Quote of the day/Which side are you on

From "Forecast for 2009" by James Howard Kunstler:

The environmental movement, especially at the elite levels found in places like Aspen, is full of Harvard graduates who believe that all the drive-in espresso stations in America can be run on a combination of solar and wind power.

His piece is on the future, whether the United States remains an asphalt-connected nation or changes. The asphalt types think that technology will enable U.S. society to remain pretty much as it is, just powered by electricity instead of gasoline. Others argue that isn't likely to be the case. And even the discussion on the stimulus--accepters vs. those of us who say that funding highways is a misuse of the opportunity--reflects this.

When I was on the board of H Street Main Street, a community revitalization organization in northeast DC, I used to say that there were two factions on the board. The polyannas thought that things were pretty much fine, just that the positive story needed to get out, that there wasn't enough marketing. The realists thought that was an insane position, that there was a lot of work to do in order to make H Street "ready" for patronage by others than those in the immediate neighborhood. 4 years later I might be better able to not say "that's f****** insane" even if I still think it.

In any case, change is tough, recognizing what you are is tough, and recognizing what you need to do is tough. Doing what you need to do is even tougher.
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Sorry that most of my music references are old, but then, so I am. There are many versions of this song, but I like the anguish in his voice...

Billy Bragg "Which side are you on?"

Frames from the Judge Parker comic strip, 12/28/2008