perm filename DBACOM.ESS[ESS,JMC]1 blob
sn#121393 filedate 1974-09-23 generic text, type T, neo UTF8
∂23-SEP-74 1202 ESS,JMC
Thanks for your comments: I do not wish to assume that most people share my
tastes. In particular, I respect the right of a person who just wants to
sit in front of his TV and drink beer, engage in an occasional hot drag
race with his big car, etc. The new title for the opus is "Technology and
the Pursuit of Happiness" changed from "Technology and the Quality of Life"
which suggests a more definite opinion than I wish to express about what
constitutes a high quality life. The only presupposition, which I shall
make explicit, is that more choice is better than less.
Perhaps some scenarios would be good, but since I don't wish to design a
uniform future, or even design the future at all, they would have to be
varied. You will also note that some of the ideas compete with each
other or will make others obsolete.
As to the Sierras: In my opinion, they really will stand quite
a lot more backpacking than they now get with a small infusion of toilets.
A factor of 3 reduction in population won't help, because the increased
backpacking reflects and increase in the proportion of the population having
certain values rather than an increase per se or even an increase in
prosperity. The removal of the toilets from Mt. Whitney through the
blind working of the wilderness law was a retrogressive step. The Canadian
Northwest Territories have 14,000 people in an area larger than California,
so there is room for wilderness packpacking for all that are likely to want
it in the near future. However, think how prominent the Japanese have
become in international climbing, and imagine what it will be like when the
Chinese do their share of it.
It seems to me that a picture of what society will be like when
everyone's material needs are met can be obtained by looking at an upper
class society at a time when the upper class gave those below them almost
no thought, considering them part of the machinery. The society was stable
and rather varied and preferable to being poor. The much larger size of
a future prosperous society will permit a greater absolute variety of
life-styles, even though there is no way to prevent the great majority from
concentrating on one of them. Improved health will make a big difference
even as compared to the rich of former times.
Thanks again for the comments.