From: ian glendinning (psybertron@gmail.com)
Date: Tue Nov 08 2005 - 14:05:20 GMT
When to dive into this thread ? That is the question ....
Marsha, you're right, this is a biggie.
Ant, you're right it's about "drawing connections between issues that
are perceived to be discrete. Draw parallels and make links ..."
Rebecca coined the term "relationism" for what we're about.
It's why I blog - to make connections, parallels and links. It's where
quality of knowledge comes from. Adbusters was (until just a couple of
days ago spookily) a link for over two years in my blog side-bar,
along with Akido-Activism.
However, each to his/her own, but as many of you know I'm
uncomfortable with direct political action, in a philsophical
community, because by definition it actions one thing in this
interlinked whole, and the outcomes are not predictably good.
Handwringing aside, there is precious little to recommend boycotting
exports from developing countries. It's lose-lose for everyone
involved. (And don't forget developing countries and developing to get
somewhere.)
The real thing to continue focussing on is the framework of values
that says big global brand companies are necessarily good. (relative
competitiveness says any local economy will produce what it can more
economically than anyone else, and global markets will say that's
where we will buy them from). We need to instill widely, values that
downplay objective numbers. We in MoQ.org are relatively well placed
to promote this; Let's not miss that advantage, in pursuit of shopping
boycotts anyone can do.
Remember Adam Smith wrote about morals as well as economics.
Make what's useful, buy what's useful.
What's not useful (to anyone except those measuring the size of the
numbers in big brand company accounts, and equity markets) is the
contribution of the big brand company. Buy products of developing
economies through the most direct channels you can find, but don't
stop buying them, except as a more general moderation in unnecessary
consumerism. (If the world stopped being consumers in one big hit,
we'd have a major bloody crisis on our hands for several decades, and
the survivors would be those who can manufacture what they find
useful. Guess who.)
For moral dilemmas of big business management, try this.
http://www.tecnun.es/Crescola/english/activi/2005.htm
You know, I may re-instate my adbusters link.
Ian
On 11/8/05, MarshaV <marshalz@charter.net> wrote:
>
> At 05:46 PM 11/7/2005, Matt asked and Ant asked again:
>
> >What do you think guys (gals)?
>
> I think this thread calls for high quality action. The holy, holy,
> holy thing becomes meaningless in comparison. "If not NOW, when?"
>
> Marsha
>
>
>
>
>
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