My dream ...

"No doubt, a price has to be paid for anything worth while: to redirect technolgy so that it serves man instead of destroying him requires primarily an effort of the imagination and an abandonment of fear." (E.F. Shumacher)

I think or hope this could be me:

Those with imagination who abandon fear will be the home-comers, who, with their gentle approach and nonviolent spirit, turn their back on the forward stampede. Seeking a simpler way that seeks the beautiful and the small, they will be secure in the sublime wisdom that only the gentle shall inherit the earth, for the hard-hearted, the proud, and the violent can succeed only in destroying it.

(Both quotes from small is still beautiful by Joseph Pearce.)

Having contemplated these ideas, I find it ironic that one of the things I do is to help corporations protect and make money off of big technology with patents. Of course I also help small guys protect their small technology with patents, and corporations sometimes do come up with technology that has human face.

I also gratefully note that, my ability to work in beautiful Bethune (both as patent agent and publisher), is dependent on technology.

'The book' uses the term "intermediate technology" to describe technology which is in the service of man and not man in service of technology. What exactly is "intermediate technology"?

Most rural areas (and especially in developing countries) have lots labor but little capital. "Therefore appropriate technology for these ... should be labor intensive. This does not mean that there is no place for machines, but that machines are to serve the abundant supply of labor, not replace it." And appropriate technology should be placed where the people live. Don't move them to the cities, keep them in their rural settings, as 'the book' calls it: "agro-industrial structure".

Much to think about here, and its not all settled yet.

Oremus pro invicem!