Posted by Sean on December 6, 1999, at 13:48:59
In reply to Re: aCk-chung..., posted by Adam on December 6, 1999, at 12:35:58
>
> >idealism does have it's place, though it can too go to unreasonable extremes as we recently saw in Seattle. However, that is often how change happens...by drama...
>
> If you are referring to the protests and rioting surrounding the WTO conference, I would say this is at best an example of idealism gone completely
> amuck, and at worse an excuse for a variety of troublemakers to bang some heads while assuming the guise of activists. When in a particularly cynical
> mood, I lump Peter Breggin and some media types into this catagory.
>
> I do agree, though, that idealism has its place. I suppose it has to live alongside a healthy dose of cynicism. I've said over an over that I think
> ADs, especially Prozac, have been overhyped and often don't live up to the expectations that advertising generates. The cynic in me says be skeptical
> about the promises made by pharmiceutical companies; take drugs, but research them before you do, if you can. The idealist in me says, give money to
> independant entities funding basic research of mood disorders (Any suggestions? Good topic for another thread?). That way people with fewer vested
> interests can do more investigation that may be less equivocable. Oh, and vote for people who support such research and the rights of people like us
> to adequate treatment.The Seattle protests are to be celebrated as the
first time in two decades the worker bees finally
got the target right. If the WTO is allowed to \
run rampant, the world will be run exclusively by
multinational corps capable of pitting labor and
supply markets around the globe against eachother.
That a group with de-facto government power should
be allowed to formulate policies like NAFTA and
GATT without public representation is a big
mistake.I'm all for the free market, but it must have some
sort of constraints which recognize the environmental,
cultural, and developmental needs of different
nations.99.9% of the people protesting did not engage in
violence. As usual, a few thugs ruined everything
and the media, lusting for ratings, focused on
these events. On the whole, however, the WTO got
the message and is forever changerd.
poster:Sean
thread:16263
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991123/msgs/16320.html