I also agree that western “democracies” have served large portions of their populations well( as in basic needs and dignity) from post WWII until now. It was a much needed social evolution away from the divine right of kings. Which in part was driven by the scientific revolution going on at the time. Now we just have to move away from the divine right of money and property. Which should also be driven by science.[/quote]
Arraya: I’m curious about your last sentence, “…should also be driven by science”. Do you mean science in the sense of green technologies as a means to wean us from our dependence on oil and coal, or do you mean something else?
If you mean green technologies, I definitely agree, but would point out that these various technologies are, in some cases, many years from maturity and full deployment. Or, in other cases (wind, for instance), even at full maturity, they won’t deliver the amount of power necessary to unseat oil or coal.
We are heavily dependent on oil and coal largely because they’re cheap and, up until recently, plentiful. I certainly think we need to re-think and re-task and that this Gulf spill has given Obama a tailor-made opportunity to push for sweeping changes. The question becomes: Will he do it?
