A different piece of the puzzle: a few weeks back I read an interview with this woman whose eclectic background ranges from linguistics (she is fluent in seven languages) to ecology, & who advocates localization instead of globalization. I ordered her book *Ancient Futures: Lessons from Ladakh for a Globalizing World* (1991, 2009), & fortunately it came about three days before our departure from Santiago (my intention was for it to be my main vacation reading). Ill report on the book more when I am further into it. In the meantime, this is one TED talk worthy of your attention. Globalization simply isnt working for the worlds ordinary people. It emphasizes imports-exports, foreign investment, free trade whether necessary or wanted or not, & ultimately empowers leviathan corporations at the expense of everyone else, not just middle classes within a single culture (e.g., the U.S.) but native cultures all around the world whom, one would presume, would prefer to live as they see fit. Some have been thriving for thousands of years (e.g., the Ladakhi which form Norberg-Hodges primary case study). Globalization is a primary cause of our present redistribution-of-wealth upwards. Far from being a natural evolutionary development it is basically being pushed by a few thousand people who either expect to profit from it (corporations) & hope to increase their power from it (governments). I think Norberg-Hodge, like most concerned writers, scholars, activists, etc., underestimates how hard it is going to be to dislodge the superelite, but they offer important suggestions for whose wonder, Okay, what do we do? This video explains what localization is all about, & how it can rebuild a healthier & more prosperous world. This is definitely Fifth Stage Thinking! Watch, listen, learn!
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 19:47:50 +0000
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