPERATIVE EXTENSION), regional and inter-regional cooperation as favored contrasted with State, to work in helping the transition to a true organic agriculture, rather than an absurd, inhumane, inequitable, and unhealthy agribusiness of today.
Same for the building trades and related industriousness, and our transition to a fundamental demand side management plan with respect to natural resources, particularly fossil fuels, of course coupled with the concerns of inclusion. equity, humanity, quality of life, and yes, peace, elusive peace.
What think?
Mike Morin
Eugene
Debunking "Free Socialism", and Human Resource and Other Resource Allocation Issues
Michael,
You are on the right path.
Libertarian socialism, otherwise known as anarcho-syndicalism and mutualism is a much more realistic opportunity than this totally idealistic idea of moneyless, "free-socialism" .
Very true, we need workers whose occupations are often associated with "management" capacities, like resource planners and allocation and economic democracy, inter-community and inter-regional relations faciliators, etc..
In the Ecosocialist model that considers the realities of a finite planet and currently overly competitive world, we need representative councils to make and mediate policies, to educate and inculcate cooperation and other important principles of peace, and local/regional leaders to serve similar functions and to craft and facilitate the implementation of programs and activities that are consistent with the world unity and cooperation "model".
It is not just a matter of workers gaining control of production and distribution, it is also a matter of how resources are allocated to and within communities and within and among economic sectors.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
You are on the right path.
Libertarian socialism, otherwise known as anarcho-syndicalism and mutualism is a much more realistic opportunity than this totally idealistic idea of moneyless, "free-socialism" .
Very true, we need workers whose occupations are often associated with "management" capacities, like resource planners and allocation and economic democracy, inter-community and inter-regional relations faciliators, etc..
In the Ecosocialist model that considers the realities of a finite planet and currently overly competitive world, we need representative councils to make and mediate policies, to educate and inculcate cooperation and other important principles of peace, and local/regional leaders to serve similar functions and to craft and facilitate the implementation of programs and activities that are consistent with the world unity and cooperation "model".
It is not just a matter of workers gaining control of production and distribution, it is also a matter of how resources are allocated to and within communities and within and among economic sectors.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Resource and Regional Planning, The Great Grandfather of Regional Planning
True enough, BUT the Capitalist cabals DO plan, and they plan poorly, look at the National (and State) and Municipal Highway and Road systems and their concomitant water, fuel pipeline, sewer and electrical systems, etc.
In other words, all the ugly, irrational, ecocidal, leading to genocidal and suicidal sprawl was PLANNED!!!
By Capitalists who had only economic interests of themselves and their bourgeois minions in mind, and based on totally mindless assumptions of unending fossil fuel supplies and the endless automobile age.
You all should go back and read, "The New Exploration" by Benton MacKaye, written in 1928. If the "powers that were be" had heeded Mr. Mackaye's lessons and had we implemented a socialist system, we all would be in much, much, much, much, much, much, much... better place relative to resource planning and allocation and the USA's impact on the future of the world/planet.
It is a concise book, and not PHDish at all as Mr. Foster's books appear to be...
I highly recommend it as essential. Astute folks refer to MacKaye as "the Father of Regional Planning" for good reason.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
(aka PaChe)
In other words, all the ugly, irrational, ecocidal, leading to genocidal and suicidal sprawl was PLANNED!!!
By Capitalists who had only economic interests of themselves and their bourgeois minions in mind, and based on totally mindless assumptions of unending fossil fuel supplies and the endless automobile age.
You all should go back and read, "The New Exploration" by Benton MacKaye, written in 1928. If the "powers that were be" had heeded Mr. Mackaye's lessons and had we implemented a socialist system, we all would be in much, much, much, much, much, much, much... better place relative to resource planning and allocation and the USA's impact on the future of the world/planet.
It is a concise book, and not PHDish at all as Mr. Foster's books appear to be...
I highly recommend it as essential. Astute folks refer to MacKaye as "the Father of Regional Planning" for good reason.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
(aka PaChe)
In Response to Recent EU Elections
Don't be discouraged.
