[Culturechat] Jim Kunstler's Thoughts, upon returning from Europe
WesTexas@aol.com
WesTexas@aol.com
Thu, 16 Dec 2004 18:16:03 EST
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Jim Kunstler is an iconoclastic social and architectural critic and writer=20
(he is a proponent of New Urbanism). He was the primary person interviewed=
in=20
"End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream"=20
(available and www.endofsuburbia.com). Jim, like me, believes that we are=20=
on the=20
verge of Peak Oil (when world oil production begins a decline that it will=20
never recover from. FYI--here in Texas we are way past our peak; our oil=20
production is down 75% from 1972).=20
Jim just returned from a trip to Europe. I thought you might find his=20
comments (at www.kunstler.com) interesting. =20
By the way, the WSJ had an interesting article last week regarding the huge=20
differences between Americans and Europeans regarding debt. The average=20
American charges something like $5,000 per year on their credit card--the av=
erage=20
German charges $64 on their credit card. Europeans primarily use debit car=
ds,=20
and the credit cards they use typically have low credit limits. Also, ther=
e=20
is nothing in Europe like the home equity lines of credit and cash out=20
refinancings that we have here in the states. FYI--home equity lines of cr=
edit in=20
the U.S. are up 41% in one year.
Jim Kunstler:
December 15, 2004
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Paris was normal, which is to say the streets were thronge=
d with live=20
human beings (hardly any of them overweight), the cafes and restaurants were=
=20
bustling, even the parks were well-populated on a brisk December day and we=20=
were=20
reminded emphatically of the stark contrast with the impoverished public lif=
e=20
of America. In fact, one morning as we puttered in the hotel room with=20
CNN-Europe playing in the background, a story came on about retail sales bac=
k in the=20
States, and there was a shot of our supersized fellow countrymen waddling=20
around in a WalMart dressed in the usual slob apparel by which they fail to=20=
make=20
a distinction between being at home and being out in public.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
Amsterdam, Holland, was pretty much the same story as Paris, though it=20
is physically quite different from Paris -- the scale is smaller, the intima=
te=20
streets are deployed along a network of beautiful canals, and the car is=20
barely tolerated (or even much in evidence). There, we would duck into a "br=
own=20
bar" (so-called because of the dark wooden wainscotting) at five p.m. and it=
=20
would be full of well-dressed, gainfully employed adults in animated convers=
ation.=20
Public life in Europe is only minimally about shopping and maximally about=20
spending time with your fellow human beings.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0
American public life by comparison is pathetic-to-nonexistent. American=
s=20
venture out only to roam the warehouse depots, and only by car. In most=20
American places bars are strictly for lowlifes, and the public realm for the=
=20
employed classes is pretty much restricted to television, with its predictab=
le cast=20
of manufactured characters and situations. The alienation and isolation of=20
American life is so pervasive and pathological, compared to life lived elsew=
here=20
in this world, that all the Prozac ever made will never avail to make things=
=20
better for us.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0
The process of making America an alienated land of solitary, obese=20
driver-shoppers has been very profitable for predatory corporations. They ha=
ve=20
systematically disassembled the public social infrastructure and repackaged=20=
pieces=20
of it for sale -- starting with the single-family house isolated on its lot=20
from all the normal amenities of culture and society. Everybody now has thei=
r=20
'home theater' so the cinema is only a place to park children for two hours=20=
so=20
you can drive elsewhere to buy the cheez doodles, frozen pizza, Pepsi, and=20
other staples of the American diet. You equip your kitchen with an espresso=20
machine and there is no reason to "waste your time" in a cafe. Everybody has=
to=20
have their own pool, so the kids can go swimming by themselves. Family value=
s.=20
The rest of the human race is unimportant.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
American adults are said to work far more hours than their European=20
counterparts. Clearly, that is because they have no place to "be" with other=
=20
people besides the WalMart, and no way to get anyplace except the car. On to=
p of=20
this fantastic alienation, there is the inescapable din of manufactured=20
Christmas festivity, which must only reinforce the deep,chronic loneliness o=
f most=20
average Americans, the utter lack of connection with other people. In Paris=20=
there=20
was hardly a Santa to be seen, or a carol to be heard, though the busy and=20
beautiful streets were saturated with cheer and conviviality.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0
What is also striking in contrast is the stupendous and immersive=20
ugliness of all "normal" American daily environments. Public beauty in build=
ings and=20
streets is not merely absent, it seems to have been rigorously banished.=20
Americans now move continually through a machine terrain unmediated by any=20
reminders of what it means to be human.=A0=A0Our most celebrated architects=20=
are high=20
priests of the machine ethos. America has become a country of sad, lonely, a=
nd=20
frightened people. We say that we like our way of life, but I suspect that m=
any=20
Red staters have never known anything else besides the six-lane highway, the=
=20
box store, and the life of cable TV. The widespread demoralization is too gr=
eat=20
to be calculated.
