The Cavalier daily :: Wednesday, March 31, 1971 :: University of Virginia Library

Illuminating their differing outlooks,
two professors admitted to being
examples of Consciousness II and
Consciousness III at the Open Forum on
"The Greening of America" Monday
night.

Political Theorist Dante Germino and
Historian William H. Harbaugh presented
views and analysis on Charles A. Reich's
bestseller at the forum, the third
sponsored by the John B. Minor Pre-Legal
Society.

Mr. Harbaugh said he was a follower
of Consciousness II and granted that Mr.
Germino was a Consciousness III follower.

In "The Greening of America," Mr. Reich
states that Consciousness III sees a "society
that is unjust to its poor and its minorities, is
run for the benefit of a privileged few, lacks its
proclaimed democracy and liberty, is ugly and
artificial, destroys the environment and the self,
and is, like the war it spawns, unhealthy for
children and other living things."

"Consciousness III," Mr. Reich states,
"believes that the present American crisis can
be solved by greater commitment by individuals
to the public interest, by more social
responsibility in private business, and above all
by more affirmative government action and
regulation, more planning, more of a welfare
state, better and more rational administration
and management."

Mr. Harbaugh said his outlook on the
present socio-political situation in America was
based on recognizing the advances of
technology and the achievements brought
about by Consciousness II persons toward a
better society.

Citing examples of progress, he pointed out
desegregation in the South, increasing
affluence, liberal advances made by the
Supreme Court; governmental regulatory
agencies, and the unique high level of civil
rights and freedoms in America today.

'Corporate State'

Mr. Germino stressed Mr. Reich's imperative
that we "look at where we are now and where
we are heading." He said we must ask ourselves
if the current social order provides us with "a
human place" which is "worthy of the spirit of
man to inhabit." The developments of the past
decades, although bringing advances in
technology, have emerged a large and powerful
"Corporate State" comprised of businesses and
industries that are effectually their own
governments, gaining more and more control
over the individual's freedoms and life,
according to Mr. Reich and Mr. Germino.

Mr. Harbaugh agreed with critics of
"Greening" that the book is "irrational" or
filled with "logical inconsistencies" which
"keep it from being a respectable piece of social
criticism."

Mr. Harbaugh gave as an example of a
"logical inconsistency" Mr. Reich's criticism of
the government for allowing the cigarette
industry to continue advertisement and
promotion of its cancer-producing drug while
Mr. Reich at the same time supported and
"even recommended" the smoking of a similar
drug, marijuana.

'Frontal Attack'

Mr. Harbaugh said he felt Mr. Reich asserted
that Consciousness II people resort to alcohol
in an effort to get away from reality.

Mr. Reich's downgrading persons for
escaping with alcohol but endorsing and
recommending that "people do the same" with
"consciousness-expanding drugs" was a
"rationalization" and "illogical inconsistency,"
according to Mr. Harbaugh. When asked if he
had ever been stoned, Mr. Harbaugh stated, 'By
which'?

Mr. Harbaugh read from an ACLU lawyer's
review of "Greening" which called it a "frontal
attack on the liberal creed" and stated that Mr.
Reich was negligent in crediting "the advances
we have made in civil rights and liberties." Mr.
Germino, while granting these points, said we
must realize that we are "on the brink of an
authoritarian police state." He asserted that,
while looking at the advances from past decades
we must not neglect to look at the shift in
power from government and its institutions to
the Corporate State, which he said the citizens
cannot hold responsible.

Mr. Harbaugh pointed out certain actions of
the University students which do not exhibit an
increased rationality or consciousness. One
example was the granting of car privileges to
first-year students, when the Student Council
was complaining of too many cars on campus.
The other example was the capacity for many
students to show their commitment against the
war by supporting the strike but later to slack
off in substantial activity.