Buckminster Fuller Wikiquotes
***
Dear Fred,
Thanks for your email.
Paul Schulte first brought
Bucky Fuller to my attention. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Buckminster_Fuller
Lately, I've been thinking
about Bucky and am sorely tempted to re-read his short, brilliant book, "Operating Manual For
Spaceship Earth."
Excerpt: "To take advantage of the fabulous
magnitudes of real wealth waiting to be employed intelligently by humans and
unblock automation’s postponement by organized labor we must give each human
who is or becomes unemployed a life fellowship in research and development or
in just simple thinking. Man must be able to dare to think truthfully and to
act accordingly without fear of losing his franchise to live. The use of mind
fellowships will permit humans comprehensively to expand and accelerate
scientific exploration and experimental prototype development. For every
100,OOO employed in research and development, or just plain thinking, one
probably will make a breakthrough that will more than pay for the other 99,999
fellowships. Thus, production will no longer be impeded by humans trying to do
what machines can do better. Contrariwise, omni-automated and inanimately
powered production will unleash humanity’s unique capability-its metaphysical
capability." ("Operating Manual," Chapter 8. http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~jpmartone/AMERICAN%20TRIUMVIRS/Buckminster%20Fuller/Operating%20Manual%20for%20Spaceship%20Earth%20-%20Chapter%20VIII%20%20The%20Buckminster%20Fuller%20Institute.htm)
Fuller predicted that the great office buildings would soon be
turned into residences and that all the work that had been done in them will be
done in the basements of a few buildings.
Half a century ago, Bucky
observed that we "must operate exclusively on our vast daily energy income
from the powers of wind, tide, water, and the direct Sun radiation
energy."
***
Years after Paul's intro,
he recounted his one-and-only meeting with Fuller who was sitting in an
airport, waiting for a plane.
Paul approached and
launched the conversation by saying, "I've been meaning to talk to you
Bucky..."
I only remember one other
thing about Paul's encounter. Because Bucky's shirt was grotesquely puffed up
with something, Paul asked about this oddity.
Fuller replied: "It's
always cold on planes and the simplest, best insulation is to stuff your shirt
with crumpled newspaper."
I have another memory of
Bucky which I think is true. (I just now verified it.)
As a young man, Bucky found
himselof sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come...
"(At) 32, Buckminster
Fuller's life seemed hopeless. He was bankrupt and without a job. He was grief
stricken over the death of his first child and he had a wife and a newborn to
support. Drinking heavily, Buckminster Fuller contemplated suicide. Instead, he
decided that his life was not his to throw away: it belonged to the universe.
Fuller embarked "an experiment to discover what the little, penniless,
unknown individual might be able to do effectively on behalf of all humanity... Fuller
spent the next half century searching for "ways of doing more with
less" -- his self-denominated "dymaxion" approach -- so that all
people could be fed and sheltered." http://architecture.about.com/od/greatarchitects/p/fuller.htm (Alan: As I recall, Bucky actually waded into
the sea intending to drown himself when the epiphany described above came over
him. http://cantlearnless.blogspot.com/2011/03/buckminster-fuller.html)
Pax tecum
Alan
PS Here is a free online
link to "Operating Manual
for Spaceship Earth."
Another excellent Fuller
source (from Brain Pickings):
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/tag/buckminster-fuller/
Alan: I fully understand that
unbearable pain can drive people to suicide. I relay the following information
only to praise Bucky who, as far as I know, was not experiencing unbearable,
unhinging pain. It is not my intention to impugn anyone who commits suicide
when their anguish seems to leave them no other way.
Bucky said - and I quote from memory - "The most idealistic is the realistically most practical."
On Tue, Apr 30, 2013 at 8:43 PM, Fred Owens <froghospital911@gmail.com> wrote:
Farm labor shortage cannot be resolved by either left-wing or right-wing thinking.Hillary Clinton can't fix it. Marco Rubio can't fix it.Gonna have to transcend to a higher level....... Calling Buckminster Fuller...... Calling Buckminster Fuller......... Calling Buckminster Fuller ...
--
Fred Owens
cell: 360-739-0214
My blog is Fred Owens
send mail to:
Fred Owens
35 West Main St Suite B #391
Ventura CA 93001
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