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Gen=
eva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2">Jim Kunstler is an iconoclastic social=20=
and architectural critic and writer (he is a proponent of New Urbanism).&nbs=
p; He was the primary person interviewed in "End of Suburbia: Oil De=
pletion and the Collapse of the American Dream" (available and www.endofsubu=
rbia.com). Jim, like me, believes that we are on the verge of Peak Oi=
l (when world oil production begins a decline that it will never recover fro=
m. FYI--here in Texas we are way past our peak; our oil production is=
down 75% from 1972). <BR>
<BR>
Jim just returned from a trip to Europe. I thought you might find his=
comments (at www.kunstler.com) interesting. <BR>
<BR>
By the way, the WSJ had an interesting article last week regarding the huge=20=
differences between Americans and Europeans regarding debt. The avera=
ge American charges something like $5,000 per year on their credit card--the=
average German charges $64 on their credit card. Europeans primarily=
use debit cards, and the credit cards they use typically have low credit li=
mits. Also, there is nothing in Europe like the home equity lines of=20=
credit and cash out refinancings that we have here in the states. FYI=
--home equity lines of credit in the U.S. are up 41% in one year.<BR>
<BR>
Jim Kunstler:<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Arial" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2=
">December 15, 2004<BR>
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Paris was normal, which is to say the streets were thronge=
d with live human beings (hardly any of them overweight), the cafes and rest=
aurants were bustling, even the parks were well-populated on a brisk Decembe=
r day and we were reminded emphatically of the stark contrast with the impov=
erished public life of America. In fact, one morning as we puttered in the h=
otel room with CNN-Europe playing in the background, a story came on about r=
etail sales back in the States, and there was a shot of our supersized fello=
w countrymen waddling around in a WalMart dressed in the usual slob apparel=20=
by which they fail to make a distinction between being at home and being out=
in public.<BR>
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 <BR>
Amsterdam, Holland, was pretty much the same story=20=
as Paris, though it is physically quite different from Paris -- the scale is=
smaller, the intimate streets are deployed along a network of beautiful can=
als, and the car is barely tolerated (or even much in evidence). There, we w=
ould duck into a "brown bar" (so-called because of the dark wooden wainscott=
ing) at five p.m. and it would be full of well-dressed, gainfully employed a=
dults in animated conversation. Public life in Europe is only minimally abou=
t shopping and maximally about spending time with your fellow human beings.<=
BR>
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0<BR>
American public life by comparison is pathetic-to-n=
onexistent. Americans venture out only to roam the warehouse depots, and onl=
y by car. In most American places bars are strictly for lowlifes, and the pu=
blic realm for the employed classes is pretty much restricted to television,=
with its predictable cast of manufactured characters and situations. The al=
ienation and isolation of American life is so pervasive and pathological, co=
mpared to life lived elsewhere in this world, that all the Prozac ever made=20=
will never avail to make things better for us.<BR>
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0<BR>
The process of making America an alienated land of=20=
solitary, obese driver-shoppers has been very profitable for predatory corpo=
rations. They have systematically disassembled the public social infrastruct=
ure and repackaged pieces of it for sale -- starting with the single-family=20=
house isolated on its lot from all the normal amenities of culture and socie=
ty. Everybody now has their 'home theater' so the cinema is only a place to=20=
park children for two hours so you can drive elsewhere to buy the cheez dood=
les, frozen pizza, Pepsi, and other staples of the American diet. You equip=20=
your kitchen with an espresso machine and there is no reason to "waste your=20=
time" in a cafe. Everybody has to have their own pool, so the kids can go sw=
imming by themselves. Family values. The rest of the human race is unimporta=
nt.<BR>
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 <BR>
American adults are said to work far more hours tha=
n their European counterparts. Clearly, that is because they have no place t=
o "be" with other people besides the WalMart, and no way to get anyplace exc=
ept the car. On top of this fantastic alienation, there is the inescapable d=
in of manufactured Christmas festivity, which must only reinforce the deep,c=
hronic loneliness of most average Americans, the utter lack of connection wi=
th other people. In Paris there was hardly a Santa to be seen, or a carol to=
be heard, though the busy and beautiful streets were saturated with cheer a=
nd conviviality.<BR>
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0<BR>
What is also striking in contrast is the stupendous=
and immersive ugliness of all "normal" American daily environments. Public=20=
beauty in buildings and streets is not merely absent, it seems to have been=20=
rigorously banished. Americans now move continually through a machine terrai=
n unmediated by any reminders of what it means to be human.=A0=A0Our most ce=
lebrated architects are high priests of the machine ethos. America has becom=
e a country of sad, lonely, and frightened people. We say that we like our w=
ay of life, but I suspect that many Red staters have never known anything el=
se besides the six-lane highway, the box store, and the life of cable TV. Th=
e widespread demoralization is too great to be calculated.</FONT><FONT COLOR=
=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Geneva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2"></FONT></HTML>
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