[quote=Travlin]1 – Most people have a vested interest in the current system, and have deeply internalized it. They like it.
2 – The aware people are consumed by preparing for the storm while working and raising families.
3 – We haven’t suffered enough to understand the problems viscerally, and have the motivation to try to change.
4 – No one (or group) is smart enough to create a theoretical model that will function well in real life. Healthy human organizations grow organically out of living. The hard experience of bad times will be necessary to make the needed decisions, and win wide acceptance to make them stick. People must see the changes as vital and rewarding based on their daily lives.
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Well said, Travlin.
[quote=txgirl69]I’m in with Travlin and Sager,
Let’s talk it out and see where it leads. I like your thinking…
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But let’s do it on a new thread. This one has veered far enough. We should give Mr. Rubino his own space for comments on his fine interview.
Travlin
Folks,Thxs for the comments & suggestions. I don’t know how to set up a seperate thread but I’m happy to do so. Since it will cover a potentially broad range of topics I have a couple of ideas on how it might be structured and will talk to the webmaster to see if these are feasible.
Look fwd to your participation.
Max
"…With no time to mourn for their missing loved ones, they were immediately thrust into the struggle to stay alive in the frigid winter cold, amid a hushed, apocalyptic landscape of wrecked homes, crushed vehicles and stranded boats. They had scant food and fuel and no news from the outside world — not even the scope of the devastation.
On Wednesday, after the Japanese military finally reached them for the first time since the tsunami struck 12 days ago, by erecting makeshift bridges and cutting roads through the debris, they told a remarkable tale of survival that drew uniquely on the tight bonds of their once-tidy village, having quickly reorganized themselves roughly along the lines of their original community: choosing leaders, assigning tasks and helping the young and the weak.
The ability of the people of Hadenya to survive by banding together in a way so exemplary of Japan’s communal spirit and organizing abilities is a story being repeated day to day across the ravaged northern coastline, where the deadly earthquake and tsunami left survivors fending for themselves in isolated pockets. Some are still awaiting relief. …"
In the near term these people will get help from the government - long term the massive investment of ‘make work’ projects that the Japanese government initiated in this region over the past 25 years will likely not be rebuilt. National priorities will likely prevent it and they will once again be left to largely fend for themselves.
A lot of what John said makes sense to me, but have to take issue with one of his closing points. I know that “smaller government” is a very popular mantra these days, but I believe it is concept that is being carried forward without merrit, and pushed by the very people who want to run roughshod over the rest of us. Anyone with a half a brain that did not profit from the wild excesses in unregulated behavior by the banking industry (most of us) that brought us to the current economic situation understands that giving greedy capitalists a free ticket to do whatever they want is a ticket to disaster. Corporations have no moral or ethical obligations. Their only motivation is to generate more profits. That is exactly what happened in the economic meltdown. That is what is happening in many places across the planet where pollution and unsafe environments are overlooked to expedite increasing profits. Greed and corruption go hand in hand with unregulated capitalism. Drug companies bypass critical safety checks and equipment maintainence to keep the products rolling out-even when they know the products are tainted. The examples are limitless. No regulation means a free for all with our lives, our economy, our health - all in the name of more profits.
We need good regulations, strongly enforced.