From: Dale McMillen <dmcmillen@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: alt.politics.greens
Date: 22 Jan 93 20:05 PST
Subject: PROBLEMS WITH CURRENT SYSTEM
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1678600158:000:3005
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!dmcmillen    Jan 22 20:05:00 1993


In the midst of fending off criticisms about Green ideas for sustainable
communities, I thought it would be interesting to see what people think
is wrong with the current "system".  In some ways these criticisms sound
a little like Jesus' admonition that one should concern himself with the
the "log in his own eye before worrying about the speck in his neighbor's
eye".
 
So, what do we think is wrong with the current "system"?
 
I will let others discuss the environmental and social problems but for
me, I see the current system is fatally flawed in what it claims to do
best.  It claims to bring wealth and success to all, at least in some
trickle down fashion.  But consider the facts:
 
= The U.S. Federal Debt of $4 Trillion is about four times the current
  Federal Budget and current deficits are higher than the interest payment
  on this debt and it continues to grow.  This translates to about $16,000
  debt for every U.S. citizen.
 
= States and Cities are also carrying a very high debt, and many of them
  have had serious budget crises in the last few years.
 
= During the last ten years, many corporations have either failed, been
  bought out, or assumed a level of debt which makes their current cash
  position very precarious.
 
= Individuals have also increased their level of debt, though recently
  there seems to be some signs of this trend turning.
 
= Common wisdom (I don't have the actual facts) consider that 50% of
  new businesses fail within the first year and 95% fail within the
  first five years.
 
= Third World Countries or Less Developed Countries assume very high
  levels of debt as soon as they begin to "modernize" and wish to become
  participants in world trade.
 
= Germany and Japan, the other economic powers of the world, are also
  having very difficult economic times recently.
 
Some folks who defend the current system will claim these problems are
not all that bad, or just part of regular economic cycles.  But others,
myself included, believe that these indicate that something is seriously
wrong with the current "system".  The side affects of these situations
includes the destruction of rain forests and old growth forests, the rise
in infact mortality and the failure to address children's and women's
needs, the displacement of indigenous peoples, and the continuous tendency
to fight wars.
 
I am not about to claim that intentional communities will provide the
solutions to all that ails us, but I think it is necessary for those
who criticize our ideas and support the current system to consider 
these issues carefully.
 
Sustainability is not only environmental and not only social, it is
also economic sustainability, and I fear that our current system is
very close to failing in a very large way.  I hope and pray that
President Clinton will be able to fix these problems by making
adjustments to the current system, but it appears these problems
are so endemic as to make this unlikely (and I think Clinton fears
the same).
 
Dale