...that my last post is from before I read Putnam's article about, of all things, the decline of social capital! My last post focused largely on the increasing irrelevance of social capital, but "Bowling Alone" focuses on how voluntary associations are losing social capital. I smiled a little when he took a quick shot at suburbs and automobiles, two things I think this country has plenty of. But I digress with my dreams of curtailed sprawl. I want to link this piece with my earlier post about the questions of campaign financing and such; I think that with physical capital is rushing to fill the void left by social capital. We have grown complacent with our democracy and no longer put forth that little bit of effort to stay engaged with our communities, and now the corporations and the rich are free to throw their clout at our politics as our politicians look to gobble up every dollar that means one more favorable TV spot or internet ad. Oh yeah, that emboldened free is supposed to be sarcastic.
Because writing this has put in a bad mood... Maybe one of the responses I find to Putnam will give me some hope for the future.
passion is good . . . passivity is what Putnam is worried about.
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