Seeking to Save the Planet, With a Thesaurus - NYTimes.com: "EcoAmerica has been conducting research for the last several years to find new ways to frame environmental issues and so build public support for climate change legislation and other initiatives. A summary of the group’s latest findings and recommendations was accidentally sent by e-mail to a number of news organizations by someone who sat in this week on a briefing intended for government officials and environmental leaders."
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I think the left has been doing a wonderful job of packaging their old, familiar policy prescriptions in a new rhetoric that resonates with many people. Now that the public is laughing at global warming (here in Illinois, winter just lasted from November until April), it is time to give the Oprah treatment to the environmental agenda: "Instead of grim warnings about global warming, the firm advises, talk about “our deteriorating atmosphere.” Drop discussions of carbon dioxide and bring up “moving away from the dirty fuels of the past.” Don’t confuse people with cap and trade; use terms like “cap and cash back” or “pollution reduction refund.”
I seem to remember that there was a great explanation for Soylent Green as well.
1 comment:
Interesting choice of analogy with Solyent Green which like many science fiction works portrays a dystopian society. This made me wonder if perhaps your choice of word "Privatopia" should be explored more to see where it fits in the spectrum of "Utopia" (which does not exist"), "Dystopia" (which is an undesirable society based on deprivation and oppression), or "Anti-utopia" (similar to dystopia except that it presents itself as utopia. Anti-utopia always has a fatal flaw in its design not the least of which is that it is falsely represented as utopian)
I think "Privatopia" is most accurately equivalent to "anti-utopia". This is because industry is constantly trying to misrepresent it as a utopian place. However, Privatopia can also aptly describe the more generic term "dystopia". Interestingly, the CID industry uses fear of dystopia (chaos, loss of property values, purple houses, cars on blocks) to create the anti-utopia - a society where you can lose everything based upon the aesthetic whims of a passerby under the pretext of "good for the community".
You will find the dysoptias are defined as imposing severe social restrictions on the lives of the people. Isn't this what an HOA does?
Dystopian societies attempt to force conformity - not only to eliminate those who "underperform" but also to eradicate those who "outperform". Sounds like an HOA where only a few models of homes are permitted and every nth homes is the same, doesn't it? Try to "improve" your home and you will be discouraged and/or punished.
Dystopian and anti-utopian societies detest intellectuals, innovation, and excellence. Hmmm. Perhaps this is why CAI opposes fundamental constitutional rights such as free speech in HOAs? Similarly, you will always find CAI opposing satellite technology and solar energy technology? Things that are ubiquitous outside of HOAs?
I think Privatopia is most accurately described as a combination of "Private" and "anti-utopia" because it is a private government that claims to offer a utopian environment when in fact the private government and the prohibition against fundamental constitutional rights is the fatal flaw that ensures that the property should be treated like the contaminated waste site that it is instead of something desirable.
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