Kieth, It took me a few days to digest all the stuff in your reply. Simply put, everything I missed in my original post was elaborated on with a great deal of logic, reason and facts in your reply. You're right about a level playing field (thinking about the school kid and "green" web sites). I also agree with the threat of misinformation. But like you alluded to in your reply, trust is playing a roll in activists on the web, and it contributes to the building of alliances and even a communal atmosphere. ...very promising! Mike Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hi Mike
>Hi everyone, > >I've been receiving emails lately that have given me a burst of >enthusiasm and curiosity about the future. Good for you! >Here are some of the things I've been thinking about. I hope you >don't mind if I use this forum to express myself a little. Feel free, that's what it's for - yes, it's a biofuels forum, but what are biofuels about after all? Rather more to it than just saving a bit of money and how much lye to use. >Today, the political climate is tense. Many people (many in this >forum) see something terribly wrong in our society and they are >responding to it. Picket lines, protests, webblogs and expressions >of civil disobedience are all around us. It is a climate from which >the hippie communes emerged in the 1960's as a reaction to greed and >abuse of political power. I see something similar emerging but, in a >way that is more difficult to define and I think it is mostly due to >the Internet. Yes! Exactly what the 60s freaks (including me) didn't have, and it could have made all the difference. On the other hand, they did make a difference. >In addition to this forum, I belong to other alternative energy, >environmentalist and political activist groups who use the Internet >to form alliances and organize in ways to both change society in the >long term and help allies in the short term. Yes again. We've discussed this a few times in the past in various ways, but the more it's discussed the better, it could hardly be more important, and it's integral to what we're all doing here, whether we realise it or not. Internet networking is the great leveller. The anti-corporate globalisation movement (not "anti-globalisation" as alleged), the worldwide anti-war protests, global opposition to GMOs, to name the most obvious ones, would not exist in their present form without the Internet, working in just the way you describe. These new (or perhaps retreaded) movements are inclined to lose their coherence and direction at times, to mill about in confusion, or so it appears, but that's only to be expected, it's new ground, no road map. There's a lot of discussion and criticism from within the movement(s), often negative and not very constructive, but it all helps, they seem to find their way again with renewed strength and vigour. So, for instance, the famous example, five under-resourced people with PCs working at RAFI (ETC group) took on the mighty Monsanto over its "traitor" Terminator seed technology, and won! (Though RAFI rightly warned that the battle was not over.) Not the only example, there are many others. The opposition's response is usually various forms of disinfo, like the infamous Bivings case concerning Monsanto and maize: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4412987,00.html The fake persuaders Corporations are inventing people to rubbish their opponents on the internet There's more about it in the archives. This is just the tip of the iceberg with this kind of disinfo campaign. It even has a name - "viral marketing" they call it: "An article on its [Bivings] website, entitled Viral Marketing: How to Infect the World [by Andrew Dimock, head of Bivings' online marketing and promotions division], warns that 'there are some campaigns where it would be undesirable or even disastrous to let the audience know that your organisation is directly involved... it simply is not an intelligent PR move. In cases such as this, it is important to first "listen" to what is being said online... Once you are plugged into this world, it is possible to make postings to these outlets that present your position as an uninvolved third party... Perhaps the greatest advantage of viral marketing is that your message is placed into a context where it is more likely to be considered seriously.'" Plenty more examples - see, eg: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/33126/ It seems they can't afford to be honest about it, and probably don't even consider it - just spin, slimy tactics, and, interesting, they get outed. They're not very good at all this. Have a look at this: "... Another picture - how is it that most any schoolkid can make a better and more effective, more influential, website on "green" issues, say, than a massive auto manufacturer can? ("What?? No Flash banner page??? Bad design, hmphh - he's got absolutely no excuse for getting 10 times more hits than we do.") How is it that sinister and sleazy tactics like those of Monsanto via the Bivings group to insinuate corporate trolls into Internet discussion groups get rumbled and backfire on them? Yes, they have a strategy for this, and huge budgets to back it, they hold business seminars on it, but it doesn't work..." -- [Biofuel] Made in China? - Final Thoughts (long), Happy New Year, Over and Out. http://wwia.org/pipermail/biofuel/Week-of-Mon-20041227/004301.html But we go from strength to strength. From another previous message: >I think military superpowers are obsolete. I think any kind of >superpower is obsolete except the "other" one: > >"There may still be two superpowers on the planet: the United States >and world public opinion." - The New York Times > >http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/23479/ > >http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030414&s=schell >The Other Superpower | Jonathan Schell -- [Biofuel] Financial case lost! was: sometimes anger can motivate http://wwia.org/pipermail/biofuel/Week-of-Mon-20050207/005759.html >We've already relied on each other reduce our energy bill, share >information about appropriate technologies and reduce our dependence >on those who don't have our best interests in mind. In the future, >waste vegetable oil and other biofuels, for example, may become a > common fuel for heating low income homes. The knowledge we share >has already caused us to actually make some of the things we need >instead of buying them at places like Walmart. I'm excited about >those who work at Walmart not being coerced into buying what they >need, based on where the lowest price and quality prevail and >perpetuate a cycle of low price/lower pay. > >So, where am I going with this? I was just thinking, wouldn't it be >exciting to have alliances that form within all communities in a way >that replaces dependence on the Dollar, oil, utilities, etc., with >knowledge and materials that are traded among you and your peers? Wouldn't it just. WON'T it just - this is Marshall McLuhan's 60s-vintage "Global Village" concept that became perverted into corporate globalisation. That's the past, this is the future. Indeed something to inspire enthusiasm and curiosity. Regards Keith >George H. W. Bush said: > > >"I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community >organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, >doing good." > >I would be very excited to see this noble idea actually used as >something other than propaganda, to keep back the interests of big >money and the ruling class, from where the author came. > >Mike > >Chris Lloyd wrote: > > The incredible thing is not that he says these things but that we >voted for him. < > >I can't sat too much as I voted for Blair last time, we vote again next >week but they all seem as bad as one another. Big business is running >this country now, well them and the EU. The environment here is going to >hell and all any party can think of is jacking the price of fuel and >heating up. Chris. > >Wessex Ferret Club (http://www.wessexferretclub.co.uk) _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable): http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable): http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/
