The more educated people I talk to the more I realize I am profoundly Not Alone in feeling that something has gone kook in modern day America. Keeping in mind that all generalizations are wrong, although some may be useful, and that there are no simple solutions to complex problems, and don't trust anybody who says there are, I think there is an emergent consensus that there is an utter lack of consensus around the overall desirable direction of society, never mind the very existence of anything resembling american society in the original sense of the word (a collection of individuals sharing norms, beliefs, attitudes, customs, dress, music, etc.. unified by a shared sense of identity). There is no unifying identity in America, and there is no unifying and desired vision of the future.
What's worse, we seem to have competing visions of apocalypse - different desires for THE END clamoring for psychic attention - be it the civil war, the global holy war, or the smiting of the US civilization - and overall human civilization, at least industrialized civilization - by a vengeful planet.
What's the antidote to this profound state of desiring dystopia? Many return to strengthening the status quo, however imperfect it is - much like most of our climate resilience funding through the Inflation Reduction Act is being poured into building sea walls, dikes, dams, levees, and highways.
I see a different way forward, to continue to develop and communicate a vision of a sustainable future based on regenerative systems of agro-ecology integrated into clean manufacturing, energy systems, and a complete reformulation of transit around light electric vehicles and human powered transport. A cycle of reciprocity between technology and ecology for the benefit of society. I have yet to find someone who disagrees with such a vision. Though I find many excuses for why it doesn't exist already, largely centered around the inertia and resistance of the present system of socio-economic and political relations that benefit from current trends in inequality and the current distribution of capital. By placing our focus not only on the vision and alternative - e.g. the best way to replace an outmoded system is not by fighting it but by constructing alternatives - but the inherent social and political struggle required to build alternatives, we can build momentum across diverse constituences to actually deliver a better quality of life through ecologically beneficial technologies..
that's it, that's my 2c for the day.