The Capitalist Parties bought the elections with their money and distortions of truth, and propaganda.
The biggest number is the 48% non-participation.
The "left" is not a party of political sham democracy, remember that. It is a movement of economic democracy. Education of the abstenders and your voting supporters, and the ignorant, about the liberatian/syndicalist/mutualist aspects of ecosocialism is your calling.
Remember, the environment is each and every individual and her/his relationship to their environment. The environment is not an issue, it is THE issue.
Reorganize the economy and a new political order will manifest itself. We don't need their damn puppet parliaments, we don't need their puppet adminstrations, we don't need their Fascist military and police states, we need each other, all of us, working together to build world unity and cooperation on the principles of inclusion, humanity, equity, quality of life, sustainability, and peace.
We offer hope for the youth and children of the world. The Capitalist and their sham democracies, and their sham economic indicators, do not.
Keep working at it.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
The Capitalist Parties bought the elections with their money and distortions of truth, and propaganda.
The biggest number is the 48% non-participation.
The "left" is not a party of political sham democracy, remember that. It is a movement of economic democracy. Education of the abstenders and your voting supporters, and the ignorant, about the liberatian/syndicalist/mutualist aspects of ecosocialism is your calling.
Remember, the environment is each and every individual and her/his relationship to their environment. The environment is not an issue, it is THE issue.
Reorganize the economy and a new political order will manifest itself. We don't need their damn puppet parliaments, we don't need their puppet adminstrations, we don't need their Fascist military and police states, we need each other, all of us, working together to build world unity and cooperation on the principles of inclusion, humanity, equity, quality of life, sustainability, and peace.
We offer hope for the youth and children of the world. The Capitalist and their sham democracies, and their sham economic indicators, do not.
Keep working at it.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Coal, Resource Limits, Micro and Macro Strategies
>Perhaps we're already on the precipice with coal,and just don't know it yet...
Of course we are...
How much coal do you think is in the ground?
Do you have any idea, how much we use on a daily basis?
Travel through Montana by bus, and maybe you'll see the seemingly endless coal trains taking out the dirty, less efficient black stuff going to the power plants and industrial applications further east. Go see how much they're taking out daily.
And the environmental destruction? First, the trees are all clear cut, and for what purpose? Then, mountain top, and mountain side removal. Have you ever been to West Virginia and environs and seen the acid mine drainage pollution of the rivers?
All for what?
To fuel a very brief inane, insane period of transient greed driven opulence and ostentation?
Fundamental, radical, demand side management needs to be the plan. I wish you all would get with me on that. This hippie BS about back to the earth on self-sufficient homesteads, while developing very useful survival strategies that you can teach and be of help to many others, is not in and of itself a survival strategy. You will perish with the rest of us.. It is important that we all work together as a united world, united regions, united communities or the very worst of the doomsayers' prophecies will engulf us all.
So, come on, individualism is fine within the context of community and world humanity, but ONLY within that context.
- "An individual has not stated living until he or she can rise above the narrow confines of his or her individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of humanity."
- Dr. Martin Luther Kin, Jr.
-"The essence of socialism is to take as one's criterion the collective interests and the interests of the individual and to judge every word and every action by this criterion"
- Chairman Mao Tse-Tung
The environment is each and every individual on the palnet and her/his relationship to their environment. The environment is not an issue. It is THE issue.
- Mike Morin
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperat ion, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Eugene, OR
Of course we are...
How much coal do you think is in the ground?
Do you have any idea, how much we use on a daily basis?
Travel through Montana by bus, and maybe you'll see the seemingly endless coal trains taking out the dirty, less efficient black stuff going to the power plants and industrial applications further east. Go see how much they're taking out daily.
And the environmental destruction? First, the trees are all clear cut, and for what purpose? Then, mountain top, and mountain side removal. Have you ever been to West Virginia and environs and seen the acid mine drainage pollution of the rivers?
