[p2p-research] fakeness of recovery

[Ryan Lanham]

On Sun, Dec 27, 2009 at 10:55 PM, Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com>wrote:

> but the U.S. underground seems to be more dynamic and innovative than the
> European one, at least it would seem so on the surface,
>
> Latin America is greatly innovative for the moment, perhaps the spearhead
> for the moment,
>
> I'm less sure about East Asia, it certainly appears to me that they are
> most interested in copying the fifties model for the moment
>
> but in Japan, despite the official stagnation, lots and lots of social
> innovation is happening under the radar,
>
> Michel
>

I actually disagree about Latin America...but I am ignorant.  It seems a
socialist morass to me tied to population and government budget time bombs.
Venezuela is on the brink of collapse.  War is really their only
answer...thus they rattle the sabers with Colombia.  Brazil looks somewhat
promising.  Argentina is practically a US state...uses the dollar, looks
like California, etc.  I hear from people who visit there that it feels very
American.  Costa Rica, Honduras, etc...all in political and/or gang crises.
Panama seems to be doing quite well.  Mexico is always on the
brink...American (sorry, US) politicians are terrified Mexico will implode.


Japan, agreed.  I think it is the future...they are facing the end-times
that Europe is ignoring, but the difference is they are not so much
importing cheap labor at the cost of their social identity.

I try to be hopeful about Africa, but they always seem to find a new way to
fail.  Asia...is the future.  If I were young, I'd go and find my place
there as the coming century becomes what it will be in Japan, Korea,
Thailand, China, Indonesia, India, etc.  It is a huge fraction of the
population and the land mass.  But that is an American worldview...moving to
where the future will be.

I read where Portland Oregon is the second most green city on the planet.
How one does that it an American context, I have no idea.  I also read where
Switzerland recycles 90%+ of its glass.  Amazing.  Maybe we need to be less
bounded and more open to the possibilities that seem to be emerging all
over.  All those old prejudices and walls die hard.

I wonder why good software isn't coming from Latin America or Africa yet?
There is something about peripheries and technology development that is very
strange...even where they could amass skills, they do not.
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