Why We Hate Us - read it (thought, radical, Reed)

[Back to NE]

Why We Hate Us: American Discontent in the New Millennium (Hardcover)
by Dick Meyer (Author) - Release August 5, 2008

From Publishers Weekly
In this study of American social self-loathing Meyer addresses why Americans have come to hate themselves (and each other) at a time of national prosperity and relative peace. In compelling, wonderfully cranky and comic prose, the author contends that the radical social changes of the 1960s and the recent technological revolution have drastically altered the pace of life, leaving Americans morally and existentially tired, disoriented, anchorless, and defensive. In arguments familiar to any sociology student, Meyer describes how the rise of freedom of choice in nearly every aspect of American life has been accompanied by the enervation of traditional social institutions (Our communities have been neutered, and our traditional, inherited moral, religious, and aesthetic sensibilities have been discredited). Pointed critiques of political theater, celebrity culture, the rise of marketing and media conglomerates and the decline of manners elaborate on the growing trends of bull****, belligerence, and boorishness. Meyer is gleefully critical and very sincere in his concern for the state of American life; his practical suggestions urging readers to turn the tide of self-hate and phoniness are a must-read for anyone fed up with modern life. (Aug.) ""
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."

I'm putting this here because the book section under entertainment is feeble. I suggest we all read this when it comes out shortly. Way beyond the understandable hate between Dems and Repubs, I beleive this country is in a crisis (or orgy?) of hate. The fastest way to bond with anyone it seems is to hate on the same thing or person. I'm going to read it, maybe it'll have some insite on an important and growing "issue."

[brattpowered]

This seems like a better fit for the general politics forum, but....

Did he mention the spatial arrangement of our lives in the book? In my opinion, geography was one of the major driving forces behind this phenomenon of alienation. City centers and small towns, and their unique sense of community were destroyed or abandoned following WWII. Everyone turned inward and self-centered in their little isolated boxes, and this bred wariness of other people and an unwillingness to create any sense of community--there was no need to if you could drive everywhere in your armored vehicle and transport your consumer goods from the chain store to your home in the suburbs with minimal human interaction. People turned to material goods to fill the void.

[Habsburg]

I already know I'll hate this book.

[Delta Planter]

If you provide it, I will read it. How about it?

[delusianne]

I'll love it! Thanks for posting about it! The (logrollerish) reviews at amazon are intriguing. Here are Dick Meyer's columns at npr.org: Against The Grain : NPR

[Back to NE]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

This seems like a better fit for the general politics forum, but....

Did he mention the spatial arrangement of our lives in the book? In my opinion, geography was one of the major driving forces behind this phenomenon of alienation. City centers and small towns, and their unique sense of community were destroyed or abandoned following WWII. Everyone turned inward and self-centered in their little isolated boxes, and this bred wariness of other people and an unwillingness to create any sense of community--there was no need to if you could drive everywhere in your armored vehicle and transport your consumer goods from the chain store to your home in the suburbs with minimal human interaction. People turned to material goods to fill the void.

We'll see, I imagine he'll touch on this. You sound like you might be a fan of James Howard Kunstler's work. In case not, he's got some excellent podcasts called Kunstler-casts (along with his books).

But I agree that this isolation due to automobile culture has stunted our social growth as a culture. This book is an important subject because I honestly think we have become a hating culture that is constantly irritated and in contempt of something or someone... and it's starting to define us.

[delusianne]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

This seems like a better fit for the general politics forum, but....

Did he mention the spatial arrangement of our lives in the book? In my opinion, geography was one of the major driving forces behind this phenomenon of alienation. City centers and small towns, and their unique sense of community were destroyed or abandoned following WWII. Everyone turned inward and self-centered in their little isolated boxes, and this bred wariness of other people and an unwillingness to create any sense of community--there was no need to if you could drive everywhere in your armored vehicle and transport your consumer goods from the chain store to your home in the suburbs with minimal human interaction. People turned to material goods to fill the void.

!! I've thought so much about this too. The Kunstler books the OP asks you about above, are those to do with alienation-by-automobile?

[skoro]

Yeah...


I wonder where all this hatred, scapegoating and marginalization is coming from?



Here's some more interesting reading on the subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-w...thoritarianism

[brattpowered]

Originally Posted by Back to NE

We'll see, I imagine he'll touch on this. You sound like you might be a fan of James Howard Kunstler's work. In case not, he's got some excellent podcasts called Kunstler-casts (along with his books).

But I agree that this isolation due to automobile culture has stunted our social growth as a culture. This book is an important subject because I honestly think we have become a hating culture that is constantly irritated and in contempt of something or someone... and it's starting to define us.

Yes, I am a fan of his work. Sometimes it is a bit unnerving but I happen to agree that our way of life is unsustainable, and that we will have to start living more cooperative, locally-based, traditional lives in the upcoming decades.

[brattpowered]

Originally Posted by delusianne

!! I've thought so much about this too. The Kunstler books the OP asks you about above, are those to do with alienation-by-automobile?

Yes, read " The Geography of Nowhere" and then "Home from Nowhere." They are very interesting, enlightening reads.