To my mind, one of the most fascinating elements of contemporary conservatism is the antipathy towards urbanism.  Social conservatism’s central pillars are, after all, economic self-sufficiency and “small town” values — knowing your neighbors, family-orientedness, etc.  (This is a generous reading of conservatism, but one that conservatives themselves often claim.)  Similarly, much of the urbanistRead moreRead more

The cultural mythology of America is deeply action-oriented.  It is suspicious of authority and conformism and finds hope in the minds of rebels who, more often than not, wield firearms (even a total nerd like Fox Mulder had a gun!).  This language and heritage has been co-opted for rhetorical purposes by the right-wing; calls toRead moreRead more

NPR has an excellent podcast discussing Patton Oswalt’s recent essay on nerd culture in Wired.  Oswalt’s thesis is that nerd culture has been denigrated by the immediacy and widespread availability of once-difficult, more arcane pursuits (i.e.: it’s the Internet’s fault).  His essay is both well-written and deeply felt, but one issue that arises in theRead moreRead more

Hey!  How about deconstructing one of the foundational myths surrounding contemporary American race relations and urban theory?  Turns out white kids do more drugs than black kids!  A lot more.   In other cases of factual-divergence-from-widely-accepted-social-narratives, we’ve got: direct federal assistance (aka welfare) as the foundation of the American middle class; a criminal justice systemRead moreRead more

The current issue of The Atlantic has a lengthy essay about “Davos Man”: that is, the new class of super-rich elite who are, we are told, more meritocratic and philanthropic than their predecessors, but also more likely to concentrate those philanthropic efforts elsewhere, who care little for America’s domestic troubles.  There’s some interesting reaction pieces,Read moreRead more

Part two to my previous post about income inequality. The corollary to the promotion of cheapness as a virtue to the working classes is the enabling of privilege — six-hundred-dollar flat-screen TVs as a consolation prize for stagnating wages and ever-increasing concentration of wealth.  Education is one of the greatest tools for social mobility, butRead moreRead more

Kevin Drum offers two excellent posts on income inequality, particularly as it relates to the financial sector.  What does he have to say about Wall Street as a vehicle for the creation and maintenance of distributed wealth and national prosperity?  As my cousin and his drunken friends once chanted at Natalie Portman at a HarvardRead moreRead more

November’s midterm elections were a drubbing for Democrats, sure, but here in solid-blue California it was easy enough to feel insulated from the Tea Party sentiments; our state ticket went solidly Democrat, and governor-elect Jerry Brown can make claim to some real progressive credentials.  But even in the city most belovedly reviled by the right,Read moreRead more

My friend Erik offered a rejoinder to my previous post: that cars make road trips, and hence visits to out-of-town friends or family, possible, or at least vastly easier.  Until America gets itself a genuine inter-city high speed rail network, his point is definitely true.  But here’s another interesting bit to add to the mix:Read moreRead more

Grist recently posted two good meditations on car ownership and its deceptions.   It’s been two years now that I’ve been car-free.  Before then, I was dependent on my car in ways that neither of the above links touches on: as someone who spent the better part of a year couch-surfing I literally lived outRead moreRead more