[Culturechat] What does Jim Kunstler know--that most Americans don't know?

Thu, 23 Dec 2004 14:54:51 EST

--part1_15c.46657f7a.2efc7c8b_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Jim Kunstler:=A0=A0=A0 <<The process of making America an alienated land of=20
solitary, obese driver-shoppers has been very profitable for predatory corpo=
rations.=20
They have systematically disassembled the public social infrastructure and=20
repackaged pieces of it for sale -- starting with the single-family house=20
isolated on its lot from all the normal amenities of culture and society.>>

This above quote is Jim Kunstler's principal cultural point.     In addition=
=20
to the cultural point, Jim has accurately described suburbia as the biggest=20
misallocation of capital in the history of the world.   It has no future.  =20=
Our=20
system of widely dispersed home, retail and commercial sites--connected by=20
fuel hogging mega-SUV's-- makes sense only so long as we have cheap energy.=20=
  =20
What makes sense after the end of cheap energy are small towns and densely=20
populated urban areas with homes, retail and commercial spaces in close prox=
imity,=20
in culturally rich walkable communities.     If we spent more time walking,=20
rather than driving land barges, we would probably lose our distinction of b=
eing=20
the fattest people on the planet.  =20

In regard to the question of "what does Jim Kunstler know?"   I would=20
rephrase it somewhat.   A better question is, "what does Jim Kunstler know t=
hat most=20
Americans don't know?"  =20

Almost no one likes to hear the message that the current energy intensive=20
American lifestyle is   doomed, but it is surely doomed.    Whether we like=20=
SUV's=20
and large suburban McMansions or not, we are going to have to reduce our=20
energy usage.     Another huge looming issue is food.    Partly because we h=
ave=20
covered over so much prime farmland with concrete and asphalt, the U.S. will=
=20
become a net importer of food next year.   =20

A good place to learn about alternatives to our car centered culture is to=20
visit Europe and see how Europeans get by without one car per person.  =20

J. Brown

--part1_15c.46657f7a.2efc7c8b_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<HTML><HTML>Jim Kunstler:=A0=A0=A0 &lt;&lt;The proce=
ss of making America an alienated land of solitary, obese driver-shoppers ha=
s been very profitable for predatory corporations. They have systematically=20=
disassembled the public social infrastructure and repackaged pieces of it fo=
r sale -- starting with the single-family house isolated on its lot from all=
 the normal amenities of culture and society.&gt;&gt; 
 
This above quote is Jim Kunstler's principal cultural point.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p; In addition to the cultural point, Jim has accurately described suburbia=
 as the biggest misallocation of capital in the history of the world.&nbsp;=20=
 It has no future.&nbsp; Our system of widely dispersed home, retail and co=
mmercial sites--connected by fuel hogging mega-SUV's-- makes sense only so l=
ong as we have cheap energy.&nbsp;&nbsp; What makes sense after the end of=20=
cheap energy are small towns and densely populated urban areas with homes, r=
etail and commercial spaces in close proximity, in culturally rich walkable=20=
communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If we spent more time walking, rather than d=
riving land barges, we would probably lose our distinction of being the fatt=
est people on the planet.&nbsp; 
 
In regard to the question of "what does Jim Kunstler know?"&nbsp; I would r=
ephrase it somewhat.&nbsp; A better question is, "what does Jim Kunstler kn=
ow that most Americans don't know?"&nbsp; 
 
Almost no one likes to hear the message that the current energy intensive Am=
erican lifestyle is&nbsp; doomed, but it is surely doomed.&nbsp;&nbsp; Whe=
ther we like SUV's and large suburban McMansions or not, we are going to hav=
e to reduce our energy usage.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Another huge looming issue=20=
is food.&nbsp;&nbsp; Partly because we have covered over so much prime farm=
land with concrete and asphalt, the U.S. will become a net importer of food=20=
next year.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
A good place to learn about alternatives to our car centered culture is to v=
isit Europe and see how Europeans get by without one car per person.&nbsp; =20=
 
 
J. Brown</HTML>

--part1_15c.46657f7a.2efc7c8b_boundary--