Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960928103737.27377D-100000@fox.ksu.ksu.edu> Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 11:08:35 -0500 From: kerry miller <mailto:astingsh@KSU.EDU> Subject: Re: ideas of "appropriate technology" still respected? To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
On Fri, 27 Sep 1996, Reinaldo Vicini wrote:> As a member of a development country and also an admirer of Schumacher's
> "Small is beautiful"I find the concept of "technology appropiateness"
> absolutely nonsense. With all respect, I feel it as an insult to
> intelligence of our developing countries since telecommunication
> technologies have made this world smaller
... > Technology appropiateness ˙Monopolies & Government intervention ˙> Corruption & bribes & poorer people & wealth concentration
On reading that "On Sept. 4, 1996, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) stated an agreement to collaborate on devising restrictions on Internet communication."
the scales have fallen from my eyes. I see what you mean. This kind of governmental intervention, in the name of 'appropriateness,' local values, local control, multi culturalism, etc., is clearly corrupt - revisionist, even - in a world whose manifest destiny is to be a unified shopping mall.
But lets leave those 'traditional' plural values out of it, and get to the only important one. You write: > In developing countries must of us love economic openness because now
> we are enjoying better products cheaper, since the local producer now
> has to be productive.
I look forward to the day when your local producer can come online to tell how s/he feels about these better cheaper products. I'm sure it will not be long.
kerry mailto:astingsh@ksu.edu Reduce Reuse Repair Recycle Reject Remember