Kunstler on the State of Things

James Howard Kunstler has an essay in the latest edition of Orion entitled “Making Other Arrangements.” This is classic Kunstler (minus the expletives), outlining the problems facing the United States thanks to increasing energy scarcity. Kunstler, however, is not all fire and brimstone–he outlines how we can deal with the changes that may lie ahead, and his hope remains in our ability to live together:

It’s a daunting agenda, all right. And some of you are probably wondering how you are supposed to remain hopeful in the face of these enormous tasks. Here’s the plain truth, folks: Hope is not a consumer product. You have to generate your own hope. You do that by demonstrating to yourself that you are brave enough to face reality and competent enough to deal with the circumstances that it presents. How we will manage to uphold a decent society in the face of extraordinary change will depend on our creativity, our generosity, and our kindness, and I am confident that we can find these resources within our own hearts, and collectively in our communities.