[Culturechat] Jim Kunstler's Thoughts, upon returning from
Europe
Bob Bestor
bob@gemut.com
Mon, 20 Dec 2004 16:56:31 -0800
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Kunstler speaks only of what's wrong with America, not what's right.
It's quite amazing that a society of fat,=20
TV-addicted, mall shoppers has produced most of=20
the technological advances the world has seen in=20
the past 50 years, developed the vast majority of=20
life-saving and life-enhancing drugs, won the=20
battle against fascism and communism, and=20
produced the most Nobel Laureates, 270 - more=20
than Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland,=20
Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, USSR, Denmark,=20
Spain, Japan and Australia, combined.
Do we have problems? Of course, (in both red and=20
blue states) but so do the European countries Mr.=20
Kunstler mentions.
A guy who, in the title of his blog, uses a crude=20
expression for group sex, and who includes Zippy=20
the Pinhead and the dysfunctional cartoonist,=20
Robert Crumb, among his favorite web links,=20
simply cannot be taken seriously.
Bob Bestor
>Jim Kunstler is an iconoclastic social and=20
>architectural critic and writer (he is a=20
>proponent of New Urbanism). He was the primary=20
>person interviewed in "End of Suburbia: Oil=20
>Depletion and the Collapse of the American=20
>Dream" (available and www.endofsuburbia.com).=20
>Jim, like me, believes that we are on the verge=20
>of Peak Oil (when world oil production begins a=20
>decline that it will never recover from.=20
>FYI--here in Texas we are way past our peak; our=20
>oil production is down 75% from 1972).
>
>Jim just returned from a trip to Europe. I=20
>thought you might find his comments (at=20
>www.kunstler.com) interesting.
>
>By the way, the WSJ had an interesting article=20
>last week regarding the huge differences between=20
>Americans and Europeans regarding debt. The=20
>average American charges something like $5,000=20
>per year on their credit card--the average=20
>German charges $64 on their credit card.=20
>Europeans primarily use debit cards, and the=20
>credit cards they use typically have low credit=20
>limits. Also, there is nothing in Europe like=20
>the home equity lines of credit and cash out=20
>refinancings that we have here in the states.=20
>FYI--home equity lines of credit in the U.S. are=20
>up 41% in one year.
>
>Jim Kunstler:
>
>December 15, 2004
> Paris was normal, which is to say the=20
>streets were thronged with live human beings=20
>(hardly any of them overweight), the cafes and=20
>restaurants were bustling, even the parks were=20
>well-populated on a brisk December day and we=20
>were reminded emphatically of the stark contrast=20
>with the impoverished public life of America. In=20
>fact, one morning as we puttered in the hotel=20
>room with CNN-Europe playing in the background,=20
>a story came on about retail sales back in the=20
>States, and there was a shot of our supersized=20
>fellow countrymen waddling around in a WalMart=20
>dressed in the usual slob apparel by which they=20
>fail to make a distinction between being at home=20
>and being out in public.
>
> Amsterdam, Holland, was pretty much the=20
>same story as Paris, though it is physically=20
>quite different from Paris -- the scale is=20
>smaller, the intimate streets are deployed along=20
>a network of beautiful canals, and the car is=20
>barely tolerated (or even much in evidence).=20
>There, we would duck into a "brown bar"=20
>(so-called because of the dark wooden=20
>wainscotting) at five p.m. and it would be full=20
>of well-dressed, gainfully employed adults in=20
>animated conversation. Public life in Europe is=20
>only minimally about shopping and maximally=20
>about spending time with your fellow human=20
>beings.
>
> American public life by comparison is=20
>pathetic-to-nonexistent. Americans venture out=20
>only to roam the warehouse depots, and only by=20
>car. In most American places bars are strictly=20
>for lowlifes, and the public realm for the=20
>employed classes is pretty much restricted to=20
>television, with its predictable cast of=20
>manufactured characters and situations. The=20
>alienation and isolation of American life is so=20
>pervasive and pathological, compared to life=20
>lived elsewhere in this world, that all the=20
>Prozac ever made will never avail to make things=20
>better for us.
>
> The process of making America an alienated=20
>land of solitary, obese driver-shoppers has been=20
>very profitable for predatory corporations. They=20
>have systematically disassembled the public=20
>social infrastructure and repackaged pieces of=20
>it for sale -- starting with the single-family=20
>house isolated on its lot from all the normal=20
>amenities of culture and society. Everybody now=20
>has their 'home theater' so the cinema is only a=20
>place to park children for two hours so you can=20
>drive elsewhere to buy the cheez doodles, frozen=20
>pizza, Pepsi, and other staples of the American=20
>diet. You equip your kitchen with an espresso=20
>machine and there is no reason to "waste your=20
>time" in a cafe. Everybody has to have their own=20
>pool, so the kids can go swimming by themselves.=20
>Family values. The rest of the human race is=20
>unimportant.
>
> American adults are said to work far more=20
>hours than their European counterparts. Clearly,=20
>that is because they have no place to "be" with=20
>other people besides the WalMart, and no way to=20
>get anyplace except the car. On top of this=20
>fantastic alienation, there is the inescapable=20
>din of manufactured Christmas festivity, which=20
>must only reinforce the deep,chronic loneliness=20
>of most average Americans, the utter lack of=20
>connection with other people. In Paris there was=20
>hardly a Santa to be seen, or a carol to be=20
>heard, though the busy and beautiful streets=20
>were saturated with cheer and conviviality.
