The Poor Man is one of my favorite blogs, but I rarely get a chance to link there, since they rarely discuss green issues.
But this post offers an ingenious (albeit largely wishful thinking) argument. It begins with this delightful 'graph:
OK, so, I'm not saying that this country won't devolve into a fascistic hellscape of race warriors and man-eating rats, disintegrating beneath the weight of its own reactionary isolationism. But even through the first six years of "WPE: The Quickening," I've been able to remain relatively sanguine about our long term prospects for one reason: if you're a Republican, demographics are against you.
("WPE," as PM fans know, is Worst President Ever.)
The argument goes like this:
- Rising energy prices will force America to "densify."
- People in dense urban areas are less able to maintain the wacky biases, hatreds, and conspiracy theories that fuel the far-right base.
- Progressive majorities await!
OK, one more quote:
Once you reach a certain level of density and heterogeneity, pioneer-style laissez-faire capitalism, not to mention insular, homogeneous religiosity, simply stop working as first principles of social organization. Whatever other iconically American qualities you might look for, this nation is first and foremost the home of Pragmatism, and red-blooded, capitalist Americans stick to principles exactly until the point that they negatively impact their ability to provide a good life for themselves and their families. So, sure, it looks dark now, and the crazies are definitely in charge, but we'll see how crazy they stay when they have to sell the rural dirigible hangars and move back into town with the unwashed.
Comments
View as Flat
PBrazelton Posted 3:14 am
08 May 2006
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David Roberts Posted 3:42 am
08 May 2006
www.grist.org
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atreyger Posted 5:09 am
08 May 2006
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Backcut Posted 6:30 am
08 May 2006
From watchin' my TV
Been checkin' out the news
Until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean to say that every day
Is just another rotten mess
And when it's gonna change, my friend
Is anybody's guess
So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
Wednesday I watched the riot . . .
Seen the cops out on the street
Watched 'em throwin' rocks and stuff
And chokin' in the heat
Listened to reports
About the whisky passin' 'round
Seen the smoke and fire
And the market burnin' down
Watched while everybody
On his street would take a turn
To stomp and smash and bash and crash
And slash and bust and burn
And I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
You know we got to sit around at home
And watch this thing begin
But I bet there won't be many live
To see it really end
'Cause the fire in the street
Ain't like the fire in the heart
And in the eyes of all these people
Don't you know that this could start
On any street in any town
In any state if any clown
Decides that now's the time to fight
For some ideal he thinks is right
And if a million more agree
There ain't no Great Society
As it applies to you and me
Our country isn't free
And the law refuses to see
If all that you can ever be
Is just a lousy janitor
Unless your uncle owns a store
You know that five in every four
Just won't amount to nothin' more
Gonna watch the rats go across the floor
And make up songs about being poor
He wrote that in 1966 and it still applies today, maybe even more than ever. "Rap music" has rarely been better, more truthful or significant than Zappa's brilliance, ironically snuffed out way before his time.
The ever-widening gap between the haves and have-nots will reach a peak when they're in such close proximity to each other. How far will "the MAN" go to keep his control over the "indentured servants"? Still, the uber-rich will segregate themselves in their "dirigible hangars" (love that term....LOL) out in the country.
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Wiseacre Posted 6:45 am
08 May 2006
SJR
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caniscandida Posted 7:32 am
08 May 2006
"Race riots" are a bit of a red herring. Certainly the Watts riot, the Newark riot and others in the 60s were sparked by more than local concerns. Much more relevant to the current issue might be the LA riot following the verdict on the beaters of Rodney King. Also, the (fictitious) violence at the end of Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing."
Of course there are racial tensions, and ethnic and class competitions, in cities. And of course all sorts of other jealousies and rivalries. That has been true since antiquity. Still, as a native Philadelphian, living most of my life in NYC, I think the point is well made that most of us who live in densely populated areas do most certainly learn tolerance, acceptance and forbearance from those circumstances.
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bookerly Posted 4:00 pm
08 May 2006
Interestingly, the point of this essay was perhaps part of the point that was put forth by those who supported (support) integration of schools. The idea being that proximity breeds tolerance (at least).
PBrazelton is correct in some ways. One of the things that happens in large urban densities is not just the proximity, but the fact that political majorities beccome harder to achieve. By this I mean majorities based on race, ethnic origin or other "divisor". This requires a certain amount of power sharing (not complete, and with many flaws).