All for what?
To fuel a very brief inane, insane period of transient greed driven opulence and ostentation?
Fundamental, radical, demand side management needs to be the plan. I wish you all would get with me on that. This hippie BS about back to the earth on self-sufficient homesteads, while developing very useful survival strategies that you can teach and be of help to many others, is not in and of itself a survival strategy. You will perish with the rest of us.. It is important that we all work together as a united world, united regions, united communities or the very worst of the doomsayers' prophecies will engulf us all.
So, come on, individualism is fine within the context of community and world humanity, but ONLY within that context.
- "An individual has not stated living until he or she can rise above the narrow confines of his or her individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of humanity."
- Dr. Martin Luther Kin, Jr.
-"The essence of socialism is to take as one's criterion the collective interests and the interests of the individual and to judge every word and every action by this criterion"
- Chairman Mao Tse-Tung
The environment is each and every individual on the palnet and her/his relationship to their environment. The environment is not an issue. It is THE issue.
- Mike Morin
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperat ion, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Eugene, OR
Friday, August 7, 2009
Letter to "Funders for Sustainability"
Dana,
Just got finished watching "The Story of Stuff". Annie Leonard did an excellent job. Thank you for your contribution to the funding of this short film. I have made a small donation in support.
Apparently, the short is getting much viewership, hopefully it is not exclusively "preaching to the choir". Fundamental behavior change is essential to any hope that we have towards achieving sustainability in our communities and our world.
But awareness and behavior change of "consumers" is not enough. We must regain our humanity and we must radically alter our economic relations. Such will be extremely difficult because the Capitalist Growth Machine has centuries of momentum which has accelerated drastically in the last generation. The tragic growth pradigm of an economic system is one that eschews the reality of a finite planet, that eschews the teachings of ecology, that eschews the true needs of the majority of the people on the planet, and eschews environmental/public health and humanity towards people/workers and other living things.
We need a fundamental paradigm shift to an EcoSocialist Economy based on the principles of inclusion, equity, humanity, quality of life (in lieu of standard of living), sustainability, and peace. We need to radically rearrange the way resources are allocated to and within communities and among and within economic sectors. Such a "plan and implement economy" would have the neighborhood as a locus and work assiduously to develop and maintain inter-community, inter-regional, and world cooperation and unity. A strategy of ecological economic redevelopment would be employed and realized. In the United States a goal of walkable neighborhorhoods, reversing a century of sprawl, by reducing automobile usage by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years, rebuilding neighborhoods/town and village centers (or building the latter in many cases) and reallocating the production and distribution of goods and services so that almost all can get what they need within walking distance of their homes.
I have attached a paper entitles "Restructuring Our Financial System" which proposes an alternative to the current dominant paradigm. Please take a look at this.
I would greatly appreciate your feedback on this letter and the attachment. I would be very glad to share more of my work with you. I have a 25 page concise, comprehensive plan that you may want to look at. Please do not hesitate to request this, or to communicate with me on any issue or concern related to this communication.
I am not seeking funding, I am seeking exposure for my ideas. To whatever extent we can collaborate would be of great interest to me.
Thank you.
I hope to "hear" from you soon.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Eugene, OR
(541) 343-3808
Just got finished watching "The Story of Stuff". Annie Leonard did an excellent job. Thank you for your contribution to the funding of this short film. I have made a small donation in support.
Apparently, the short is getting much viewership, hopefully it is not exclusively "preaching to the choir". Fundamental behavior change is essential to any hope that we have towards achieving sustainability in our communities and our world.
But awareness and behavior change of "consumers" is not enough. We must regain our humanity and we must radically alter our economic relations. Such will be extremely difficult because the Capitalist Growth Machine has centuries of momentum which has accelerated drastically in the last generation. The tragic growth pradigm of an economic system is one that eschews the reality of a finite planet, that eschews the teachings of ecology, that eschews the true needs of the majority of the people on the planet, and eschews environmental/public health and humanity towards people/workers and other living things.
