I both agree and strongly disagree with you on this. Allow me to explain. The way you frame the proposition as a luddite removal of technology based on some superficial desire to live like back in the day, I agree with. It obviously won't solve many of the issues that hunter_gatherers and early agricultural cultures and civilizations had to deal with. That said though, and I didn't rtfa, so I'm just addressing this common retort more generally, it is you who are being logically fallacious pretending that is what people who call for a return to the old ways mean. Essentially you are ad homeniming their position. (Not saying there aren't those who take the position you claim they do, but after talking to many of them I find most are being overly rhetorical and understand the need for a moderate approach).

I grew up in the mountains, around Apache, Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi people, who I have learned a great deal from, and they recognize the vast quality of life improvements modern science, medicine and technology have brough, and embrace it. The fact they understand that though doesn't stop them from admonishing us in how most Americans treat the land and live out of symbiosis. They aren't calling for a naive luddite-esque return to the old ways, they are calling on us to use our technology to augment the benefits the old ways have, and that is a huge distinction.

Of course there are some hippy groups that naively take that position, such as the Rainbows, and then after they've destroyed a section of forest during a party they still put on their suit and tie and drive their BMW back to California or wherever. Nobody from the forest has respect for them because their views are immature and superficial, but it is a large mistake to extrapolate that type of position to all those calling for a review of how we live in relationship to the land. There is a lot of good discussion and knowledge to be had if you can get past that.

I could ramble on with some stories that illustrate what I mean, but let me summarize the position most of the native American culture from my old stomping grounds take: value community, but also value self-sufficiency within that community, because those two things make a person and a people strong and able to weather storms.

Personally, when I think about thinks like space exploration, I think that approach has much wisdom in it, and given my experience of the Internet, I think decentralization is a key strength of that viewpoint as well.

You know, most of them pretty much expect us to destroy ourselves because we don't listen to their wisdom. They say stuff like "We were here before America and unless they change we will be here after America."