Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by James Howard Kunstler

Quote by James Howard Kunstler

“I believe our techno-zealotry will be moderated by sheer circumstance. We will do what reality compels us to do, not necessarily what our fantasies propose.”

Quote by James Howard Kunstler

Create image

Author

James Howard Kunstler
James Howard Kunstler

James Howard Kunstler is an American author known for his critical analysis of American culture in the post-industrial age. His work often focuses on urban planning and environmental issues, particularly his criticism of suburbanization and car culture. more

You May Also Like

“Of course, the toxic bullshit of incessant advertising and show biz for nearly a century has stripped us of cognitive abilities for dealing with reality that used to be part of the normal equipment of adulthood - for instance, knowing the difference between wishing for stuff and making stuff happen. We bamboozled ourselves with too much magic.”

ShowsRealityHappensUsedCoursesWishStuffDifferencesAbilityKnowingToo MuchMagicCenturyNormalAdvertisingUsed To BeInstanceToxicAdulthoodBullshitEquipmentCognitiveIncessantStuff HappensShow Biz
Author:James Howard Kunstler
Create image

“I generally avoid over-population arguments. But there's no question we're in population overshoot. The catch is we're not going to do anything about it. There will be no policy. The usual suspects: starvation, war, disease, will drive the population down. There's little more to say about that really, and it's certainly an unappetizing discussion, but it's probably the truth. In any case, we're in overshoot and we face vast resource scarcities.”

LittlesWarFacesCasesPolicyDiseaseResourcesArgumentPopulationDiscussionSuspectsUsualStarvationScarcity
Author:James Howard Kunstler
Create image

“The "Green" community, the enviro people, are preoccupied with running all the cars differently. Our techno-grandiosity has us gibbering about high-speed rail - which we don't have the capital for anymore - but nobody is interested in repairing the existing rail system, which would be far less costly and hugely beneficial for us. In short, we are acting cluelessly. And life is tragic. The clueless usually suffer.”

PeopleWould BeRunningLife IsSufferingCommunityActingCarGreenSpeedTragicBeneficialRailCluelessHigh SpeedTechnoRepairingHigh Speed Rail
Author:James Howard Kunstler
Create image

“It is true that we need a consensus to go forward with restoring passenger rail in America, and often a consensus is formed by political action, via government. That is all true. But we have no such consensus, and no one in government or politics these days has the will or the force of personality or perhaps even the understanding of the situation to get on with job of forming a consensus supporting rail.”

NeedsGovernmentActionJobsAmericaPoliticalForceUnderstandingSituationPersonalityThese DaysConsensusPassengersRailRestoringPolitical Action
Author:James Howard Kunstler
Create image

“My own opinion is that the suburban project is over. We are done. We don't know it yet. For about five years or so the people who deliver all that crap - developers, realtors, various money people - have kicked back waiting for the system to get going again, to resume all their accustomed behavior. They wait in vain. They just haven't figured out that we face a new disposition of things.”

PeopleKnowsYearsDoneFacesWaitingMy OwnOpinionFiveHavensBehaviorProjectsVariousVainFive YearsCrapDispositionAccustomedResumesDevelopersRealtors
Author:James Howard Kunstler
Create image