Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Golden State’s War on Itself

The Golden State’s War on Itself I have a number of talented 'progressive' friends. I sometimes have a hard time reconciling their politics with my knowledge of them: they are thoughtful, reasonable people and I perceive today's progressive politics to be one massive racket with the only goal being dominion. But Joel Kotkin (a 'progressive' of sorts, himself and our smartest urbanist) identifies a possible explanation in his tale of California's rise and fall. There is a 'nice' progressivism that focused on quality goods and services for the common good that has mutated into today's 'naughty' or corporatist looter version.

There are still problems with 'nice' P, for example it gave 'naughty' P the tools and prestige to run riot.  But its 'good government' qualities are what I perceive that my friends on the left are hoping to rekindle.

The problem is when you've grown fangs, become light sensitive and can't eat Italian food, it's not clear that the process can be stopped except with stakes and silver bullets.

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