Walter Russell Mead is starting a series of posts describing the change we are in and how to move past it: Beyond Blue Part One: The Crisis of the American Dream
He likens our current situation to the massive transition from farm to suburb. Before WWII, most people lived and worked on a family farm. Since then, most people have grown up in the suburbs with the industrial/office job model we have now.
That transition was terribly painful. But we as a country came through it into a far more abundant life.
Mr. Mead describes that we are in another transition just as massive and just as painful.
What lies beyond? That is what Mr. Mead addresses so eloquently in his extensive writings and I address so feebly in this little blog.
You really should read his full article. In fact, you should add his blog to your RSS feed.
A vague hint of what used to be:
The family farm didn’t die of thirst in a desert; it drowned in a sea of abundance.
My feeble attempt to quote something that gives a small taste of his article:
Revolutions in manufacturing and, above all, in communications and information technology create the potential for unprecedented abundance and a further liberation of humanity from meaningless and repetitive work.
It’s a great article.