~Carl Sagan
Technology, so the "radical traditionalists" say, is not neutral. This seems to be the main talking point of the neo Luddite movement. Neo Luddites think technology should not be so brazenly embraced without considering the impact it may have on society and community. There is of course nothing wrong with that, except that such societal introspection will never happen, and neo Luddites want to take it to extremes.
Consider this: "If you accept the existence of automobiles, you also accept the existence of roads laid upon the landscape, oil to run the cars, and huge institutions to find the oil, pump it and distribute it. In addition, you accept a sped-up style of life and the movement of humans through the terrain at speeds that make it impossible to pay attention to whatever is growing there." Source
I disagree with most or all of this. I think most people would. Not that cars don't have an (often negative) impact on the world, but that somehow "not cars" would be a more desirable alternative. I like, enjoy, and appreciate technology in all it's forms. I have been fortunate to live in a time when technology is radically transforming society and the world as a whole. I find it exciting!
An exceptionally good article on this subject: Rage Against the Machines
Note: Luddites and neo Luddites take their name from Ned Ludd. Whether he intended to start a wave of anti-technology protests, or was just angry with his boss, he became the symbol of the anti-progress protests in England during the Industrial Revolution.
Something else I learned: There are people in the world that embrace "primitivism" - they want to live in some utopian "before technology" when things were basic and simple. I know this because one of them posted about it on the internet.
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