The monstrous hybrid of U.S. ag policy is about to disperse billions in a
manner which will only deepen the long term crisis for American farmers.
Why?
Political activists of all stripes are by definition guardians of the
virtues, values, assumptions they hold dear. One key assumption common to
all political activists is the prime importance of promoting their values
and
assumptions. The entrepreneurial spirit focuses on innovation to create
wealth within it's set of assumptions.
Entrepreneurial spirit and the guardian syndrome must know and respect the
validity of the other's assumptions. Else a monstrous hybrid is formed
whose chief guiding assumption or value is simply its own perpetuation.
This hybrid results (as shown by Jane Jacobs in case after case) in
destruction of productive innovation and creation of unintended negative
consequences. Impoverished regions are invariably gripped by this monstrous
hybrid.
Understanding these conflicting dynamics and maintaining them in creative
tension (as Hal advocated in his "boxed entrepreneur" metaphor) is certainly
not the approach of Tyson, IBP, many ag schools and most government
bureaucracies. These seek only their own perpetuation by blurring the
guardian and commercial sectors. But many environmentalists are no less
eager to blur government and commerce.
Unfortunately so few both understand the intrinsically alien natures of the
guardian and the commercial moral syndromes and see the validity of
each.
The guardian impulse distributes largesse to the needy. So farmers
producing least cost raw commodities get disaster payments, survive to
produce another day, big farms are encouraged to expand, more low cost
commodities increase the profits of multinational processing companies,
marginal farm land stays in production. A program to facilitate development
of farmer-owned processing and marketing cooperatives would attack the
causes of the farm crisis. But the monstrous hybrid of commercial and
guardian syndromes controls ag policy
Jim Worstell
Delta Enterprise Network
www.deltanetwork.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Weaver <jaweaver@epix.net>
To: E. Ann Clark, Associate Professor <ACLARK@plant.uoguelph.ca>
Cc: sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu <sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu>
Date: Sunday, July 25, 1999 10:55 AM
Subject: Re: government and industry
>Ann & Others,
>
>In February at the PASA Conference William McDonough touched on this
phenomenon of
>government and industry. He refered to the work of Jane Jacobs and a book
she wrote
>called "Systems for Survival". I was intrigued by this concept so got a
copy. It's an
>interesting dialog on the moral foundations of commerce and politics. In it
(and during
>McDonough's keynote speech) the concept of two moral syndromes, one for
individuals and
>business, the other for government and political leaders.
>
>Commercial Moral Syndrome
> Shun force
> Come to voluntary agreements
> Be honest
> Collaborate easily with strangers and aliens
> Compete
> Respect contracts
> Use initiative and enterprise> Be open to inventiness and novelty
> Be efficient
> Promote comfort and convenience
> Dissent for the sake of the task
> Invest for productive purposes
> Be industrious
> Be thrifty
> Be optimistic
>
>Guardian Moral Syndrome
>
> Shun trading
> Exert prowess
> Be obedient and disciplined
> Adhere to tradition
> Respect hierarchy
> Be loyal
> Take vengenance
> Deceive for the sake of the task
> Make rich use of leisure
> Be ostentatious
> Dispense largesse
> Be exclusive
> Show fortitude
> Be fatalistic
> Treasure honor
>
>These syndromes have evolved over time and Jacobs developes the ideas and
concepts in
>her book. The most germane to the discussion here is the "monstrous
hybrid"-anytime you
>mix the two syndromes. The mafia is the classic example. The U.S.
government, especially
>appointed officials is becoming another. As you read the two you will get
little tingles
>of where we have hybridized the two.
>
>I don't have answers to your "why?" and "when?" I offer these syndromes and
concepts for
>further discussion.
>
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Jim Weaver>Northern Penn Holistic Management Network
>RD#6 Box 205
>Wellsboro, PA 16901
>570-724-7788
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