Originally Posted by bragi

I have the impression you've missed the point I was trying to make, so I'll be more direct: Non-western people may pay attention to what we do here in paradise, but they sincerely don't give a rat's a$$ about what we have to say, and for good reason. In the main, I pretty much agree with you: cars do at least as much harm as good. However, once again, I need to point out that, unless very large numbers of westerners actually practice what they claim to prescribe for "developing" countries, the people of those countries will dismiss us as either hopelessly naive or shameless hypocrites. I once attended a small conference on the state of Tibet. Several Chinese people were in attendance, and they defended their occupation of that oppressed country largely on the basis of the argument that, aside from spurious historical claims, they were bringing railroads, electricity and a road system to a country that had formerly been locked in an almost medieval state. When Americans in attendance argued that maybe Tibetans actually liked living without roads, rail or electricity, they were met with looks of blank incredulity by all the non-westerners in the room, including the Tibetans.