>Many left-liberal activists are unfortunately 'reverse size queens'; they
>love the idea of 'small is beautiful,' though there is no reason to think
>that small is necessarily more democratic, ecologically sensible, etc.
The smallbiz ideology also appeals to those who think themselves the "natural leaders" of oppressed groups - like urban community activists. New York City is full of community organizations from the 1960s and 1970s that have metamorphosed into junior partners of the real estate-finance consortium. The ideological parallel is the same stratum's self-perception as mentors or role models - e.g., as Adolph Reed points out, the black petty bourgeoisie, with its new fondness for a segregated world in which they were recognized as leaders.
Doug