On 15 Oct 96, Richard K. Moore wrote excerpts from his book
On 16 Oct 96, David Wolsk, after reading several replies to RK Moore's piece
felt like writing his first comments for this network.
Much of what you wrote fits in wqith my own take on the events that have led
to the world today. I am not a historian. Although my PhD is in
physiological psychology, much of the last 30 of my 66 years have been spent
trying to reduce the negative effects of the narrow disciplinary
indoctrinations one receives in today's universities. Some of the outcomes
of this were represented by the supposedly cute responses to your piece.
As an ex-American, with 10 years of Scandinavian living and work with Unesco
and Education International in Africa mostly, I have been deeply troubled by
the consistent pattern of USA policy/actions which you so well summarized.
Some years ago, at an international education conference in Hawaii, Johan
Galtung, the father of peace research, gave the keynote address. It was his
quite detailed analysis and synthesis of USA and Japan over the last 150
years. His scenario was of approaching war between them but with a
potential sub-scenario of what's needed to prevent that happening. Much of
what he outlined was similar to your reading of events and their underlying
dynamics.
At any rate, my purpose was to offer compliments, let you hear from one
admirer, and ask: what do we do about it? Personally, I sense there is a
growing backlash from the pace and singleminded survival-of-the-fittest
(meaning wealthy) mentality of the Megacorps Minions. Yesterday also
brought an email announcement of TOES 97 (The Alternative Economic Summit).
David Wolsk
Victoria, BC Canada (too close for comfort)