This is Not Funny

Warning: this post contains political content that may be hazardous to your health, happiness, and any breakable objects that happen to be within arm’s reach. 

I always intended this blog to be a way for me to think about the idea of balance. I wanted to talk about good things, positive things, rather than use it as way to complain or be negative. I realized back in May that I spent a fair amount of time doing the latter, and I wanted to use this space to create a different mindset for myself.

I still see it like that, but today I have to mention something that scares the ever-loving crap out of me: the backlash against Obama now that he’s pulling ahead in the polls. From McCain’s attack ads that portray Obama as “dangerous,” to his derogatory “that one” remark in the last debate, to the incomprehensible anger, fear, and suspicion that McCain supporters demonstrate at rallies, I really genuinely fear for our nation, not to mention Obama if he should be elected.

Not only does all of this have a basis in racism, it also comes from a deep-seated fear among many Americans of “the Other,” which McCain/Palin have been tapping into to portray Obama as some sort of outsider with different values and a threatening agenda. This says some really ugly things about our country, and if the economic concerns weren’t bad enough, I think we are now also facing a pretty serious culture war that may well take to the streets. With the right combination of social and economic stressors, I think we’ve got some really dark days ahead.

We’ve been so comfortable in this country for so long, I don’t think many folks would admit that widespread social conflict could ever seriously destabilize our nation. For example, look how fast most people forgot about the travesty of the 2000 election. At the time, people were literally fighting in the streets, but now nobody seems to remember, or care. If you mention “hanging chads” they might say something like, “oh yeah, I remember Jay Leno or Saturday Night Live did a bit about that,” but that’s about it. But now, when a lot of people are under daily stress just to make ends meet (which will probably still get worse before it gets better, says I), there’s a lot more anxiety out there for fear-mongers to tap into. The political contest becomes a lens through which all of our other problems (personal, cultural, social, economic) get reflected and amplified, and it’s becoming more and more obvious that those problems run a lot deeper than most of us have been willing to admit. Put the system under a bit of stress, and the weak points become much more obvious.

I don’t know what to do about any of this, or what to say in the way of a conclusion, other than to simply say “heads up.” Or maybe, “keep your head down.” Or maybe, “move your head to Holland.”

Mile of Cars

Urg, we actually went to this place last week while we were looking for a car to replace our Subaru, totaled in an accident almost two weeks ago now. As much as I would just like to completely forget the experience now that we have a new car and everything is settled, I figure a post about it will help purge it from my consciousness.

A few years ago, I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about the place, but after a couple years of being into the livable cities movement, bicycling advocacy, and the like, it was hard not to see the “Mile of Cars” as deeply pathological.

First, the “mile” is not really a mile, but an entire section of the city of National City, just south of San Diego. There are reputable dealerships (if there is such a thing), semi-shady used car lots, totally shady used car lots, auto body shops, detailing shops, car washes, upholsterers, tire shops, car stereo shops, everything you would ever need, and much that you don’t, for your car. Everywhere there are legions of slick, cologne-dipped young men loitering about, ready to pounce and sell you a car. They stand about in clique-ish groups, telling off-color jokes, jabbing each other on the shoulder, and smirking hungrily at folks like us, sheep who have obviously wandered heedlessly into a den of wolves. Sometimes stereotypes are founded in reality.

I can’t help but wonder what will become of “the mile” as gas prices soar, and more people stop driving, let along buying new cars. For National City, it’s going to mean a major downturn in the local economy, as dealerships close, putting hundreds out of work. Already, smaller dealers are closing on the mile, and every salesman we talked to just shook his head when asked how business was. And then all of the ancillary shops will close too, which employ dozens, if not hundreds, more people. For places like this, which have built an entire local economy on autos, the coming revolution away from cars is going to spell absolute disaster. As sad as this may be for the innocent victims of this crash, after visiting such a place, I am even prouder to practice and advocate a low-car or car-free lifestyle. I’m more convinced than ever that automobile addiction is a ruinous feature of modern life. That said, yes, we bought a car, but not on the “the mile.” And no, we don’t use it more than we need to; and yes, it gets good gas milage.

Oh, come now….

UPDATE: the full list has just been released, and ten stores in my area are closing, including two I see on a weekly basis.  Huzzah!

If there’s anything good to be said about our economic woes of late, it’s this: Starbucks is closing a bunch of stores.  Ding-dong the witch (or mermaidy-thingy) is (somewhat) dead!  I don’t want to go into a whole big thing here, but I do want to mention how utterly ridiculous the media coverage has been.  Yes, okay, it’s another sign that our economy is in the dumps, but isn’t it going to help people in the long run?  I mean, who can afford to spend seven dollars (or whatever, I don’t go there, so I don’t know what things cost) on a g*dd*mn cup of coffee these days anyway?  So, more money in people’s pockets, and maybe an indy coffee shop opens in the space, and everyone can just chill the hell out.  Here’s what got me started on this.  From today’s Chicago Tribune, about the closing of a store in Country Club Hills:

“They just pulled the plug too soon,” [Russell] Morgan said as he satisfied his twice-a-day caffeine habit. “They didn’t give it enough time.”  To people who live in more fashionable ZIP codes, the loss of a Starbucks might not be viewed as a wound to civic pride. But in Country Club Hills, the opening of the ubiquitous chain in May 2007 signified a certain cachet.  ”It meant we had arrived,” Morgan said….[T]he nearest Starbucks purveyor is four miles away, in Homewood.

The story is accompanied by this photo of a dejected Morgan, apparently about to expire from the loss of his beloved Starbucks.  The man looks like he might actually keel over and die right now.  He may have, for all I know.  Come on, people, stiff upper lip! No time to mourn, we must reach Homewood before noonfall, or I fear we shall all meet a similar fate.  

As the Tribune story notes, despite its name, Country Club Hills and other south suburbs of Chicago have a hard time attracting businesses, and often feel left out of the region’s economic development.  Okay, fair enough, but why does Starbucks represent economic development?  Where have you “arrived” when a Starbucks opens in your community?  And why do you feel abandoned when Starbucks and its “cachet” disappear?  Can someone tell me just what the hell is so absolutely knock-me-down-and-call-me-Judy great about a freaking coffee shop?  I could understand if the argument was, “this is the only place in the community where people sit and interact with each other on a daily basis, it’s really a fixture in the daily social life of our area and we’re afraid of what will happen to the neighborhood if it goes.”  But no, that’s not the concern–it’s “cachet.”  Give me a break.  I need a cup of coffee.  Maybe I’ll go MAKE ONE MYSELF!

Anti-Starbucks logo from Amerikaos.