We need a fundamental paradigm shift to an EcoSocialist Economy based on the principles of inclusion, equity, humanity, quality of life (in lieu of standard of living), sustainability, and peace. We need to radically rearrange the way resources are allocated to and within communities and among and within economic sectors. Such a "plan and implement economy" would have the neighborhood as a locus and work assiduously to develop and maintain inter-community, inter-regional, and world cooperation and unity. A strategy of ecological economic redevelopment would be employed and realized. In the United States a goal of walkable neighborhorhoods, reversing a century of sprawl, by reducing automobile usage by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years, rebuilding neighborhoods/town and village centers (or building the latter in many cases) and reallocating the production and distribution of goods and services so that almost all can get what they need within walking distance of their homes.
I have attached a paper entitles "Restructuring Our Financial System" which proposes an alternative to the current dominant paradigm. Please take a look at this.
I would greatly appreciate your feedback on this letter and the attachment. I would be very glad to share more of my work with you. I have a 25 page concise, comprehensive plan that you may want to look at. Please do not hesitate to request this, or to communicate with me on any issue or concern related to this communication.
I am not seeking funding, I am seeking exposure for my ideas. To whatever extent we can collaborate would be of great interest to me.
Thank you.
I hope to "hear" from you soon.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Eugene, OR
(541) 343-3808
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Polemics with Poland
Hi Walter,
Good to hear from you.
If you think you're "talking to a brick wall" then I think you are rebuilding the "iron curtain".
>You wrote:
>1. I am not Capitalist lover, but WW2 and Cold War were finished with REAL VICTORIES against the worst threats in human history. Writing word >victory with quotation marks you offended millions of victims of these regimes. It does not matter, that you intended to step against capitalism.
My reply:
What is it about you that you think that you speak for millions, when you say I "offend"?
My intention is to offend no one.
When you have such insanity as War, and WWII, probably had to be the most insane, nobuddy's right because EVERYBUDDY is wrong.
>VK:
>2. Age of Empires returns again and again. This is the nature of human mind. Mankind always compete for some kind of wealth. You will not >change it. First, people have to change their minds. Otherwise, you will see only a terror of moralists, forcing people to act ethically, etc.
That is a self-fulfilling prophecy, a cop-out, showing a lack of commitment, a lack of ethics, and excuse me if I offend thee, cowardice.
>VK
>3. Is the mass social objection possible? Well, I have seen this in 1980 and in a less scale in 1989 in Poland with Solidarity Movement. But it was >opposition against oppressive regime.
Mass social objection occurred in the USA in the 60's and 70's. You know about oppression in Poland, I know about oppression in the USA. I'm not certain, why the USA doesn't rise up against their own oppression of the rest of the world, probably because we are dealing with the Johnson/Reagan/Clinton/Bush/Lincoln/Davis/Kennedy/McCain/Obama Fascism where they feel safe back here in "the State(s)", are the beneficiaries of such Fascism, or are lead to believe that it benefits them, because they have been taught not to think, other than what will they consume next...
By the way, Lech Walesa is on record for having said that it was a huge mistake to form an alliance with Ronald Reagan and the Capitalist World.
>VK wrote:
>4. Your previous message: if you are such a great fan of Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro why don't you go and live in Venezuela or Cuba? Well, living >in this evil Capitalism is probably the only opportunity of doing and writing freely what you want, without fear. It is not easy to leave high quality life
> to show real devotion to ideology.
You are a victim of Capitalist Imperialist Propaganda. For the matter, I would have moved to Venezuela or Cuba, two years ago, if I had been fluent in Spanish.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Good to hear from you.
If you think you're "talking to a brick wall" then I think you are rebuilding the "iron curtain".
>You wrote:
>1. I am not Capitalist lover, but WW2 and Cold War were finished with REAL VICTORIES against the worst threats in human history. Writing word >victory with quotation marks you offended millions of victims of these regimes. It does not matter, that you intended to step against capitalism.
