He was thinking long-term. We were reading "Limits to Growth" by the Club of Rome. He forsaw the collapse our culture is just now recognizing, offering practical solutions to resource scarcity and environmental degradation. There was always a practical foundation to being free. I'm sorry to say I didn't realize how prescient he was. btw - UCSC screwed him - promised him a job. He left his tenured position at UM to move to beautiful Santa Cruz. Then they rescinded the offer. Academic politics - ugh.