Originally Published by Cybercast News Service on September 3, 2002
Jerry Brown to World's Poor: Let Them Eat Cake?
By Marc Morano - CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer - Johannesburg (CNSNews.com) - Former Democratic Governor of California Jerry Brown believes that poverty stricken residents of the developing world who want to emulate American prosperity should not be allowed to do so because "it's not viable."
In an exclusive interview, CNSNews.com asked Brown whether he thought the residents of the poorest nations of the world wanted to develop economically as the U.S. has done.
"Many do, but it's not viable," Brown replied. "I would say we can't develop like us, nor them...the developed model cannot work without another five planets," he added.
A British author critical of the Green movement, Professor Philip Stott, said Brown's anti-development views, as relayed to him, can be likened to Marie Antoinette's reported response when she was told the French peasants had no bread to eat: "Let them eat cake."
"I am deeply worried when I hear a white, Western, male start to lecture the developing world on what they should, or should not, want," Stott told CNSNews.com.
Brown, the current mayor of Oakland, Calif., appeared at the U.N.'s Summit on Sustainable Development (or Earth summit) on behalf of the environmental group Global Greens. Brown, who earned the nickname "Governor Moonbeam" for his somewhat unconventional style, appeared in numerous panel discussions while at the summit.
In the interview, Brown defended the Green group's efforts to stop infrastructure projects deemed too ecologically destructive in countries like India and Brazil. The projects would have brought running water and electricity to the poor residents of the nations.
"One thing you have to realize is the economy is inside the environment, not the other way around," an unapologetic Brown replied. [...]
A British author critical of the Green movement, Professor Philip Stott, said Brown's anti-development views, as relayed to him, can be likened to Marie Antoinette's reported response when she was told the French peasants had no bread to eat: "Let them eat cake."
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