From: ladasky@netcom.com (John J. Ladasky II)
Subject: Re: Community based economy?
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 07:38:52 GMT

In article <1678600009@igc.apc.org>,
Dale McMillen <dmcmillen@igc.apc.org> writes:
>[discussion of community-based economics deleted] 
> 
>Having stated the benefits of community based economics, it seems the
>primary objection is that people seem to like to relate and do business
>over a wide geographic area, because, I guess, they are used to it and
>it has been so glamorized.  Perhaps, this is because they are not aware
>of any alternative?  Perhaps, they don't know what they are missing?
>Perhaps, they are denial over being "victimized by the system"?
>(see earlier response).

	Well, let me provide a personal example.  The Platform of the 
Green Party of California calls for aggressive development of alternate-
energy technologies, and contains an entire plank devoted exclusively to
the treatment and prevention of AIDS.  I work for a biotech company that
manufactures reagents and equipment used in HIV diagnosis and monitoring.
We have three serious competitors worldwide, and all of them are diversi-
fied into other biological diagnostic markets in order to stay afloat.
In other words, a company like mine has no choice but to be a participant
in a global market.  I would expect that many useful alternate-energy 
technologies will be just as specialized.  Therefore, in order to fulfill
provisions of the platform of the Green Party of California, it will be
necessary for some transnational business entities to exist.  Not 
everything is as easy to make as bread.

>So, what should Green Party policy be on working towards community
>based economics?  First of all, let me say what it is not.  It is
>not about outlawing cars, telephones, communications satelites and
>trading securities on overseas markets.  Our goal is not to be
>absolutist or to "protect a Luddite vision from people's free will."
>Our goal, however, is to build alternatives, and by so building
>to demonstrate the irresistable logic and personal satisfaction
>which can come from community based economics.
> 

	I'm glad to see that Dale believes that community-based economics
should be offered and encouraged, not enforced.  I grow some of my own
tomatoes on the balcony at my condo, and I can tell you, I wish all of 
my food was grown locally.  However, I'm not willing to run my whole life
locally (witness Usenet).

	In another thread, on development, I mentioned a philosopher/
architect by the name of Paolo Soleri.  In his many books, he discusses
what he calls "the urban effect," a condition of complexity and miniaturi-
zation that results from the close interaction of human beings in a city.
To me, this is a highly-desirable and even necessary condition for the
future of the human race.  I look forward to working out a plan that will
synthesize community-based economics and the urban effect with my fellow
Greens.

	P.S. Dale, where's Region 11 of GPUSA?  Do you have any online
information about GPUSA?

-- 
== John J. Ladasky II ("ii") ========================= ladasky@netcom.COM ==
"Great composers do not borrow -	     "Talking about music is like
 they steal."  - John Ladasky	      ~ -     dancing about architecture."
(quote stolen from Stravinsky, who    o o     - Elvis Costello?  Laurie
 stole it from a statement made by     >        Anderson?  Frank Zappa?
 Pablo Picasso about painting, who    \_/    -------------------------------
 stole it from...)			     "Property is theft." - Groucho
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