wwp@yahoogroups.com:
Re: The NEXT World Wide Panorama
Roger Howard 2005-Jan-23 23:31:00
I think this new theme is great, and a great addition to the broad
themes we've already visited.
Markets are the thriving heart of society; traditionally, a market was
more than just a place to pick your produce - it was the forum for the
exchange of cultural and economic goods, the crossroads where barter
and sale brought together people from across the land. Modern day
markets are much more focused, yet there remains in many places
thriving traditional markets - in the US we often call them "farmer's
markets" for they are typically the place where small farms and ranches
pitch their offerings to folks without a middleman, and without a
barcode scanner. There are also economic markets - stock and bonds -
where entire economies are represented. A market may be the bodega on
every corner in NYC, or the sole general store in a small agri-village
in Central California, or a boundless Super WalMart taking over a ruins
in Mexico. Markets are not just where people spend money; they are a
meeting place, a social venue and weekly ritual for many. My first job
was in a small neighborhood market near Los Angeles, built in 1915,
where even today familiar customers can rush over in the middle of
dinner to grab something off the shelf, wave it towards the checker,
and run home to incorporate it in their meal without so much as signing
a receipt. Markets build community, nourish and supply, and support
livelihoods.
I look forward to seeing the variety of marketplaces this great group
documents.
-R