keith [10.11.06 12:35 PM]

I have to question how a book addressing ecology, social responsibility and peacemaking can expect to be taken seriously with a forward presented by Al Gore, who, along with Clinton, was infamous for his for the repression of reports and studies of FDA scientists concerned with the fast-tracking of Gentically Modified Organisms. Gore's rabid support of the genetic engineered seed and food business, particularly his work on the Monsanto/Agribusiness "White List" policies, taint's any claim regarding 'sustainable policies', at least among those of us who fought the good fight when he and AgribizBill were in office.

In addition, Gore is the single most active and successful advocate for "Big Brother" surveillance, an attribute more relevant to the supression of dissent than "peacemaking"-- Gore's resumé includes 'Echelon'-the US international warrantless surveillance system, 'Carnivore'- the FBI's domestic warrantless surveillance system, the Clipper Chip - (a plan to force feed computer users an encryption system with built in 'back doors' for government access), and the creation of dedicated governmental oversight capabilities in all new digital communications systems as proposed by Gore and enacted under his tenure.-- When these projects were loudly critisized as an attack on liberty, as well as provocative, dangerous and reckless, Gore smilingly denigrated such fears as ridiculous. Today, of course, we see daily examples of Mr. Gore's systems in action, as liberty loving people throughout the world declaim the use of the very system Mr Gore proposed and helped create.

From the illegal Big Brother intrusion of government, to the restriction and control of plants, animals, public and private land for the benefit of AgriBusiness, Mr Gore has done much more than anyone else to CREATE today's world of shrinking liberties & choices, and a government increasingly controlled by TecChem industry policy.

In my opinion, having someone like Gore write the forward for this book displays a desire to "market" to the uninformed, sound bite addicted political market - and NOT to address real 'world changing' ideas to serious advocates for the planet.

  Mike Perry [10.12.06 09:14 AM]

I come from a different political perspective than the previous poster. I know that if the government wants to know my political views, it doesn't need a "warrantless surveillance system" like Eschelon. They're easy enough to discover in a few seconds with Google. Nor am I weird enough pretend that I'm being brave denouncing "Bushitler" or similar nonsense. I visited East Germany during the Cold War and I've read enough accounts of Nazism to know than in repressive societies no one writes about "the illegal Big Brother intrusion of government." That's as silly as little boys with play swords pretending they're slaying a dragon.

But I do work with a traveling Israeli archaelogical exhibit that's closely guarded because, being Jewish, it's a prime target for terrorism. My main gripe against terrorist surveillance techniques isn't the foolish, paranoid stuff, it's a suspicion that that sort of thing isn't nearly as effective as spies on the inside and that a fascination with complicated gadgets will distract from the hard work of gathering real intelligence.

The previous poster also unfairly describes Gore. Like Landslide Lyndon, Tricky Dick, and Slick Willy, Gore has a political name--Primetime Al. It's quite inaccurate to describe him as if he believed this, that or the other. He's all self-promotion and nothing else. According to a reputable Democratic source, his vote on the Gulf War was determined by which side would give him the best-for-TV time slot to announce his votes. If he'll do that about a war, he'll do it about anything.

So the previous poster shouldn't worry. Given the direction the Democratic party is headed, before very long we should hear Gore claiming to have always held points of view that are the very opposite of how he actually voted when he had to canter to voters in a sensible 'red' state like Tennessee.

No, the real problem that a Gore foreword does for this book is to suggest that its authors are as vain, flaky and shallow as Gore himself. And calling themselves the "Worldchanging team" on tour backs up that suspicion. That's quite like the "invent the Internet" and "save the world" rhetoric of Primetime Al.

  keith [10.17.06 11:12 AM]

While I agree with the gist of Mr. Perry's post regarding Mr. Gore's nature, I do not discount the attacks on liberty forwarded by Mr. Gore's previous efforts. I doubt that individuals being held incommunicado without benefit of trail of access to lawyers (under the current 'suspended' habeus corpus), on the basis of undisclosed, warrantless information find concerns about the suspension of liberties we are experiencing "silly".

Nor do I think "silly" would adequately describe the past worries of the members of the Bonus Army who died for no good reason, or the victims of the Ludlow Massacre, or the Columbine Mine Massacre, or those who found their lives ruined by the House Unamerican Activities Committee, or those who were under the J. Edgar Hoover's illegal FBI scrutiny (and thumb) during the civil rights protest era, or even those who died at Kent State - all examples of government abuse of power and repression of dissent.

Even in Nazi Germany, as I'm sure Mr Perry has read, the loss of liberties began in small ways, accepted by the people as an answer to the perceived threats of communism, and other political, religious and racial fears; fears exploited by a not yet openly oppressive government. And, in fact, many voices WERE raised about the developments in Germany. But, as is happening today, those fears were discounted as "silly, weird, or nonsense", until the voices were silenced.

Terrorism is a symptom of failed policy - it can only be addressed through understanding its motivations and source conditions, and adjusting policy to change those factors. Repression of liberty does not reduce terrorism (and is in fact one of its root causes), but rather destroys the moral high ground from which we condemn it. It also strikes a greater blow at this country than any terrorist could have ever hoped to dream. If the destruction of our way of life is truly the goal of terrorists, our government's (and our own) reaction to terrorism is bringing about the very victory they seek.

  Chris [11.07.06 10:27 AM]

Don't discount a book by it's cover or it's forward. He had little to do with the book and is simply adding his name to help it garner publicity. The people behind the book are general paranoid about government interference and it's about Positive things we can do rather then all the Negative things the Polluters are doing right now. The Authors of the Website and Book believe that angle is covered extensively by others(including Al Gore himself). Even their website has a policy of only doing Positive reviews(unless the Negative Review is of such importance and magnitude that ignoring it would be foolish).

Do you guys remember the Whole Earth Catalog? This is basically that, packaged for a new generation and with a focus on Innovation/Evolution of methods and technologies rather then what the Dino-Hippies tried & failed to accomplish way back when.

Don't believe me? Then get the book out of the library or go to the bookstore and thumb through it. It's annotated and has ample references.

  Taran Rampersad [12.26.06 07:35 PM]

It didn't live up to expectations, in my eyes.