My reply:
What is it about you that you think that you speak for millions, when you say I "offend"?
My intention is to offend no one.
When you have such insanity as War, and WWII, probably had to be the most insane, nobuddy's right because EVERYBUDDY is wrong.
>VK:
>2. Age of Empires returns again and again. This is the nature of human mind. Mankind always compete for some kind of wealth. You will not >change it. First, people have to change their minds. Otherwise, you will see only a terror of moralists, forcing people to act ethically, etc.
That is a self-fulfilling prophecy, a cop-out, showing a lack of commitment, a lack of ethics, and excuse me if I offend thee, cowardice.
>VK
>3. Is the mass social objection possible? Well, I have seen this in 1980 and in a less scale in 1989 in Poland with Solidarity Movement. But it was >opposition against oppressive regime.
Mass social objection occurred in the USA in the 60's and 70's. You know about oppression in Poland, I know about oppression in the USA. I'm not certain, why the USA doesn't rise up against their own oppression of the rest of the world, probably because we are dealing with the Johnson/Reagan/Clinton/Bush/Lincoln/Davis/Kennedy/McCain/Obama Fascism where they feel safe back here in "the State(s)", are the beneficiaries of such Fascism, or are lead to believe that it benefits them, because they have been taught not to think, other than what will they consume next...
By the way, Lech Walesa is on record for having said that it was a huge mistake to form an alliance with Ronald Reagan and the Capitalist World.
>VK wrote:
>4. Your previous message: if you are such a great fan of Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro why don't you go and live in Venezuela or Cuba? Well, living >in this evil Capitalism is probably the only opportunity of doing and writing freely what you want, without fear. It is not easy to leave high quality life
> to show real devotion to ideology.
You are a victim of Capitalist Imperialist Propaganda. For the matter, I would have moved to Venezuela or Cuba, two years ago, if I had been fluent in Spanish.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
The Demise of Supply Side Economics
I think that what we are seeing is not just the bursting of the housing bubble, but the bursting of the entire supply-side economics paradigm, by a couple of generations of Capitalists who thought that they were infallible, in good part because of their "victories" in WW2 and the Cold War and were riding a wave of ASSUMED success.
The presumption of success had momentum and affected the business culture to the point that credit and equity flowed freely and foolishly.
Now, reality is setting in. Over-supply side economics cutting its own throat by paying no attention to how their worldwide dominance of financing low wage Capitalism, a race to the bottom for the working class, was undermining effective demand for their over-supply of low quality, of marginal utility junk. The over-extension of credit "helped" for awhile, at least until all the overly materialistic fools had filled their over-priced luxury and common-place homes with a plethora of unnecessary toys, including those gas gluttonous opulent ostentations in their driveways. Then the bills came due and the over-supply economy was so over-supplied and credit so maxed out that it ceased to be able to grease the wheel of the assumed insatiable wants economy.
The price of gasoline and other fossil fuel products contributed in helping to weaken effective demand for what would have to be seen as an impossible continuation of mindless commerce.
In order to sustain wealth, people have to produce items of value. Other than the computer industry, it's all been speculation, more speculation, more speculation, more speculation, fueled by greed and accelerated by foolish arrogance.
We need a fundamental paradigm shift in resource allocation, an alternative that would target the needs of people and not the profits of the few (which they will find increasingly impossible to realize). We need to change the way that resources are allocated to and within communities and among and within economic sectors.
A Plan and Implement Economy is the only answer to the perilous problems facing a world of resource scarcity and concomitant rising tensions.
I invite your responses and will forward them to this group, if appropriate.
Thank you.
In Peace, Friendship, Solidarity, and Cooperation,
Mike Morin
The presumption of success had momentum and affected the business culture to the point that credit and equity flowed freely and foolishly.
