> I agree, Chuck. It's true that Diamond puts some hope in corporate reform,
> but that's hardly devastating to the science he presents, and it is not at
> all the sum total of his recommendations. Meanwhile, somewhere in a
> parallel universe, a gulag is missing its warden...
I'm just starting one of the later chapters where I expect Diamond to talk about corporations doing good things for the environment. I think the book lacks a focus on capitalism and imperialism as causes for societal collapses, but Diamond does touch on these factors throughout the book. His main focus is on environmental factors and how societies collapse when they don't understand the limitations of their environment. It could be argued that Diamond presents a strong case for the importance of environmentalism and sustainable economics simply be detailing the factors that caused collapses. I don't think the message of this book would be received favorably by the Cato libertarians, for example.
Chuck