This power sharing creates a certain live and let live attitude which is neccessary to exist and survive. It does not always create real integration, but creates the possiblity for such. (A lot of very liberal cities are socially segregated, as are many insitutions, and alas, much of the environmental movement).
It is certainly true that a certain type of progressiveness seems to take hold, or at least the wackier types of ideologies don't hold up very well.
But how progressive are our major cities, really? Some of the more liberal cities top the category for meanness towards homeless people. Very few (I am tempted to say none, but there might be one out there) are making any serious attempt to house the poor.
Their green policies usually don't extend to transportation (except older East Coast cities).
Many of them have the kind of zoning laws (seperation of housing, work and retail districts) that encourage travel.
While density itself is better for the environment than sprawl, very few cities have any kind of serious environmental programs.
Mostly they are progressive on issues that don't cost them an money.
But they will grow. As white America ages, it is expected to leave the suburbs (it once fled the cities for) and return to urban cores where services are cheaper and more readily available. What this does to the non-white folks in the urban cores is not clear (do they get moved into the suburbs in a gigantic switch, so that cities resemble Europe?).
Alas, this will all take some time to happen, and meanwhile we rush towards the cliff of global warming.
patrick
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birdboy Posted 10:51 am
09 May 2006
I believe it's true- in the city, you can hide in your apartment and go to the back of the elevator, but you can't hide from the reality that all those people around you experience fear, anger, love, and loneliness, no matter how different they seem at a glance. Eventually, that wears on you, and in spite of your upbringing, your distrust, you learn to see through the appearances and to accept diversity. Down South, you just move farther out.
a liberal in redsville
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Backcut Posted 2:17 pm
09 May 2006
While I reveled in the "Southern Hospitality", I somehow suspected that the poor black folks are still trying to recover their spirit and pride. I saw an untold fear and loathing in their eyes, especially when they didn't know that I was not a "good ole boy". While my own childhood didn't have any blacks at all in it, I also never was exposed to the predjudice and stereotypes, either. Growing up with lots of Hispanics around hasn't diminished my admiration for their work ethic and family values, either. On the contrary, I prefer to inspect Hispanic treeplanter crews instead of poor white trash crews.
I'll certainly admit to being pretty naive about race issues but, putting all these groups together in a crowded city could be a recipe for disaster. We'd be foolish to think that us Americans are past the problems of racism and economic class warfare. I escaped to the mountains to get away from that stuff (along with the high rents and stupid city drivers grin ).
PS... As of a few months ago, I heard that the number of murders in Chicago, (the highest in the nation), was over 500. We can't still blame that on Al Capone.
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bookerly Posted 11:52 am
10 May 2006
I grew up in the South, lived in New England for over ten years and California for 20 years.
Racism is still an issue in all of these places. In cities, people can segregate themselves socially and pretend to connect (Great movie, "Grand Canyon"). Look at "Crash".
I love cities. But just living in one does not make you a more tolerant person.
patrick
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caniscandida Posted 5:08 pm
10 May 2006
Every reasonable movie aficionado knows that "Brokeback Mountain" should have won the Academy Award for best picture.
Thanks, Backcut, for your memoire. Write it down some time. Really. All of us, we really need to have such things written down.
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amazingdrx Posted 10:24 pm
10 May 2006
So we rural psychopaths are the problem eyyh?
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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bookerly Posted 8:23 am
11 May 2006
Cities do contain racism and other forms of prejudice, so does the countryside. Small towns can be very intolerant. But certainly not everyone there is intolerant.
Most people in cities are generally more tolerant because otherwise living in a city is unbearable.
But this does not mean that prejudice isn't still a problem.
The most interesting polls show that generally white folks think there is less prejudice in society and non-white folks think there is more.
As to movies, I thought Crash was weak, not my first choice. I liked Brokeback Mountain, it certainly broke new social ground. As an environmentalist, I have to go with Syriana. Politically, the Constant Gardener and Good Night and Good Luck made important and interesting statements. It was an interesting field.
And leave us not forget Wallace and Gromit!!!
patrick
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caniscandida Posted 10:31 am
11 May 2006
Yes, there is some justice still in this world, that "W&G and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit" won in its category. The three shorter pieces from a few years ago are also excellent. Our favorite is "The Wrong Trousers," with the penguin cast gloriously against type. And another well-loved product from Nick Park and friends is "Chicken Run."
I have not seen "Syriana" yet. Thanks for reminding me of it, and for recommending it. If it is out on DVD, I shall rent it this weekend.
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atreyger Posted 1:24 am
12 May 2006
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