Stewart Brand: Why squatter cities are a good thing

Technology will enslave man. The machine is saying goodbye to the natural world, at least what we have left.

I didn't get it. :-(

this has to be the least-developed, most uninformed talk I have ever seen published by TEDtalks. Here are the basics this guy doesn't mention: people are moving into cities because rural existences are MORE destitute than ever before

- why? Because of the land grab through privatization of what were once common lands and the global commodification of food with the bulk of the world's most arable lands being used to produce luxury food stuffs for the rich while those who once lived prosperously (shelter, vibrant culture, food, clean water) now have no choice but to join the great global market economy for the instability of cash jobs.

...you're kidding right?

Only 40% of this video is a commercial ad, thanks TED.

There is a massive difference between squater cities in developing countries an and the homeless in San Francisco, they don't even compare. They are both the result of different influencing factors and therefore function in a vastly different manner.

There is nothing wrong with wealth gaps. The problem in Mumbai and India is there is too much government regulation.

Get rid of that and let the smart and bold get rich. They will then employ the rest.

"Get rid of that and let the smart and bold get rich. They will then employ the rest."

Wow. You live in a dream. And this is because the smart & bold only do good deeds? LOL. And this is because the smart & bold are inherently quick to share resources? Oh my, oh my. Well by all means laissez faire capitalism must be a panacea.

Do you have any degrees in economics or history?

The smart and bold do what they can to get rich and powerful. It's up to the society they live in to hold everyone to the rule of law and preserve liberty.

Laissez Faire Capitalism is a panacea -- did you happen to catch what it did to the West not too many centuries ago?

Capitalism doesn't mean letting gangsters run amok -- it only means getting out of the way in economic matters. Police the streets, set up simple laws and watch the magic happen.

Do you have any points?