Suburban sprawl, for lack of an aphorism, sucks

Robert Reich, who recently has made news by endorsing Obama, puts forth an incredible explanation of the way we live now in his most recent book, Supercapitalism.

His argument, adapted to my life, is: I lament the loss of Main Streets. I detest big box retailers. I cringe looking at how every corner of every town looks the same. But, on the other hand, I'm giddy at the efficiency of the American economy. I know that by cramming as much merchandise into a cheap box on an enormous field Wal~Mart contributes to our prosperity as a nation. Can this ambivalence ever be resolved?

The fight for Main Street and the Public Square has an advocate in James Howard Kunstler. Admittedly, Kunstler is as much a polemicist as he is passionate. Every single one of his books could be put in the growing jeremiad section at Borders. But this presentation from a recent TED is absolutely worth a watch. I agree with nearly everything Kunstler says in this talk and found myself cracking up laughing at his witty distaste for modernism.

(A nod to colleague Jeremy, as I found this presentation on his blog.)

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Image comes from Flickr User Dean Terry. My condolences to the owner of that McMansion.