On Moving to the Wacky, Wacky West by David Solway

09/22/2019

The notion that seems most persuasive is that a civilization and culture such as ours, with its advancements in science, technology, education, medicine, commerce, industry, political democracy, personal affluence and protracted leisure, eventually suffer from the onset of laziness, forgetfulness, institutional mediocrity, political oligarchy and individual narcissism. In other words, we are all inexorably drifting to the West Coast and the San Andreas Fault, even if we stay put. As The Eagles sing in Hotel California, "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave." Moving out west is only a species of local acceleration.