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This narrative is challenged from several directions - by those who see the
wisdom of sustainability, by those who prefer harmony to growth at the ex-
pense of the environment, by those whose cultures and livelihoods are dis-
placed by “growth.” Hawken observes that we have lots of people and not
enough work, and that it therefore might be better to de-industrialize some
economies. Contrariwise, the invention of the triode by Lee de Forest created
new wealth without consuming natural capital; therefore, knowledge may cre-
ate new economies and new wealth. How that wealth becomes general prosper-
ity remains problematic.
People sometimes invoke the building of the railroads or the industrial rev-
olution as examples of enterprise making life better for everyone. But today, we
are much closer to the edge of environmental collapse. Different criteria should
be applied. Overfishing, excessive logging and unsound logging practices, over-
population, air pollution, water shortages, industrial and nuclear waste, and
global warming are all parts of the picture. Even when faced with compelling
scientific evidence, the business world would like to call “global warming” a
“hypothesis” until the very last minute. The truth is that the very last minute
may have already arrived. A global narrative is coalescing around the idea that
husbandry of the Earth so that it remains a good home for humanity is more
important than growth and development.
At the same time, we have much to teach the rest of the world, if we can
do so with respect and follow-through. “Cultural imperialism” is anathema to
the left, while cultural relativism is in vogue. Some people worry about the
corrosive effects of American media (and American economic development)
on the cultures of other peoples, but Hollywood earns most of its dollars from
international distribution of American films, and so these concerns are typi-
cally overridden by the narrative of business and prosperity. Our solution to
governmental and cultural practices in other countries with which we disagree
is to ignore them unless they have economic implications for America. From
female excision to the state-supported incursion of processed foods into the
agricultural culture of India, we turn a blind eye to those problems that don't
apparently damage our prosperity.
But if we think of ourselves as humans living together on a single planet, a
different narrative comes to light. The alternative looks a lot like cultural im-
perialism. It involves exporting the form of the democratic republic to other
countries and, increasingly, working with the United Nations to deal with
global issues. The form of the democratic republic slots into tribal cultures par-
ticularly well, and is most certainly preferable to military governments or dic-
tatorships in terms of public well-being and prospects for peace. Critics of this
