"The older generations responsible for all that may be done for, but the momentum has now turned in the opposite direction. Though the public hasn't groked it yet, WalMart and its kindred malignant organisms have entered their own yeast-overgrowth death spiral. In a now permanently contracting economy the big box model fails spectacularly. Every element of economic reality is now poised to squash them."
Anyone who has not seen his TED talk, should take a couple of moments and watch - for me, it finally distilled some of the discomfort I had always felt, growing up in the exurbs of Philadelphia:
> "“The public realm in America has two roles: it is the dwelling place of our civilization and our civic life, and it is the physical manifestation of the common good. When you degrade the public realm, you will automatically degrade the quality of your civic life and the character of all the enactments of your public life and communal life that take place there.”" — James Howard Kunstler
>"“I like to call it ‘the national automobile slum.’ You can call it suburban sprawl. I think it’s appropriate to call it the greatest misallocation of resources in the history of the world.”"
Thanks, that video was great. I,sometimes try to talk to friends and family about how our economy will contract after QE2 and other financial scams fail, and to hear Kunstler talk makes me more confident in my own thoughts on how society needs to become more local, less energy dependent. Good stuff.
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[ 6.5 ms ] story [ 28.2 ms ] thread"The older generations responsible for all that may be done for, but the momentum has now turned in the opposite direction. Though the public hasn't groked it yet, WalMart and its kindred malignant organisms have entered their own yeast-overgrowth death spiral. In a now permanently contracting economy the big box model fails spectacularly. Every element of economic reality is now poised to squash them."
and hackers are making that all happen!
http://www.ted.com/talks/james_howard_kunstler_dissects_subu...
> "“The public realm in America has two roles: it is the dwelling place of our civilization and our civic life, and it is the physical manifestation of the common good. When you degrade the public realm, you will automatically degrade the quality of your civic life and the character of all the enactments of your public life and communal life that take place there.”" — James Howard Kunstler
>"“I like to call it ‘the national automobile slum.’ You can call it suburban sprawl. I think it’s appropriate to call it the greatest misallocation of resources in the history of the world.”"