>
> What is also striking in contrast is the=20
>stupendous and immersive ugliness of all=20
>"normal" American daily environments. Public=20
>beauty in buildings and streets is not merely=20
>absent, it seems to have been rigorously=20
>banished. Americans now move continually through=20
>a machine terrain unmediated by any reminders of=20
>what it means to be human. Our most celebrated=20
>architects are high priests of the machine=20
>ethos. America has become a country of sad,=20
>lonely, and frightened people. We say that we=20
>like our way of life, but I suspect that many=20
>Red staters have never known anything else=20
>besides the six-lane highway, the box store, and=20
>the life of cable TV. The widespread=20
>demoralization is too great to be calculated.
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blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { padding-top: 0 ; padding-bottom: 0 }
--></style><title>Re: [Culturechat] Jim Kunstler's Thoughts, upon
returning</title></head><body>
<div>Kunstler speaks only of what's wrong with America, not what's
right.</div>
<div>It's quite amazing that a society of fat, TV-addicted, mall
shoppers has produced most of the technological advances the world has
seen in the past 50 years, developed the vast majority of life-saving
and life-enhancing drugs, won the battle against fascism and
communism, and produced the most Nobel Laureates, 270 - more than
Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden,
USSR, Denmark, Spain, Japan and Australia,<i> combined</i>.</div>
<div>Do we have problems? Of course, (in both red<i> and</i> blue
states) but so do the European countries Mr. Kunstler mentions.</div>
<div>A guy who, in the title of his blog, uses a crude expression for
group sex, and who includes Zippy the Pinhead and the dysfunctional
cartoonist, Robert Crumb, among his favorite web links, simply cannot
be taken seriously.</div>
<div>Bob Bestor</div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><font face=3D"Geneva" size=3D"-1"
color=3D"#000000">Jim Kunstler is an iconoclastic social and
architectural critic and writer (he is a proponent of New Urbanism).
He was the primary person interviewed in "End of Suburbia:
Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream" (available
and www.endofsuburbia.com). Jim, like me, believes that we are
on the verge of Peak Oil (when world oil production begins a decline
that it will never recover from. 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 differences between Americans and Europeans regarding debt.
The average 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 limits. Also, there is nothing in
Europe like the home equity lines of 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 face=3D"Arial" size=3D"-1" color=3D"#000000">December 15,
2004<br>
Paris was normal, which is to say the
streets were thronged with live human beings (hardly any of them
overweight), the cafes and restaurants were bustling, even the parks
were well-populated on a brisk December day and we were reminded
emphatically of the stark contrast with the impoverished public life
of America. In fact, one morning as we puttered in the hotel room with
CNN-Europe playing in the background, a story came on about retail
sales back in the States, and there was a shot of our supersized
fellow countrymen waddling around in a WalMart dressed in the usual
slob apparel by which they fail to make a distinction between being at
home and being out in public.<br>
<br>
Amsterdam, Holland, was pretty much the same
story as Paris, though it is physically quite different from Paris --
the scale is smaller, the intimate streets are deployed along a
network of beautiful canals, and the car is barely tolerated (or even
much in evidence). There, we would duck into a "brown bar"
(so-called because of the dark wooden wainscotting) at five p.m. and
it would be full of well-dressed, gainfully employed adults in
animated conversation. Public life in Europe is only minimally about
shopping and maximally about spending time with your fellow human
beings.<br>
<br>
American public life by comparison is
pathetic-to-nonexistent. Americans venture out only to roam the
warehouse depots, and only by car. In most American places bars are
strictly for lowlifes, and the public realm for the employed classes
is pretty much restricted to television, with its predictable cast of
manufactured characters and situations. The alienation and isolation
of American life is so pervasive and pathological, compared to life
lived elsewhere in this world, that all the Prozac ever made will
never avail to make things better for us.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" cite><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"-1"
color=3D"#000000"> <br>
The process of making America an alienated
land of solitary, obese driver-shoppers has been very profitable for
predatory corporations. They have systematically disassembled the
public social infrastructure and repackaged pieces of it for sale --
starting with the single-family house isolated on its lot from all the
normal amenities of culture and society. Everybody now has their 'home
theater' so the cinema is only a place to park children for two hours
so you can drive elsewhere to buy the cheez doodles, frozen pizza,
Pepsi, and other staples of the American diet. You equip your kitchen
with an espresso machine and there is no reason to "waste your
time" in a cafe. Everybody has to have their own pool, so the
kids can go swimming by themselves. Family values. The rest of the
human race is unimportant.<br>
<br>
American adults are said to work far more
hours than their European counterparts. Clearly, that is because they
have no place to "be" with other people besides the WalMart,
and no way to get anyplace except the car. On top of this fantastic
alienation, there is the inescapable din of manufactured Christmas
festivity, which must only reinforce the deep,chronic loneliness of
most average Americans, the utter lack of connection with 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
and conviviality.<br>
<br>
What is also striking in contrast is the
stupendous and immersive ugliness of all "normal" American
daily environments. Public beauty in buildings and streets is not
merely absent, it seems to have been rigorously banished. Americans
now move continually through a machine terrain unmediated by any
reminders of what it means to be human. Our most celebrated
architects are high priests of the machine ethos. America has become a
country of sad, lonely, and frightened people. We say that we like our
way of life, but I suspect that many Red staters have never known
anything else besides the six-lane highway, the box store, and the
life of cable TV. The widespread demoralization is too great to be
calculated.</font></blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
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