Arcology isn't usually thought of as a political movement although some years ago, a Trustee of Cosanti Foundation, the 501-3C responsible for development of Arcosanti, suggested he'd like to see Paolo Soleri nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Too late for that, now, but as a matter of policy, Cosanti Foundation has always deliberately distanced Arcosanti from the political limelight, from taking part (or, for that matter, a public position) in political affairs.
With respect, I personally don't see how it's possible to avoid the fact that arcology has political implications. Or that its actual, real-time material implementation must inevitably have huge political ramifications. How is it possible that equitable responses to ongoing thoughtless consumption of the world's precious planetary resources will not affect social (qua political) organization?
The industrialized world embraces a number of "truths" - the USA in particular calls them "self-evident" - one of which is that all we humans are created equal. But surely it must be "patently obvious even to the most casual observer" that equality does not mean all people treat each other as equals. Nor does it mean that all people receive equal treatment everywhere they go..
Because arcology is a way of approaching management of the material environment in a more equitable way, one that is much more environmentally friendly and ecosystem-conserving, I can't see, myself,how its implementation isn't likely to radically change how material resources are managed. How could eliminating cars from our cities not affect our lives?
The automobile's economies of scale affect our cities, our suburbs, our rural areas, even the most remote regions of the planet. All of those environments are affected by their continuing dependence upon internal combustion engines, by the use of cars and trucks - especially trucks.
While it is a TRUISM that death and taxes are inevitable, the TRUTH is that although for sure Death will happen to us all - to others, to you, to me (and whenever it's seen up close, it's a damned personal encounter), taxes only happen when paying them is demanded. In fact, it's a particularly sad Truth that taxes are not demanded (or paid) proportionately, that there are people with billions of dollars on hand who are able to avoid paying taxes. And if I correctly understood what the supremely bizarre PotUS recently asserted, the aversion to paying taxes (a civic duty) somehow demonstrates that the avoiding person is especially clever?
I don't get that, myself. Such conceit and self-deception make me wonder if we are so far gone that we cannot see that the perpetual war machine is oiled by the garrison economy's idolatry. Do we not care that there are appalling religious hypocrisies behind that same machine that help to propel it?
We're talking economies of decline here. If we saw clearly that our taxes are being used to support living in a death machine, would we really want to abet its continuing? Who would want that? The common woman? The common man?
Do taxpaying citizens believe that's what functioning "normally" is? Do they all believe War Is Normal?
Destroying the environment, decimating the natural resources of the only planet we have, is "normal"?
Why doesn't the entire human race universally question this picture? "When will they learn? When will they ever learn?"
With respect, I personally don't see how it's possible to avoid the fact that arcology has political implications. Or that its actual, real-time material implementation must inevitably have huge political ramifications. How is it possible that equitable responses to ongoing thoughtless consumption of the world's precious planetary resources will not affect social (qua political) organization?
The industrialized world embraces a number of "truths" - the USA in particular calls them "self-evident" - one of which is that all we humans are created equal. But surely it must be "patently obvious even to the most casual observer" that equality does not mean all people treat each other as equals. Nor does it mean that all people receive equal treatment everywhere they go..
Because arcology is a way of approaching management of the material environment in a more equitable way, one that is much more environmentally friendly and ecosystem-conserving, I can't see, myself,how its implementation isn't likely to radically change how material resources are managed. How could eliminating cars from our cities not affect our lives?
The automobile's economies of scale affect our cities, our suburbs, our rural areas, even the most remote regions of the planet. All of those environments are affected by their continuing dependence upon internal combustion engines, by the use of cars and trucks - especially trucks.
While it is a TRUISM that death and taxes are inevitable, the TRUTH is that although for sure Death will happen to us all - to others, to you, to me (and whenever it's seen up close, it's a damned personal encounter), taxes only happen when paying them is demanded. In fact, it's a particularly sad Truth that taxes are not demanded (or paid) proportionately, that there are people with billions of dollars on hand who are able to avoid paying taxes. And if I correctly understood what the supremely bizarre PotUS recently asserted, the aversion to paying taxes (a civic duty) somehow demonstrates that the avoiding person is especially clever?
I don't get that, myself. Such conceit and self-deception make me wonder if we are so far gone that we cannot see that the perpetual war machine is oiled by the garrison economy's idolatry. Do we not care that there are appalling religious hypocrisies behind that same machine that help to propel it?
We're talking economies of decline here. If we saw clearly that our taxes are being used to support living in a death machine, would we really want to abet its continuing? Who would want that? The common woman? The common man?
Do taxpaying citizens believe that's what functioning "normally" is? Do they all believe War Is Normal?
Destroying the environment, decimating the natural resources of the only planet we have, is "normal"?
Why doesn't the entire human race universally question this picture? "When will they learn? When will they ever learn?"
