Problems with the ‘American Dream’
1) Ecologically unsustainable.
2) Suburbs lack character.
3) Economically precarious. The suburban lifestyle seems designed to keep its participants in maximum debt and commuting too many hours out of the day. Also a little to0 dependent on the corporate machine, and between their sketchy business models, questionable accounting and dehumanizing divisions of labor…Creates a need to dramatically re-architect our culture from the ground up. We should actively do this before the inevitable catastrophic collapse I see coming that is tied to Peak Oil.
4) Conquering through division. Although its focus on the family is admirable, the cocooning/nesting aspect of it can break down the community. The upside of apartment living is much greater levels of contact with the neighbors, both positive and negative present opportunities for growth/contact/community. I have seen suburbs with solid networks of friendships, but it takes a little more effort to develop them.
On the more positive side- I have seen a model whereby small-scale family farming coupled with advanced technology and seriously green practice seems to offer hope for a new way. Two very important things need to happen: 1) Our culture needs to change profoundly. 2) We must break our dependence on oil and our dependence on the corporate machine that drives unsustainable lifestyles and ultimately unfulfilling consumerist mentalities.
