I, too, get a fair sampling of perspectives from other parts of the world
(echoing Diane). The view from Eastern Madagascar vis a vis globalization
and domination is pretty grim, as is the social dissolution that it
affords, for one example. At least Colin Powell can say that the best way
to fight terrorism to to fight poverty, but look who he is working for=-=
and mind you, he would be kicked out of his job with strong public support
if he suggested that American reduce their engergy consumption by 50%
or that we institute trade policies that favored, for example, Malaysia
or Argentina, not to mention Nigeria or Ceylon. A peek 20 miles south of
where I am writing from would tell the same sorry story.
Bur re myopia. vis a vis the USSR what was clear to some of us was that
the USSR was hopelessly entangled in its own top down, command and control,
secrecy and fear inducing policies. It was close to an act of treason to
make a xerox copy of anything, so clandestince critiques were made in
multiple copies by hand or typewriter. The craziness that resulted when
we started introducting open access internet practices was another symptom.
The annomi was thick enough to be sliced with a bread knife. People in the
subways moved as if in slow motion. The old icons no longer energized, and
no new icons/practices/policies were in place.
Still, when dynamical non-linear systems, which seem to be so stable, flip
states, it happens very rapidly. Forsight is not a human capacity of any
great power, resting as it does on projecting and the assumption of
continuity.
mike
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