Now, reality is setting in. Over-supply side economics cutting its own throat by paying no attention to how their worldwide dominance of financing low wage Capitalism, a race to the bottom for the working class, was undermining effective demand for their over-supply of low quality, of marginal utility junk. The over-extension of credit "helped" for awhile, at least until all the overly materialistic fools had filled their over-priced luxury and common-place homes with a plethora of unnecessary toys, including those gas gluttonous opulent ostentations in their driveways. Then the bills came due and the over-supply economy was so over-supplied and credit so maxed out that it ceased to be able to grease the wheel of the assumed insatiable wants economy.
The price of gasoline and other fossil fuel products contributed in helping to weaken effective demand for what would have to be seen as an impossible continuation of mindless commerce.
In order to sustain wealth, people have to produce items of value. Other than the computer industry, it's all been speculation, more speculation, more speculation, more speculation, fueled by greed and accelerated by foolish arrogance.
We need a fundamental paradigm shift in resource allocation, an alternative that would target the needs of people and not the profits of the few (which they will find increasingly impossible to realize). We need to change the way that resources are allocated to and within communities and among and within economic sectors.
A Plan and Implement Economy is the only answer to the perilous problems facing a world of resource scarcity and concomitant rising tensions.
I invite your responses and will forward them to this group, if appropriate.
Thank you.
In Peace, Friendship, Solidarity, and Cooperation,
Mike Morin
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Ecosocialist Plan Available
By now, some of you may have received the 25 page document regarding the Ecological Economic Redevelopment Plan that I have been forwarding to interested parties within the last month.
If you have not taken the time to request the document, or have not yet read it, please try to find the time and do so. It is important.
The plan deals with matters of utmost importance, especially to our youth and children. It is a mission of that elusive world peace, which with mans' grace could be achieved in a time that we can communicate like never before. Yet, at the same time we are on a precarious precipice or downslope in human civilization with respect to scare natural and economic resources and building tensions because of such.
A Plan that puts inclusion, equity, humanity, quality of life, and sustainability as the basic pillars of a plan and implement modus operandi, a plan that addresses the needs of people, not profits for the few, a plan that presents a fundamental and solid alternative to the current failed Capitalist Financial system, is the remedy that we need.
Such is the document that you should consider.
I am asking you all to participate. I am asking for your feedback. Let's all try to work together to make a new era possible. Of course, some will have disagreements. For those of us that ascribe to the fundamental mission and principles, let's work those out. Let's discuss how we can become the dominant paradigm, and how we can implement the changes that would benefit everyone, especially the youth and children.
The fossil fuel age is winding down, yet we have become so tragically dependent upon those resources. Conservation and demand side management is the key. If we don't commit to such and begin very soon to plan and implement an alternative economy, then there is little hope for the progeny of the planet. But, we still may have time.
What can we do?
What do you suggest?
Please don't delay in joining the discourse.
Thank you.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
If you have not taken the time to request the document, or have not yet read it, please try to find the time and do so. It is important.
The plan deals with matters of utmost importance, especially to our youth and children. It is a mission of that elusive world peace, which with mans' grace could be achieved in a time that we can communicate like never before. Yet, at the same time we are on a precarious precipice or downslope in human civilization with respect to scare natural and economic resources and building tensions because of such.
A Plan that puts inclusion, equity, humanity, quality of life, and sustainability as the basic pillars of a plan and implement modus operandi, a plan that addresses the needs of people, not profits for the few, a plan that presents a fundamental and solid alternative to the current failed Capitalist Financial system, is the remedy that we need.
Such is the document that you should consider.
I am asking you all to participate. I am asking for your feedback. Let's all try to work together to make a new era possible. Of course, some will have disagreements. For those of us that ascribe to the fundamental mission and principles, let's work those out. Let's discuss how we can become the dominant paradigm, and how we can implement the changes that would benefit everyone, especially the youth and children.
The fossil fuel age is winding down, yet we have become so tragically dependent upon those resources. Conservation and demand side management is the key. If we don't commit to such and begin very soon to plan and implement an alternative economy, then there is little hope for the progeny of the planet. But, we still may have time.
What can we do?
What do you suggest?
Please don't delay in joining the discourse.
Thank you.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
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