On Dec 22, 2009, at 2:23 PM, Gar Lipow wrote:
>> You can talk about the constraints on
>> people's choices, but a lot of the problem comes from the way
>> Americans
>> live, and it's evasive not to admit that.
>>
>> DOug
>
>
> But how much of the auto consumption is really "choice" in the sense
> you say? We had a decent light rail system in the U.S. It was shut
> down. Massive amounts of public subsidy went to building highways and
> other forms of subsidy to suburb infrastructure at the expense of
> urban infrastructure. Cities continue to subsidize suburbs today.
Tell me about it.
But as for your first sentence, that's why I said "you can talk about the constraints on people's choices." Regardless of what shapes and limits those, however, there will have to be big changes in the way people, esp American people, live if we're going to get the climate thing under control. The rhetorical tactic of blaming corporations evades the fact that driving to work all alone, or living in 3000 sq ft houses, or a whole lot of other things are just not sustainable. You can blame Exxon all you like but daily life has to change.