I do feel obliged to note that Dave was specifically sending up Cheesy SF Dome Cities, as he points out in his post’s title, not any other kind. Although I admit to particularly liking point #20.

This piece was intended strictly for laughs, though I guess there is some slight political satire there too. As for my general views about the market and such… I’ve actually done quite a bit of thinking about the nature of capitalism and Adam Smith’s invisible hand and that sort of thing, and I’m 2/3rds of the way through writing a trilogy about it.

You can read an excerpt of the first book, Infoquake, at http://www.infoquake.net. If you’re curious to know more of my thoughts on the subject, you could always buy the book. I’m not sure that I’ve come to any tidy conclusions about free markets, but even if you disagree with what I have to say, I think you’d find it difficult to say I haven’t done any thinking about the subject after you read it.

If you’re really curious, you might browse through my personal blog too.

(Oh, and no, I have not met David Brin, although it’s my understanding that his politics and mine don’t mesh particularly well.)

Jose wrote:
To the best of my knowledge, after a flurry of GD building in the 1950’s through the 1970’s, the market for this kind of structure has pretty much disappeared because GD’s don’t work very well as practical shelters. From hindsight Fuller’s career as an inventor looks pretty unsuccessful, as evidenced by his inventions’ absence in the material culture.

The “market”? Would that be the “free” market? The only possible reason that domes (and the whole of Bucky’s philosophy, which can be reduced to this ultimatum: “We have to choose between the business of death and the business of life”) is because such things are “impractical”? Well, well, well. Aren’t we trusting in invisible hands?

It couldn’t possibly be because domes are better than the rectilinear, toxic boxes in which we “live,” could it? Let’s see…they can be designed so that they have a positive energy and water coefficient (they produce more of each than they require, making utilities obsolete), they’re fire, storm & flood-proof, they’re eco-friendly and they provide the basis for universal autonomy, since their occupants are no longer dependent on the “economy” and the cartels which run the government “of, by and for the people”…Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s all just so impractical.

I’m so inspired by the quality and the depth of the ideas tossed around by such deep thinkers here. Edelman might have written his list with his tongue firmly in his cheek, but the overall effect of this sort of defending the Empire by ridiculing the alternatives demonstrates that his head is lodged just as firmly between his other cheeks.

For those who are interested in using some of that rare grey matter to better effect, try the following:

Bright Green Buildings And Dark Green Buildings

and

n’KoziHomes

These are but two of the many unnoticed homes of a better alternative to how we live, but by all means, don’t stretch your minds too much. It can be dangerous…to a whole way of “life”.

(My apologies for the ruthlessness of my remarks, Mr. Edelman. It might be that your work as a whole does not reflect the tidy, tiny-mindedness that your “humorous” treatment of this subject demonstrates…maybe you could show me the error of my preconception.)

Somehow the ATS (Asimov Transportation System) sounds like a large version of Frogger.

And then I’d like to chase an android across the city in one… yeah.

I wouldn’t dig eating yeast all the time, I didn’t like that part of his domes, hehe.

I love #16 and #20.

BTW, we already have health care up here in Canada. It’s awesome, but somehow I think the line ups would be better in a domed city.